Three seasons ago the YRHS Raiders Sr. Boys Basketball team began a rebuilding program after losing all but four role players on their team that went to the Regional Finals.After a two year stretch that saw the Raiders finish one quarter away from Hoopla in 2010-11 and advance to the big dance last year, the Raiders look to send off a generation of hard working and special talent with another run at Saskatchewan basketball's Holy Grail. It will be hard to top a bronze medal finish last season but a new look Raiders squad will be up to the task.
Gone are seven Grade Twelve players from last year's squad which rode an impressive regular season record to a top four seed and home Regional Playoff games to wins over Weyburn and Regina Miller to advance to Hoopla where they lost a tough semifinal game against Moose Jaw Central before beating Meadow Lake in the bronze medal game. In is a crop of new faces from the talented YRHS Jr. program mixed in with yet another solid group of veteran Grade Twelve leadership that are poised to carry on the recent Raider Basketball tradition of success.
"Our goal is the same as it is every year, and that is to make Hoopla," said head coach Jason Payne but when asked on expectations to start the season he was unsure. "It is hard to tell, until you have went out there with fans in the stands, the scoreboard on and referees you don't really know what you have, kids are going to react differently in games than they do in a practice and it is going to be awhile to know what we have and how things shake out."
The Raiders strength is once again going to be the two man combo of forward Ben Redl and guard/forward Daniel Mandziuk. Entering their fourth year playing for the senior Raiders, the former Saskatchewan Provincial Team players have been the teams offensive catalysts ever since putting on Raider uniforms and will once again be counted on to use their athleticism and offensive skill to lead the Raiders. Redl, a tall finesse post player can run the floor and has a wide array of post moves in addition to being able to shoot from the outside while having length and leaping ability to give him a shot blocking threat on help defense as well as crash the offensive boards. Mandziuk is a combo guard who can do everything from run the point to playing a forward role, can do a little bit of everything on the court, filling the stat sheet while leading the Raiders fast break with excellent court sense and passing skills.
Beyond those two players coach Payne feels the Raiders will have yet another strong starting rotation saying, "We have two players I can feel have what it takes to play at the next level, and we have two or three more that might be able to as well, so even though we lost seven really good players last year we still have a strong team." The Raiders will be employing a new motion based offensive scheme this year, something that is going to steepen the learning curve according to Payne, making the teams first trip to Melville's annual home tournament something of a tune up for the Raiders as they look to employ new systems and new players in for the first time, with some playing their first ever senior high school games on the weekend.
The Raiders will have no time to rest after Melville as they head to Saskatoon Centennial's annual tournament in what will be an early pre-Christmas test for the Raiders as some of the top 4A and 5A talent will be awaiting the Raiders in a tournament the Raiders have had success in the two years they have visited. Home dates will include SHHS/YRHS four team round robins Dec. 14/15 and January 4/5 with the 3rd Annual York City Classic taking place February 1/2 with the Raiders looking to revenge their overtime loss to the provincial champion North Battleford Vikings in last years York City Classic Championship Game.
A new year of 4A basketball is about to tip off for a Raiders squad that despite losing many key faces, has a strong returning core mixed in with hungry fresh faces in an attempt to get back to Hoopla for the second straight year. It is hard to tell in November, but if the Raiders play of the last few years has been any indication they will be ready to contend come playoffs in March
