NPSS Grizzlies Update: Girls and boys basketball teams compete in Prince George

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The North Peace Secondary School (NPSS) Grizzlies senior and junior boys and girls basketball teams competed in Prince George last weekend. 

Senior Girls

The senior girls competed in a round-robin style tournament at College Heights Secondary School. 

In the first round of the tournament, the senior girls dominated the Prince George Secondary School Polars, winning 92-29. 

In their second game against the Nechako Valley Viqueens, the girls faced challenges early on but secured a 63-31 victory. 

The final match against the provincially-ranked College Heights Secondary School team saw a strong start from the Grizzlies, leading 20-4 in the first quarter. 

However, injuries and a short roster affected the team’s performance, resulting in a loss. 

Despite challenges, the senior girls are optimistic about competing in future matchups with a full roster and no injuries. 

Ariel Hesketh was named Most Valuable Player for her dominant play under the hoop.

Senior Boys

Aiming to prepare for zones in February, the senior boys finished 1-2 in the weekend’s tournament. 

The team has a 3-4 record on the season so far.

Despite challenges, the boys showed growth after three practices focusing on conditioning and shooting. 

In their first game against Duchess Park Secondary School, the Grizzlies led by eight points heading into the fourth quarter, but lost 58-51 due to conditioning issues. 

Saturday morning’s game brought a different team to the court as the senior boys secured a 66-49 victory over Shas Ti Kelly Road Secondary School. 

Heading into the final game of the weekend, the boys took on defending champions, College Heights Secondary School, in their home gym. 

The opposition took control early, and despite a fourth-quarter push, the senior boys fell short, losing 73-60.

Senior boys coach Ryan Galay says although the weekend’s results weren’t the outcome they had hoped for, the team took a big step forward in one week with only three practices. 

“In only a week, the team is starting to see the fruits of their labour. Although we are not where we want to be from a team conditioning perspective, things are progressing quickly,” said Galay. 

“The coaching staff is excited for a month’s worth of practices and expects to see a much more focused and disciplined team by the time they take the court to play their next game.”

The senior boys will continue to focus on shooting and conditioning in preparation for the Grande Prairie Composite tournament from January 12th to 13th. 

Most Valuable Player was awarded to Grayson Louie demonstrating outstanding leadership.

Junior Girls

The junior girls started the weekend strong with a 65-22 win over Prince George Secondary School but lost some players due to injuries. 

The short-handed team fought hard against Duchess Park Secondary School in their second game of the weekend but succumbed to a 58-28 loss. 

In the battle for third place against College Heights Secondary School, the junior girls gave it their all despite being short on players and triumphed with a 43-39 win. 

Most Valuable Player was awarded to Zara Bedell. 

Junior Boys

In their inaugural tournament of the season hosted by Shas Ti Kelly Road Secondary School, the junior boys faced tough competition. 

The first match against the home team resulted in a 67-53 loss. 

However, the junior boys bounced back in their following game against Correlieu Secondary School, securing a 45-21 win. 

In their final matchup of the weekend against Prince George Secondary School, the boys resilience resulted in a 54-52 victory. 

Each player demonstrated exceptional teamwork, energy, effort and focus throughout the tournament while maintaining positive attitudes even in challenging moments.

Standout players of the weekend were Sami Oyedeji, Mark Byrne and Cash Ekkel, who played key roles in the team’s success.