NPSS Grizzlies Update: Girls and boys basketball teams compete in Howler Cup

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The North Peace Secondary School (NPSS) Grizzlies basketball teams, minus the junior boys,  travelled to Grande Prairie last weekend to compete in Northwestern Polytechnic’s Howler Cup. 

Senior Girls Basketball

The senior girls team started the season strong, making it to the Howler Cup finals and finishing with a 3-1 record overall. 

The girls faced St. Joseph Catholic School in their first game of the tournament, where they started off with strong defense, which transitioned to offensive opportunities that challenged the opposing team. 

The girls won 72-23, and Hayley Copes was named Player of the Game for leading the team with 29 points and a high number of steals. 

The Grizzlies faced a challenging opponent in their second game of the cup against Peace Wapiti Academy. 

After battling defensively and trying to find easy baskets to build the score, the senior girls celebrated a 30-29 victory after a block from Brynn Adams to seal the victory in the final five seconds. 

The girls faced Charles Spencer School in the semi-finals, where they battled hard in the first quarter. 

The game was scoreless for the first five minutes until Hayley Copes stole the ball and scored for the Grizzlies. 

The senior girls stayed in the lead and won the game 38-24, placing them in the gold bracket for the finals. 

Paige Dyck was named Player of the Game for demonstrating confidence and control of the ball. 

The finals against Sexsmith Secondary School resulted in a loss for the senior girls, who ended up placing second overall, which head coach Jaclyn McNicol says is a “fantastic start to the season.”

Player of the Game was awarded to Ariel Hesketh for maintaining offensive and defensive focus for the entire game. 

“Overall, we are happy and proud of this weekend,” said McNicol. 

“It gives everyone a starting point to build over the next couple of weeks.” 

Hayley Copes was named senior girls Howler Cup All-Star for demonstrating leadership, ball movement and ability to adjust her game while leading the team in points and steals. 

Junior Girls Basketball

The junior girls team kicked off the weekend in a senior-level tournament where they hit the court for the first time this season, facing tough competition with remarkable resilience. 

The girls’ first game against Charles Spencer High School started around ten minutes after the team came off the bus from Fort St. John and resulted in a 56-8 loss for the Grizzlies. 

In their second matchup against Glenmary School, the junior girls kept it close in the first half of the game but faced a 42-25 loss.

Moving to the consolation bracket and their third game of the tournament, the girls played hard in every quarter, securing a 39-38 victory against St. Joseph Catholic School. 

The fourth game against Dawson Creek Secondary was a physical battle, ending in a 32-22 loss. 

Despite the challenges, the team showcased improvement in each game, fostering unity and providing players with opportunities to step up, notably with Marti Kielo earning the Junior Grizzlies Tournament MVP. 

Senior Boys Basketball

The senior boys basketball team knows what they need to work on to have a successful season after finishing 2-2 overall at the Howler Cup. 

The boys applied pressure in their first match of the tournament against Worsley Secondary School. 

Though they may not have displayed the consistency they had hoped for, the boys were able to pull out a 49-43 win while improving the team’s chemistry.

Player of the Game was awarded to Mario Lemoine. 

In game two against Sexsmith Secondary School, the boys started off strong, but Sexsmith answered by pushing the tempo and making shots. 

The Grizzlies maintained a ten-point deficit until five minutes left in the game, where the boys suffered a 59-43 loss, pushing them into the silver bracket for Saturday’s games. 

Preston Eros was named Player of the Game. 

Friday’s loss fuelled the fire for the senior boys, who, despite struggling with turnovers, missed opportunities, and poor free throw shooting throughout the weekend, were able to secure a 48-33 win over Peace Wapiti Academy. 

Tristan Steven-Fleming was named Player of the Game. 

Heading into the semi-finals, the boys hit the court against the Dawson Creek Kodiaks.  

Unfortunately, the Grizzlies couldn’t maintain the momentum from Saturday morning’s win and suffered a 63-48 loss, bringing the season’s first tournament to an end for the senior boys. 

Player of the Game was awarded to Gavin Adams. 

Senior boys head coach Ryan Galay says despite their errors, the boys pushed themselves hard and made mid-game adjustments throughout the tournament when needed. 

“With such a young guard-heavy team this year, we’re expecting a lot of our players to change up the style we’ve traditionally been known for. This weekend, we only travelled with two grade 12 students, so it gave a great opportunity for our younger players to get experience,” said Galay.

“The coaching staff is very excited to see where this young squad can go over the next 12 weeks.”

Up next, all four Grizzlies basketball teams will compete in Prince George from December 8th to 9th.