The St. Mary Marauders senior A boys have an almost a completely new team compared to when they last took the court in 2019.
With only one returning player from the 2019 senior boys team, a lot of new faces will be on the floor this year. Marauders head coach Dave Seto said tryouts were a unique situation for both himself and assistant coach Chris Phalen.
“The biggest thing for us was the game knowledge of these guys,” Seto said. “Can they make decisions? Can they make reads, and understand the little points of the game?
“We have a lot of leaders on this team but also some young guys. This first week has just been a lot of reviewing a lot of things. Some of them haven’t played in a long time.”
In terms of expectations for their first tournament this weekend, Seto said the coaching staff won’t demand instant success, but they do expect a strong work ethic.
“Everyone on this team is a rookie,” he said. “Even if they’re in grade 12, they’re a rookie. Athleticism goes a long way. Skill obviously is another big thing. We have a good mix of guys on the team, and I think working hard this weekend would be the biggest expectation.”
The Marauders lost out in the quarter finals in regionals back in 2019, so this year will be a redemption year for some brand new faces on the team. This early into the season, Seto said it’s hard to say how his club stacks up against other teams in the province.
“I don’t know if anyone knows their competition yet,” he said. “We don’t know who’s on the other small city rosters because of the turnover over the last year and a half. Like lots of teams, we have a lot to work on so far.”
St. Mary started their year on Friday with a tournament at Carlton. Eight teams are competing for the first championship of the season. More importantly, it’s a weekend where the Marauders can finally get some games under their belt after 2020’s season was cancelled.
The Marauders won their first game of the season at the tournament, beating Weyburn 69-63 in a back and forth affair. Their next game is Saturday at 12 p.m. in the semi finals with a spot in the gold medal game on the line. If they beat Moose Jaw, they play at 7:30pm in the final, if they lose, they play for bronze at 6:00pm.