One more championship banner has been added to an already impressive collection covering the walls of Rimbey Jr./Sr.High School’s gymnasium walls honoring athletic excellence and achievement.
The Rimbey Jr. High Spartan girls basketball “A” team won the CWAJHAA “JJ” basketball tournament played at LacombeChristian School on Friday March 11 and Saturday March 12.
There are no provincial championship tournaments for junior high athletics, so “CWAJHAA” is the Central West AlbertaJunior High Athletics Association. This is the highest level of athletic competition in junior high sports. “JJ” is based on student population in your school.
The teams competing in this tournament were Lacombe Christian School ‘A’ , Lacombe Christian ‘B’, Ponoka Catholic, Innisfail Catholic, Sylvan Lake Catholic, Red Deer’s St. Patrick’s, Rimbey Jr./Sr., and David Thompson. One school dropped out so the host school played their ‘B’ team. Rimbey played Lacombe Christian ‘B’ in the first game and rolled out to a 23-4 score at the end of the first quarter (eight minutes], then carried it through to a 28 point victory.
Saturday morning they played David Thompson in their second game. This game had a much closer start, but the Spartans hit their stride and took control in the second quarter and closed out a 14 point victory. That set them up for a championship game match up with the Lacombe Christian School ‘A’ team. The Spartans against the Sabres for title. This was the third time these two teams would compete against each other this season. Rimbey won the first game at the zone qualifying tournament that was played in Blackfalds about three weeks ago to earn Rimbey’s birth in the final tournament asa number one seed, Lacombe getting a lower seed. The second match up between these two teams took place in Rimbey ina semi- final game at the Wolf Creek League Tournament with Lacombe coming out on top in this game.
There’s an old saying that REVENGE is a dish best served cold. Well, that’s not what happened in this championship game. Rimbey came out red hot and ready to take care of business. The Spartan ladies picked the perfect time to play their best basketball of the season (what every coach dreams of) and controlled both ends of the court. By part way through the third quarter they opened up a 18 point lead, then one of Rimbey’s starting Grade 9 players, Kaylea Greer- Schallock took a frightening crash into the end wall and was removed from the game.
As good teams usually do, Lacombe seized the moment as Rimbey scrambled to regain their composure and refocus their team. The game came back to a seven point Rimbey lead in the fourth quarter when a leader was born. The aforementioned Greer-Schallock came off the bench and rallied her team around her and the Lady Spartans took back control of the game, winning by double digits. Game- Set- Match. Mission accomplished.
Let the celebrations begin.
A good junior high team wins a game with somewhere in the range of 30-40 points. A really good team occasionally scores in the high 40s. For this team to beat these caliber of teams by these margins was phenomenal. Congratulations on all your accomplishments, ladies. You did yourselves proud, you did your families proud, you did your school proud and you did your community proud. Enjoy the moment. Stand tall, walk proud, and hopefully success and greatness is with you for the rest of your lives.
I’ve been told that the high school lady Spartans are graduating only one Grade 12 player from a 13 player roster. There are six Grade 9 players moving up from this fantastic junior high team. Basketball fans in the Rimbey area should mark January to March down on your calendars to watch the Rimbey Spartan ladies basketball team. It’s shaping up to be a stellar season.
Spartans rule!