(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Nolan Kowal

Back on the court

Carlton has high hopes for young basketball teams

Dec 8, 2023 | 8:00 AM

Carlton Comprehensive High School is ready for the hardcourt season as both its boys and girls senior basketball teams got their season underway last weekend.

“I would say with one returning player from last year’s team, the amount of growth that we need to do during the year is quite a large amount,” said senior boys Head Coach Randy Emmerson, whose team lost in the final to Moose Jaw at their season opening home tournament last weekend.

“Through the course of the first week of practices and then our first tournament we continue to get better and better, and that’s the goal…to be playing at our best at the end of the year.”

The Carlton senior boys have a younger team this year with four Grade 12 players, four Grade 11 players, and six Grade 10 players.

“Although we’re a younger group, we’re quite athletic,” Emmerson said. I think if we can just gain as much experience through a number of different tournaments that come March, we would like to be in a position to be playing at Hoopla in Moose Jaw.”

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Meanwhile, the Carlton senior girls also have a younger team this year.

“A lot of learning moving forward here, they have lots to learn but that’s the fun part right,” said senior girls Head Coach Kelsey Pearson. “So we’ll hopefully see a lot of growth this year in the girls. We’re just going to teach the girls as much as we can and help them along the way to become good teammates.”

“Most importantly above everything else we just want to make sure these girls learn how to be good people, they communicate, and they learn how to be good teammates because they can always take that with them after graduation. And I think that’s the most important thing for us right now is those team dynamics.”

The Carlton senior girls finished third at their season opening tournament which was held at St. Mary High School in Prince Albert. The team is made up of two Grade 9 players, two Grade 10 players, two Grade 11 players, and the rest are Grade 12 players.

One of those Grade 11 players is Alyssa Sharp, who Pearson said is poised to have a great season.

“I can guarantee that it won’t be the last time you hear her name, she’s definitely a huge player for us and is definitely getting noticed around the province,” Pearson said. “She’d be one that we definitely will see go somewhere after she graduates. I’ve already been asked by different coaches from everywhere what her plans are after high school so she’d definitely be one.”

The Carlton senior girls are competing at another tournament this weekend in Saskatoon, while the senior boys are off this weekend before playing in another tournament next weekend in North Battleford.

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nolan.kowal@pattisonmedia.com