The two Yorkton high school boys basketball teams played each other on Saturday for what is likely their final match together this season.
The 4A Conference playoffs were hosted by the Sacred Heart Saints as the SHSAA basketball season starts to get closer to Hoopla.
Hoopla is the annual high school basketball championships scheduled for Regina at the end of the month.
The Saskatchewan High School Athletics Association had 51 Conference basketball championships taking place over the weekend.
Garrett Karcha's Saints and Jason Payne's Yorkton Regional High School Raiders were part of the tournament.
Also involved was Melville and Balgonie.
The YRHS won 85-57 in their 10 a.m., battle with Balgonie while the SHHS got a hefty 'w' in their opening game against Melville, 78-43, says Karcha.
"We needed to win to advance to next weekend," he said.
When it comes to playing the Regional, Karcha says it's time to rise to the occasion.
"Versus the Regional, it adds a little more intensity. You go into it saying 'this is a game we need to step it up for.'"
The finals turned out to the battle of Yorkton with the two locals going up against each other.
Both teams will advance to regionals or the next round of basketball action. When they met Saturday at the Halo Dome, the Saints took an early lead, lost it a couple times, got it back a couple times and when everything was over, the YRHS club walked away with a 70-62 win. Karcha said the Raiders/Saints games tend to bring out the best in his team, added that they are actually kind of fun to coach in too.
He said he was more than a little pleased how his team did step it up.
"Yes, very happy," he said smiling.
"We showed something in this game. We showed mental toughness in this game.
Following the game, Payne said "it was good".
