Provincial week delivered a thrilling at home experience for the Drillers.
The Oilfields Drillers finished just on the outside of the playoff picture as hosts of the Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association 2A Boys Volleyball Championships from Nov.24-26 in Black Diamond, where there was little to choose from a deep field of 12 squads vying for the banner.
“It was crazy to see how many great players there are in the province,” said Drillers Grade 12 setter Jaedon Bretzlaff. “We have a few really talented players on our team and it was crazy to see how good some of these guys are that play club volleyball or Team Alberta and how they help their team and set them apart from others.
“And it was great to see that all those games were close, we were looking at the scoresheet after and most games went to three sets and you could just tell that every team deserved to be there.”
Oilfields opened its competition against the eventual provincial champions with a raucous crowd treated to a three-set thriller versus the Our Lady of Mount Pleasant Royals. The Camrose school took the third and deciding set 18-16.
“We started the game off and everybody was full of adrenaline on our team, you could tell the kids were super nervous,” added Bretzlaff. “They were excited to play in front of the home crowd and it was packed, it was great to see all of the fans and elementary kids who are going to come to Oilfields, parents, kids we know from class and just great to see everybody we know there cheering.
“Both teams played really well, both teams had massive kills and great points. It could have gone both ways and, yes, it did make us a bit happy that they ended up winning because we could say, ‘Oh, we were close.’”
The Drillers bounced back with a straight sets win over the Immanuel Christian Eagles before just losing out in another marathon three-set affair versus Calgary’s Rundle College Cobras.
“That Rundle game is tough, we were in there the whole way and losing a close one 16-14 took us out of the playoffs,” said Drillers head coach and provincial host chair Leigh Bretzlaff. “We needed a little luck the next day to have Rundle upset by Immanuel, but that just didn’t happen.
“I’m really proud with the boys with how they played and competed, there’s no hanging heads on this end. They represented themselves super well.”
Oilfields lost its final game of day two in two sets to the La Crete Lancers and closed out the competition on a winning note, taking out the Notre Dame Wildcats to finish fourth in its pool with a 2-3 record.
“It was nice to finish strong,” coach Bretzlaff said. “I was happy for the boys. I knew Notre Dame hadn’t won any games and for sure they were coming out to get a win and we were lucky enough and fortunate enough to do some things right.”
The Royals went on to win gold, Coaldale’s Kate Andrews Pride struck silver and the Edmonton Christian Lions clawed to bronze.
The Drillers had four seniors who closed their volleyball careers at the school at the competition in Jaedon Bretzlaff, Liam Penner, Karlan Fisher and Noah Brown.
Coach Bretzlaff noted the provincial event, which had a number of special features from photo packages and opening ceremonies to spotlighted player introductions and banquet, wouldn’t have been possible without the help of 36 youth volunteers as well as those from the community, a strong parent group and the support of local sponsors.
“Without those people, these events don’t happen,” he said. “The success of these events is based on all these other people being willing to help out and pitch in.”
In Lethbridge, the Holy Trinity Academy Knights senior boys and girls earned matching 12th place finishes at the 4A Volleyball Championships, hosted by Catholic Central School from Nov. 24-26.
The HTA boys were 1-2 in Pool C, with a two sets win over Charles Spencer along with losses to Jasper Place and the home team.
In playoffs, the Knights were knocked off by Jasper Place and dropped the rematch to Charles Spencer in the 11th place final to finish 12th, where the Okotoks was ranked going into the competition.
The HTA girls, also the No. 12 ranked team going in, were 0-3 in pool play with losses to Chinook, Charles Spencer and Catholic Central. In playoffs, HTA was defeated by Notre Dame and then Charles Spencer in the 11th place final.
Lindsay Thurber won gold for the girls while Magrath topped the podium on the boys side.
For more information on the championships, go to asaa.ca/championships.
