The Oxbow Prairie Horizons Black Knights senior boys volleyball team can now be called a sports dynasty.
The Black Knights captured their third consecutive 3A Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association championship with a three-set victory over the combined Bellevue/Wakaw/Vonda Tropics at Osler's Valley Christian Academy on Saturday. The Black Knights controlled the play for the majority of the first set for a 25-22 victory only to fall 25-12 in the second set. The team then regrouped in the third set for a 15-7 championship win.
“The whole weekend of provincials every third set was won by the team that won the second set, so we managed to buck the trend,” said Black Knights coach Mark Kosior. “I just said in that break between the second and third set that I have all the confidence in our ability. We just need to execute what we're doing on our side, continue to do what we need to do and pass the ball and swing when we get chances. It's only a game to 15, (so) we got to come out hard and they answered the call.”
The championship marked the second straight year the Black Knights have come back from a second set loss in the provincial final to beat the Tropics. Last November, the Black Knights captured the title with a 25-20, 29-31, 25-20 win over their 3A rivals.
Kosior said both teams are very similar with each of the clubs relying on a strong Grade 12 player, Mason Scott for the Black Knights and Travis Walls for the Tropics, along with a good supporting cast. He said they played the Tropics in their final pool-play game as well and won in two straight sets, which may have helped the boys gain the needed confidence to come back from the second set loss.
The championship helped Scott and fellow Grade 12 athlete Austin Muir graduate from the team having won gold in all three of their senior years. The team also includes three Grade 11 players and six Grade 10 athletes who all contributed to the provincial title, which means the young squad should remain competitive for years to come.
“It's almost taken for granted in Oxbow now that the teams are going to do well at provincials, but there are a lot of schools, a lot of students who never even get a chance to go to provincials let alone play in a medal match or win a gold medal,” said Kosior. “It is very special to be the best team in the province multiple years in a row. It really speaks to our program and the dedication of the whole community.”
