It’s tough to be a school with a 5A athletics program in a rural area.
That’s something Jason Payne - head coach of the YRHS Raiders senior boys’ basketball team – has come to realize over the years when team after successful team would make it to Provincials only to come up against tough 5A schools used to playing against high-calibre opponents. “The problem when we were in 5A 15-years ago was that we didn’t have access to that level of competition, so when we would go to provincials we’d see a whole different brand of game,” said Payne. “Back then, when we had teams with the Kris Heshka’s and the Al Kyle’s and people like that, we were probably good enough to win provincials but we didn’t get enough exposure to that level.
“Now we’re going to make sure that we do.”
To do that, Payne and his female counterpart Jessica Kyle (head coach of the YRHS Raiders senior girls’ basketball team) have set up a series of exhibition games against top Regina 5A schools in the hopes that exposure to a higher level of play – something that was lacking in years past – will prepare them for a provincial run instead of their usual pre-Christmas tournament schedule. “Ten years ago our pre-Christmas schedule had a tournament in Melville and then a tournament at Sacred Heart,” said Payne, continuing, “I’m not saying those tournaments weren’t useful because they certainly were; but the level of competition against the Regina schools just really stretches and pushes these guys.”
Payne said that he noticed that in their first game against a Regina school this past Wednesday, when both the male and female Raiders traveled to the Queen City to take on the Riffel Royals. “We had a couple of grade 10 guys playing guard with Nick (Payne) injured and they really had to figure things out quickly on the floor,” mentioned the YRHS boys’ coach. “I’m not sure if they would be learning those kinds of thing if we were playing 3A or 2A schools like we used to back in the old days before Christmas.”
Both Raiders teams lost their games against Riffel – the ladies falling 67-49 and the boys 70-54 – however Payne feels the positives severely outweigh any negatives. “We improved from the weekend before and that’s what I want to see regardless if we win or lose,” offered Payne. “In this case we lost, but we got better and that’s what we want.
“We want to be playing our best basketball come March and to do that we need to keep improving.”
Both Senior Raiders teams will continue their exhibition schedule against Regina teams on Tuesday, January 5, when they visit the O’Neill Titans.
The senior boys will then take on the defending 5A Provincial champion and nationally ranked LeBoldus Golden Suns on Tuesday, January 19 in their final 5A exhibition game of the season.
