INNISFAIL – The Grade 9 boys and girls basketball teams at Innisfail High School (IHS) are silver medal winners at this year’s regional championship.
The 2025 Chinook's Edge North Athletic Association (CENAA) championship tournament was held at IHS on Feb. 28 and March 1.
There were eight teams for both girls and boys’ competition, and they came from public, Catholic and private schools in Red Deer County, Innisfail, Delburne, Sylvan Lake and Spruce View.
Destiny Christian School in Red Deer County won the gold medal in both boys' and girls’ competition.
Innisfail’s St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Catholic School entered a boys’ team and finished the tourney in fifth place.
Christian Damgaard, athletic director at IHS, said the success of his school’s Grade 9 teams was a welcome surprise.
“We are pretty proud. Both (teams) went in ranked fourth and ended up in second, so they did really well,” said Damgaard, “We basically wanted to have competitive teams representing our school. Historically, we haven't really had a lot of consistent success in the league.
“For us to have two teams in the same year finishing second, we're really proud they overachieved like that based on what we've had in the recent past.”
In the meantime, the IHS Grade 9 girls team qualified for the Central West Alberta Junior High Athletics Association (CWAJHAA) basketball championship tourney that is being held this month in Red Deer.
The IHS Grade 9 boys’ team, however, failed to qualify for the CWAJHAA tournament and their season is over.
As for the senior IHS basketball teams, they are rebuilding.
“We’re building a new athletic and cultural identity for the school and hopefully by the time our Grade 9s are in Grade 12 they will have set the tone and example for the grades below them,” said Damgaard.
“Our senior teams had a rough year because the program isn't really established yet, so that's kind of what we're hoping for.”
