The YRHS Senior Boys basketball team attended their first tournament this past weekend in Melville and returned home undefeated despite taking a very young team down Highway 10.
"We have nine rookies this year," said Raiders head coach Jason Payne via a phone interview following the tournament. "We have four returning players. Three grade 12's and one grade 11 and then the nine rookies. It's a young team for sure."
The Raiders didn't look like a young team in their first tournament, however.
The boys from the Land of Orange set the tone for the entire Melville tournament by overpowering the Kamsack Spartans 85-23 in their first game thanks in large part to Peter Kozushka, who led the Raiders with 15 points in game one.
In game two the Regional met a tough Estevan Elecs team. The Elecs strong defense kept the Raiders offense at bay for much of the game, but did struggle to contain one player. Tyrell Ulmer showed why he was on the team, leading the Raiders with 12 points in the second game to help his team edge a feisty Elecs squad 58-54.
The Raiders then met their Gladstone Avenue rivals the Sacred Heart Saints in the tournament final. Ryan Krochak's 15 points led the YRHS to a convincing 53-32 victory over the Saints in the first installment of what is sure to be a very entertaining 2013-14 edition of the Battle of Yorkton.
The tournament victory should provide the Raiders with some momentum as they head into their next tournament this upcoming weekend in Saskatoon where they will most likely meet the defending champion in their category the St. Mary's Marauders.
