Warriors and Talons take top spots at 2014 Hawks Classic Senior Basketball Tournament

First place Senior Boys: 2013/14 Kainai Warriors

First place Senior Girls: 2013/14 Eagle Butte High Lady Talons

Toni Lucas

Matthew Halton High School hosted the 5th Annual Hawks Classic Senior Boys and Girls Basketball Tournament on February 21/22 in Pincher Creek at Matthew Halton and St. Michael's schools. Sixteen teams including eight boys teams and eight girls teams competed for two days.


From Pincher Creek there were the Matthew Halton Boys and Girls Hawks and the St. Michael's Boys and Girls Dragons.
Other Boys teams included Livingstone's Sabres, Erle Rivers' Comets, Ecole de la Rose Sauvage's Cougars, St. Mary's Celtics, Kainai's Warriors, and Coaldale's Christian Titans.

Other Girls teams included Erle River's Novas, Coaldale's Christian Titans, Eagle Butte's Lady Talons, J.T. Foster's Raiders,  and Taber's Auroras. Each team was scheduled to play three games. At the end of the two days the Eagle Butte Lady Talons were the victors in the Girls competition, and the Kainai Warriors took first place for Boys.

"This was a Mixed Seniors Tournament,"  said organizer Randy Whitehead.  "There was 1A, 2A and I think Eagle Butte is a 3A team. I thought for most of the games it was good competition. Good matches, and it was enjoyable to watch. The fans that I talked to seemed to really enjoy it, and that is always a good thing." 

The Girls Pandas team from Crowsnest Pass could not attend due to inclement weather.

2013/14 St. Michael's Senior Girls Dragons

Game 1 Girls Dragons 58 vs Titans 38

Player of the Game

Dragons #11 Whitney Holoboff

Titans #7 Jessalyn Bultena

2013/14 Livingstone Senior Boys Sabres

Game 2 Boys Sabres 75 vs Comets 24

This was a one-sided game, but the Comets did have their moments.  In the last few minutes of the game, Comets #3 took control of the ball and went on the offensive, making the last shot of the game.

Sabres vs Comets

Player of the Game

Sabres #15 Morgan Cook

Comets #3 Matt Chapman

2013/14 Erle Rivers Senior Girls Novas

Game 3 Girls Novas 59 vs Raiders 30

Player of the Game

Novas #8 Jalisa Barrows

Raiders #7 Tianna Nelson

Game 4 Boys Titans 69 vs Dragons 41

The Titans demonstrated superior skill throughout the game, with Kyle deLeeuw and Bradley Oostenbrug making a good team for offensive plays.  The Dragons played well, but were not ready to match the level of play the Titans brought to the court.

Titans vs Dragons

Player of the Game

Titans #6 Peter Wiebe

Dragons #4 Sam Parkinson

Game 5  cancelled

Game 6 Boys Warriors 64 vs Cougars 44

Player of the Game

Warriors #14 Jamelyn Weasel Head

Cougars #6 Daniel Meija

Game 7 Girls Lady Talons 88 vs Auroras 34

Player of the Game

Lady Talons  #11 Mckenzie Schoonderbeek

Auroras #15 Shanai Casson

Game 8 Boys Celtics 79 vs Hawks 28

The first quarter the Celtics were ahead but with a slim enough lead it could have gone either way.  By Halftime it was decidedly for the Celtics.  Celtics Heavenal Cerna showed great efforts on the court, and Wyatt Fielder sank some pretty impressive baskets.  Hawk TJ Ratzloff has shown some serious growth in his playing ability.

Celtics vs Hawks

Player of the Game

Celtics  #4 Chancelor Ficek

Hawks #5 Liam Nazarek

Game 9 Girls Titans 43 vs Raiders 24

Player of the Game

Titans #3 Erin Werkman

Raiders #13 Georgia Robinson All Star Jade Zuffa

2013/14 St. Michael's Senior Boys Dragons

Game 10 Boys Dragons 55 vs Comets 30

Dragons Justice One Owl scored the first points in the game putting the Comets on the defensive.  The Dragons had some brave moves made by Rap Palao and One Owl, and Mitchell Zoratti was a welcome member of the team.

Dragons vs Comets

Player of the Game

Dragons  #13 Mitchell Zoratti

Comets #8 Luke Hughson

Game 11 cancelled

Game 12 Boys Cougars 73 vs Hawks 38

Player of the Game

Cougars #4 Kyle Espiritu

Hawks #7 T.J. Ratzloff

Game 13 Girls Novas 67 vs Dragons 57

Player of the Game

Dragons #13 Tamara Parkin

Game 14 Girls Talons 76 vs Hawks 36

Player of the Game

Talons #2 Mackenzie Salmon

Hawks #10 Samantha Cyr

Game 15 Boys Sabres 58 vs Titans 50

Player of the Game

Sabres #5 Ross Cook

Titans #5 Adrian Tams

Game 16 Boys Warriors 71 vs Celtics 37

Warriors vs Celtics

Player of the Game

Warriors #9 Tim Eagle Speaker

Celtics #8 Cortland Christensen

2013/14 St. Mary's Taber Senior Girls Auroras

Game 17 Consolation round Girls Auroras 56 vs Titans 38

This game was tightly competitive for the first half, often with 3 points or less between these two teams. The second half the Auroras shone, taking the game 56 - 38.

Auroras vs Titans

Player of the Game

Auroras #8 Daylin Holmen All star Jennifer Wilson

Titans #4 Andrea Hulst All Star #5 Jody Boeve

Game 18 cancelled

2013/14 Ecole de la Rose Sauvage Senior Boys Cougars

Game 19 Consolation round Boys Cougars 66 vs Dragons 65

This was a game that showed what can happen when you never give up.  This looked like a walk away for the Cougars.  By the end of the first quarter Cougars were 10 points ahead, 18 - 8.  When that ten point lead strengthened to over 20 points the outcome appeared to be decided.  The Dragons rallied and crept up the points until Bailey McDougal tied the game a foul shot with only moments remaining in the fourth. The two teams had battled to 62-62 draw at the end of the fourth.  The three minute overtime was fast and hard the Cougars gaining 3 points making the 4 points the Dragons made declaring them victorious.

Cougars vs Dragons

Player of the Game

Cougars #11 Joshuah Adu-Boahen, All Star #15 Jossue Michel

Dragons #11 Matthew Alexander, All Star #10 James Lowry

Game 20 Boys Comets 79 vs Hawks 61

Player of the Game

Comets All Star Brock Douglas

Hawks All Star Austin Sinclair

Game 21 Third place Boys Celtics 56 vs Titans 38

This game was hard played, and tight until partway through the second quarter.  By the end of the half the Celtics lead 32 - 25, with the game ending Celtics 56 - Titans 38.

Player of the Game
Celtics All Star #14 Ian Glas
Titans All Star #10 Bradley Oostenbrug

Game 22 Third place Girls Dragons 64 vs Hawks 50

The Dragons and Hawks Senior girls put on a good game whenever they face each other.  These are two well matched competitive teams that have gone into overtime when facing each other in the recent past.  This was no exception.  The score was tied at the end of the first, and well into the second quarter.  The Dragons started to pull ahead gaining a substantial lead in the 3rd.  The Hawks  tried to bridge the gap, but could not make the points.  The Dragons won by a substantial lead of 64 - 50.

Dragons vs Hawks

Player of the Game

Dragons Carlee Fitzpatrick, All Star #14 Rebecca Lowry

Hawks Alyssa Barbero All Star Dakota Van Loon

Game 23 Championship Girls Lady Talons 77 vs Novas 25

The Talons got a quick jump on this game garnering 12 points before the Novas hit the board.  This did not deter the Novas that played with heart and energy until the last minute.

Player of the Game

Lady Talons All Star #3 Rayla Eremenko Tournament MVP #9 Taylor Ross

Novas All Stars #15 Monique Barrows and #4 Sierra Harty

Game 24 Championship Boys Warriors 44 vs Sabres 31

This was a highly anticipated game as these two opponents have faced each other recently in Kainai and took that game into overtime.  The Warriors were more aggressive when they had control of the ball and tight on their defense.  Sabres #12 Nelson Smith and Warriors #10 Drae Reevis seemed determined not to let the other get the ball, or keep it.  The spread was over 13 points in the third quarter and the Warriors used that as a wedge todrive home a on of 44 - 31.   "It wasn't bad, we won our first two games," said Senior Sabres Boys Coach Duane DeCock.  "The boys lacked intensity, they didn't come out to play the way we can."

Warriors vs Sabres

Player of the Game

Warriors #5 Emmitt Twigg All Star #14 Jamelyn Weasel Head, MVP #10 Dare Reevis

Sabres #3 Allstar Chris Cail, Allstar #15 Morgan Cook 

"Coming in I thought it would be a really good game, because they beat us in overtime at our game just a couple of weeks ago," said Senior Boys Warriors Head Coach Carlton Weasel Head.  "Our guys came out and played with lots of intensity, we got our shots, and they stuck with it. I'm very pleased with them."

"It was a very good tournament. We enjoyed ourselves here. This is the type of tournaments we like to attend because we're a 2A school, and I think most of them were 1A schools, so it was good for us to compete at this. Everyone gets to play, and everyone had fun."

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