The Crusaders are heading to Hoopla, as are the Marauders boys and girls teams. (Jeff D'Andrea/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Knee-deep in the Hoopla

Crusaders boys make long-awaited return to Hoopla, both Marauders off to Regina as well

Mar 24, 2022 | 4:00 PM

It’s been two decades this phrase has been true: the Carlton Crusaders senior boys basketball team are heading to Hoopla.

The Crusaders boys put a stop to the long streak last weekend on their home court after they ran the table at the 5A Boys Rural Regional tournament.

“There has been a ton of people who have really congratulated the boys’ efforts, and have really talked about it. They’ve been very supportive, and we want to thank everybody for that,” Crusaders head coach Tom Hazzard said.

The Crusaders are heading to Hoopla with every intention of competing, winning, and making a statement to the rest of the province that they are a basketball program not to be looked down upon. But Hazzard still wants to make sure his team knows how hard qualifying for the provincial tournament can be, and how proud they should be of getting there.

“They have to understand to get to any Hoopla championship, whether it’s 1A or 5A, it’s a difficult task. You cannot take that achievement for granted. It does not happen every year,” Hazzard said. “So, make sure you understand that. The second thing is, you have to enjoy the moment. You have to enjoy what you accomplished, what you’ve done, and make sure you recognize what you’re getting into. You’re now going to where the top-eight teams are going.”

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The Crusaders won’t be the only team heading to Regina, as the St. Mary Marauders will be joining them as well. The Marauders finished as the runners-up at last week’s regionals in Carlton, after getting to the finals. The St. Mary Marauders senior girls also qualified for Hoopla. They will play second seeds Regina Miller, at Dr. Martin LeBoldus High School in Regina at Friday at 6:15 p.m.

The Marauders are going to need some hard defensive play at Hoopla this weekend. (Jeff D’Andrea/paNOW Staff)

Marauders head coach David Seto remarked at how rare that is.

“I’m really excited that Prince Albert are the representatives in the 5A division in the province. Last weekend, we had 10 teams at regionals. For us to be top two, and both be from Prince Albert, is a pretty big accomplishment,” Seto said. “I know that club basketball in the city has taken off and I think this is a reflection of that. This is not just a St. Mary [story], certainly, Prince Albert basketball should be congratulated.”

The Marauders are coming into the tournament as the underdogs. They enter the tournament in eighth and will have to take on top-ranked Harvest City in their first game. Seto has always put an emphasis on defensive play, making sure his sides take care of their own boards before running the ball quickly up the court in transition.

“We’re the underdogs. We’re ranked eighth, but we are still a top-eight team. The message was, ‘you never know.’ We’re going to play our style and the rest will take care of itself,” Seto said.

Even though each Hoopla division has been divided into different locations this year instead of one place hosting one giant tournament, both Hazzard and Seto anticipate a huge turnout from fans and scouts alike, to get a good look all the participating teams.

The Marauders take on Harvest City at 2:45 p.m. at Regina Miller on Friday for their first game. The Crusaders play at 6:15 that evening, taking on second-seed Saskatoon Holy Cross.

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Jeff.dandrea@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW