Ward sets Medicine Hat College men’s basketball all-time points record, playoff push in sight

“It’s been great. I like being put in the position where I can do that, all my teammates helped me to push myself,” Ward said.

“Medicine Hat has been a powerhouse in the ACAC for quite some time. So to just put my name up there with some of the greats, stuff like that, and etch my name in history was a huge thing for me.”

The record breaking moment came off of a free throw early in the Rattlers games against Olds College.

A game that saw Ward put up a season high 30 points, as he continues to push that team record even higher.

In his final year of college eligibility after playing in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia for three season prior to coming to the Rattlers, Ward’s final home game as a Rattler will be on Friday.

Canadian college players are eligible to play five seasons, but did not lose a year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A pair of wins over the SAIT Trojans in a home and home series this weekend would put the Rattlers in a playoff spot.

The Rattlers are then scheduled to play a makeup game in Caronport against the Alberta College’s Athletic Conference leading Briercrest Clippers who sit with 17 wins and one loss on the season, and will host the ACAC playoffs after also being the top team in the league at the start of January.

“Hopefully if we win all three, it will put us in a great position to make playoffs,” Ward said.

“Hopefully by then all things are rolling and we can get a couple wins and hopefully go to nationals,” he added.

“I would love to play here for as long as I can, but unfortunately we only get five years. Spent three great years here, and I’m just hoping to go out with a bang.”

Ward who was also named the male Rattlers player of the month for January, said Medicine Hat is a great city, and his time here has been nothing short of great.

“I would say the people here are great,” Ward said.

“I’ve had nothing short of amazing experiences from, people just like gifting me things and saying, oh, do you need this? Or just random people throughout the city just coming up to me and saying, we love watching you play,” he added.

“Stuff like that, that’s what I do it for.”

The Sport and Event Marketing and Management student at Medicine Hat College has plans for after the conclusion of his college career.

Ward who has a United Kingdom passport will try out for the national team in Wales, and hopes to continue playing basketball somewhere at the pro level.

The 23-year old Ward who grew up in Ipswich in the Southeast Queensland area of Australia came to Canada because of the opportunity to play under a scholarship to help pay for his education.

“I think it was a mixture of just wanting to play at the highest level I could and also just getting a free education,” Ward said.

“I had a coach one day just email me saying he was interested. Got on the phone with him, and he texted and called me every day,” he added.

“I was like, you know what? Canada’s not a bad place. I might as well come out here, and I’ve been here for six years now.”

Ward has enjoyed playing with a pair of fellow Australian players while with the Rattlers, which has been among his other highlights of his time with the team.

“Hit a game winner the other weekend at Red Deer with Jay Biggs, playing with my best friend, Ethan Robinson, this is a dream of ours to play together at the highest level,” Ward said.

“I would say just playing the game, like just the love for the game and getting around the fellas and stuff like that and just having fun.”

Ward grew up with Robinson, going to high school together and playing pro together in Australia.

Ward also played against Jordan Biggar in Australia while growing up.

“It was kind of a win-win situation to come here and bring Ethan and then play with Jay Biggs, who was also here,” Ward said.

“It was just like, three Aussies on one team. You know, we’re not doing too bad.”

Ward said having a few players on the team from his home country helped him adjust to being in Canada.

“It’s been great, the homesickness sort of goes away when you sort of have someone who grew up the same as you and, being 13,000, 14,000 kilometers away from home, it does get tough sometimes,” Ward said.

“But, just having each other’s backs when times get hard and, just being in the same boat and just maybe spending Christmases together, little summer breaks together, stuff like that,” he added.

“Just sort of building a home away from home, it’s been amazing.”

Ward said he’s played a variety of positions on the court.

“I change it up every now and again. But I would say for this team I’m more of a center type position,” Ward said.

“I prefer to play the power forward, but whatever the team needs, really.”

by Jesse Gill

Ward sets Medicine Hat College men’s basketball all-time points record, playoff push in sight

Our Community