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High School 4A Basketball Provincials begin Thursday

Mar 14, 2018 | 4:46 PM

 

MEDICINE HAT, AB — High school basketball will once again take centre stage in Medicine Hat this week.

Medicine Hat High School will host the 4A Basketball Provincials starting Thursday, with both the Mohawks and Kwahommies competing for provincial banners.

The Mohawks, who are the 13th seed in the tournament, will play St. Mary’s out of Calgary in the first round at 2 p.m. in the East Gym at Hat High.

“I just want to compete,” said Mohawks head coach Chad Watson. “We’ve had an up and down season, we were very young, but throughout the season we got better, and then the last two weeks, we were hit up by injuries.

“I think everyone should be healthy going in. We have a great matchup with St. Mary’s, and honestly, we’re just looking to have that one key victory to our season. One big upset.”

The Kwahommies, who are seeded 12th, battle Jasper Place out of Edmonton at 4 p.m., also in the East Gym.

“Jasper Place is good,” said head coach Jeff Harrold. “They have a number of provincial players, they’re coming off that big win last year winning provincials, so they have some experience, so they’re going to be good.

“We’ve got a lot to prepare for, and we’re in for a big game.”

Harrold says he’s hoping the tournament will give his younger players a lot of experience, especially if they plan to return next year.

“Playing in the South Zone, any type of experience you can get with the crowd, with the atmosphere, with provincials, is going to be beneficial down the road,” he said.

Games are also taking place at Crescent Heights High School.

The tournament is the third provincial event of the school year for Hat High. In November, the school hosted volleyball provincials, while wrestling provincials wrapped up last week.

“We get to show off this beautiful facility and this beautiful school, and the comments we are receiving from the teams, the players and the coaches about the banquet, the opening ceremonies, the facilities and how friendly our staff are, it’s just a warm feeling we get,” said Boris Grisonich, principal at Hat High.

Hat High will have space for up to 1,400 fans at the games, and Grisonich is expecting a large turnout through the week.

The tournament wraps up on Saturday.