Colts No. 1 in rankings

By Medicine Hat News on March 4, 2020.

For years it’s been common to see Monsignor McCoy’s girls basketball team at or near the top of the provincial high school rankings.

The surprise Friday was seeing their boys team atop the 3A list.

Led by a cadre of capable seniors, plus Grade 10 phenom Bubu Benjamin, the Colts’ boys have earned the top spot in the Alberta Schools Athletics Association rankings.

An honourable mention to start the season, McCoy moved all the way to fourth in the second rankings and leapfrogged fellow South Zone team Stirling this time around.

They’ll host a league semifinal tonight at 7:15 p.m., then presumably host the final Thursday. A perfect 12-0 in the regular season, they’ve outscored their opposition by a ridiculous 430 points. Taber’s WR Myers went 10-2, both their losses predictably coming against McCoy.

The Colts girls are no slouches of their own, second in Friday’s rankings after being first for a while. They went 7-1 in the Southeast Basketball Conference’s regular season and were scheduled to play Crescent Heights in a semifinal Tuesday. A win would mean they’d host the title game Thursrday at 5:30 p.m.

Eagle Butte got an honourable mention in the 3A girls rankings.

McCoy will host both boys and girls South Zone championships next week.

In 4A, Hat High’s boys moved up one spot to ninth while their girls got an honourable mention. The Mohawks were 6-5 after a weekend split, beating Magrath 88-63 Friday beofre an 85-59 loss in Cardston Saturday. They hosted Chinook Tuesday.

The Kwahommies are 7-5 in the Southern Alberta High School Basketball League, losing 77-44 to Magrath Friday at home before winning 62-59 Saturday in Cardston. They host WR Myers on Friday and Catholic Central on Saturday to close the regular season.

As usual, the road to provincials for Hat High’s teams might start on home court early next week but the later rounds are all in Lethbridge.