Both the Olds High School Spartans boys' and girls' senior basketball teams advanced to the Mountain View County Basketball League finals with victories on Wednesday at the Ralph Klein Centre.
The boys were due to take on the Innisfail Junior-Senior High School Cyclones for the league title Monday while the girls were due to take on the Hugh Sutherland School Kodiaks from Carstairs, also on Monday.
The boys defeated the Sundre High School Scorpions 84-55 while the girls beat the Didsbury High School Dragons 55-29.
The boys built a 12-0 lead in the first quarter before the Scorpions hit the scoreboard. The Spartans led by 14 after one quarter, 20-6, before extending the lead to 38-26 at the half.
Following the conclusion of the game, Tom Christensen, the team's coach, said the team put in a good couple of quarters. He said he was surprised by the Scorpions this time out, who he thought played well.
“Sundre, I thought, played really well. We played them a few times (this season) and beat them pretty good scores, but I thought they played really good,” he said.
The Spartans head into the South Central Zone Championship tournament this weekend at the Ralph Klein Centre ranked fifth in the zone. Christensen said powerhouses Cochrane High School and Chestermere High School (rated number 1 and 2 in the province), could very well challenge for the provincial championship, so the Spartans will be in tough.
“I don't know that anybody can really knock them off . Realistically, if we play well, we could come home with third in the zone, which might actually qualify us for provincials. We'd be happy with that,” he said.
The girls, meanwhile built up a 25-9 lead after the first quarter against the Dragons that was extended to 18 points, 33-15 at the half.
“They really came together as a team and played very well. They had a strong inside game and outside game,” said Karla Shulz, the team's coach.
Shulz said everyone on the team has improved a lot over the course of the season and learned to play as a team.
“The girls have really come together as a team and really improved. They're ending out really strong,” she said.
As with the boys team however, the South Central zone boasts some excellent basketball teams, so Shulz said the girls will have their work cut out for them. The girls head into the tournament ranked seventh in the zone.
Realistically, if we play well, we could come home with third in the zone, which might actually qualify us for provincials. We'd be happy with that."Tom Christensen, coach, OHS senior boys basketball team
