League play resumes next week for the St. Albert Skyhawks in metro Edmonton high school basketball.
The lady Skyhawks (5-1) visit the Harry Ainlay Titans (2-4) Monday at 5 p.m. and Wednesday they host the O’Leary Spartans (0-6) at 6:30 p.m. in division one action.
The Skyhawks were 13-4 overall before hooping it up this weekend at the Bishop Grandin Ghosts’ tournament in Calgary.
The Skyhawks are down to nine players with Grade 11 forward Payton McNeill sidelined with a concussion. McNeill is one of seven returnees from the 33-5 team that finished fifth at the 2015 4A provincials.
The division one finalists the last two years are ranked fourth in 4A as the second-highest metro team listed in the Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association top 10. The Jasper Place Rebels (6-0) are No. 3.
The Skyhawks men’s team is 6-4 overall going into the Top of the Rock, a 3A tournament hosted by the St. Peter the Apostle Spartans this weekend in Spruce Grove.
The next division two pool B game for the Skyhawks (2-2) is Tuesday against the defending champion Spruce Grove Panthers (3-0) at 5 p.m. at the SkyDome.
The Skyhawks are sixth in the 3A rankings as four metro teams cracked the top 10. The Strathcona Christian Academy Eagles (3-4), a division one team, are No.1, and the pool B Oscar Romero Ravens (2-2) and Spartans (2-2) are fifth and eighth, respectively.
The Skyhawks’ annual 3A tournament is Feb. 12-13.
The Paul Kane Blues have a doubleheader on tap Monday in metro Edmonton division one basketball.
The lady Blues (5-1) play the Bev Facey Falons (3-3) at 5 p.m. and the men’s game between Paul Kane (1-5) and McNally Tigers (1-6) starts at 6:30 p.m.
The lady Blues visit the Ross Sheppard Thunderbirds (1-4) Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. and the Paul Kane men host Facey (2-5).
The lady Blues were 12-7 overall before their first game Friday against the host team at the Sir Winston Churchill tournament in Calgary. They also played the Vincent Massey Trojans of Winnipeg, ranked sixth in Manitoba, in the six-team draw. Scores were unavailable at press time.
The lady Blues are 10th in the 4A rankings with only two Grade 12s from the 2015 division one semifinalists and 4A provincial consolation finalists and seven Grade 10s on the roster.
Listed ahead of the lady Blues in the top 10 are the No. 1 St. Francis Browns of Calgary, No. 2 Western Canada Redhawks of Calgary, No. 3 Jasper Place Rebels, No. 4 St. Albert Skyhawks, No. 5 Catholic Central Cougars of Lethbridge, No. 6 Centennial Coyotes of Calgary, No. 7 LCI Clippers of Lethbridge, No. 8 Spruce Grove Panthers and No. 9 Bishop Grandin Ghosts of Calgary.
The annual Battle of St. Albert between the lady Blues and Skyhawks is Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the SkyDome.
The Bellerose Bulldogs are riding the buses to games next week in metro Edmonton high school basketball.
Bellerose (0-7) plays the Strathcona Christian Academy Eagles (3-4) Monday in Sherwood Park and the Strathcona Lords (3-4) Wednesday in men’s division one. Tipoff times are 5 p.m.
Tuesday’s division two pool B game between the lady Bulldogs (2-2) and Parkland Immanuel Penguins (1-3) starts at 5 p.m. in Edmonton.
The Lorne Akins Gators are representing the St. Albert Physical Education Council basketball league at the Titans Tri-Prov junior high tournament this weekend at Harry Ainlay High School.
The lady Gators are the defending champions. They were 11-0 overall, including 3-0 in league play, before Friday’s tournament opener against Rundle College.
The first game for the boys was against Avalon.
Scores were unavailable at press time.
Visit triprov.ainlay.ca for the junior high draws.
The Gators are the reigning SAPEC Tier I city boys’ and girls’ champions.
