SYDNEY, NS — The final weekend of the School Sport Nova Scotia basketball season is fast approaching and eight Cape Breton teams are looking to win provincial championship titles.
The Sydney Academy Wildcats and Memorial Marauders are in the Division 1 provincial championships, while the Breton Education Center will compete in the Division 2 tournaments.
Cape Breton Highlands Academy and Cabot Education Center will be represented in the men’s Division 3 event, while Cape Breton Highlands Academy and Baddeck Academy will compete in the women’s Division 3 tournament.
The games will start on Friday and end with the league matches on Sunday afternoon.
Cape Breton Teams at Provincial Championships
- Boys Division 1 – Sydney Academy
- Division 1 Girls – Memorial High School
- Division 2 Boys – Breton Educational Center
- Division 2 Girls – Breton Educational Center
- Division 3 Boys – Cape Breton Highlands Academy and Cabot Education Center
- 3 Girls Division – Cape Breton Highlands Academy and Baddeck Academy
Note: The Breton Education Center (Boys 2 Division) and Cape Breton Highlands Academy (Girls 3 Division) will host their respective provincial tournaments.
Boys Division 1
Sydney Academy qualified for the provincial championship after eliminating the Riverview Ravens in an epic final in the Highlands region last month.
The team, which also competed in the peak Cape Breton High School Basketball League tournament and the Sydney Academy Wildcat Invitational in November, finished the season with an overall record of 21-5.
Wildcats head coach Jonathan Penny said it’s been a bumpy season for the club, which lost five players, including two starters, before the provincial tournament.
“The team has responded to adversity throughout the year, so hopefully that trend will continue into the provincial championships,” Penny said. “We have great depth and at the start of the season we knew that if we stayed healthy we would be able to compete with the best in the province. »
Among the injured players is Jhermaine Olat, who missed time with a knee injury. Penny said the team hopes he can play in the tournament, but dropping him from the roster was a blow to the club.
“We’ve had a lot of success, especially against provincial competition, with Jhermaine in the lineup,” Penny said. “If he is able to play, it will bring a lot of confidence to our group.”
In Olat’s absence, senior shot-stopper Niko Kachavanas stepped up and put the club on their backs offensively, leading the team’s charge in the Highlands final.
“Niko really wished us wins in some big games this year and looked like he’s still playing at the college level because of it,” Penny said. “Ty Lawrence and Max Kearns have been very good lately, dominating the glass and providing us with timely attack and leadership when we need it.”
The No. 4 seed from Sydney Academy will take on the No. 5 seed Citadel High School from Halifax in the opener at 8 p.m. Friday at the Cobequid Educational Center in Truro. The rest of the team’s schedule will be determined after the game.
Division 1 girls
The Memorial Marauders will make an unexpected trip to the provincial championship.
The Sydney Mines-based school lost last month to the Glace Bay Panthers in the Highlands region. Glace Bay was scheduled to play in the tournament but was forced to pull out on Tuesday night due to COVID-19 cases on the team, forcing Memorial to take his place.
Memorial is considered to have a young team with three 11th graders, six 10th graders and one 9th grader.
“We’re looking to gain valuable experience playing against some of the best teams in the province,” said Marauders head coach Dave Young.
The No. 8-seeded Marauders will have a big hill to climb at the start of the event when they take on the No. 1-seeded Cobequid Education Center. The rest of the team’s schedule will be determined. after the game.
2 Girls Division
While the Breton Educational Center will host the men’s Division 2 tournament, the women’s team will be on the road for their provincial event.
BEC will travel to Cole Harbor for the tournament and enter as the second-best team in the province for the division.
The Bears have had consistent offensive contributions throughout the season from Emmy Donovan and Courtney Kelly, who will once again be counted on to lead the team to a provincial championship.
Throughout the season, the club faced Division 1 teams from the Cape Breton High School Basketball League. The club had a 4-1 record, according to the league’s website.
BEC will kick off the tournament against No. 7 seed Middleton at 8 p.m. Friday.
3 Boys Division
Cape Breton Highlands Academy and Cabot Education Center will make the long trip to Shelburne for their provincial championship tournament.
Both teams will represent the Highlands region.
The No. 8 seed Cape Breton Highlands Academy will start the event against the No. 1 seed Hants North at 4 p.m. Friday, while the No. 5 seed Cabot will face the No. 4 seed Annapolis West. Education Center at 6 p.m. The rest of their schedule will be determined after these matches.
Jeremy Fraser is the sports reporter for the Cape Breton Post. Follow him on Twitter @CBPost_Jeremy.