Four years ago, the Yorkton Regional High School Sr. Basketball team was going through one of the most drastic rebuilding projects since the Kris Heshka era. Gone were all but four players from a team that was one quarter away from Hoopla in the 08-09 season. Coming in were ten rookie players, including two Grade Nine rookies coming straight from the elementary ranks into the competitive and physically demanding jump to varsity basketball. Daniel Mandziuk, an athletic point guard who can play every position from guard to power forward, and Ben Redl, a stretch forward who could bang down low in addition to having an outside game came into a Raiders team with no identity with tons of upside and hopes that one day they could replace Raider players who put their names in the record books just years before they came to the Regional. While growing pains were expected and came in a first year that saw the Raiders have a rare losing season and miss the Provincial Regionals, Mandziuk and Redl grew into dominant players for the Raiders right away and after a 2010-11 season that saw a near miss in the Regional Finals to Saskatoon's Evan Hardy as Grade Tens, Ben and Daniel along with the rest of the rookies from the challenging 09-10 season qualified for Hoopla and finished third in the province with a win over Meadow Lake last March.
Now, as seniors Mandziuk and Redl look to close out their lengthy careers as rare four year Raiders in the chase to March. While both will tell you instantly that they don't pay much attention to their personal statlines, both are nearing the top five in Raiders scoring and Redl is nearing the Raiders rebounding record that once seemed so untouchable and Mandziuk has an outside shot at breaking Edwin Mark's assist record that has dated back to the beginning of the Raider program in the 70's. However what makes the two so special according to head coach Jason Payne is not their individual talents, it is how they make those around them better is what will be missed this spring when the duo that has been inseparable hang up their Nikes.
"Daniel is arguably the best point guard who has ever came through this program in my opinion" said Payne. "His basketball IQ is through the charts and I often find him barking out instructions or doing stuff on the floor as I am about to myself, combine that with his athleticism and he has been a special player and a pleasure to coach" said Payne. Mandziuk, who at the moment has no post secondary plans when it comes to athletics despite his talents in volleyball and basketball is quick to play down his own individual accomplishments when talking about his time at the Regional in retrospect, "It has been fun playing with some great teammates through the years and that is what I will miss the most, going on trips and playing ball with my friends and it would be great to create some more memories in these last few weeks."
Redl, who received interest from the UBC Okanagan CIS program but has yet to determine if he will continue his basketball career at the next level, received praise from Coach Payne for his development on the other side of the basketball as much as his unique set of skills on offense with Payne mentioning, "Ben has really grown as a player and a teammate in his last two years as a Raider and is now a complete player on defense and the glass in addition to his gifts on offense, making him a power forward type of player I think translates to the next level of basketball if he chooses to pursue it." Redl like Mandziuk, was humble when asked about his career and expectations for the rest of his final year but did say that adding a banner to the YRHS gym is the ultimate goal for himself and the team.
With a second place finish at Swift Current's annual tournament, always a tough draw in February, the Raiders are in the Hoopla discussion for the third straight year. Something that should not be taken for granted after that first season where the Raiders finished under .500 and in the world of HS basketball where talent comes and goes and a powerhouse school one March can be a cupcake the next winter. The Raiders are right where they want to be in the final stretch towards Conference playoffs and then the harrowing Round of 16, win or go home Regional Playoffs. Nothing is etched in stone, but one thing is for certain, two of the Raiders most accomplished playoffs will be leading the charge trying to get the school's first provincial championship since rebound and scoring leader Kris Heshka was a Raider.
