Ryley Rebels win Provincial basketball title

The Ryley Rebels Senior Girls Basketball team was successful in their goal to bring home provincial gold. 

The Rebels competed in the provincial tournament, hosted by Livingstone School, March 15th-17th in Pincher Creek.

The Rebels went into the tournament as the number one ranked team in the ASAA 1A girls division.

This was not unfamiliar territory for the Lady Rebels as Grade 12’s Rene LeClercq, Kimberly Hrabec, Alex Lauber, Shelby York, and Sydney Giebelhaus went into the provincial tournament twice in the past as the team to beat only to see injuries to key personnel put a dent into their championship aspirations.

In those championships the Rebels placed second to Trochu in 2009 and fourth in 2010 losing to Acme, who eventually won gold.

Last season was more of the same as star forward Hrabec went down with a knee injury and was lost for the season during a provincial silver season.

This year seemed to be more of the same with the Rebels having star guards LeClercq (knee) and Torey Lauber (ankle) sustain injuries in the zone final mere days before leaving for prov-incials. However, with treatment the athletes were deemed fit to play, though not at 100 per cent.

For more see the March 27/12 issue of the Tofield Mercury