This past weekend, the Estevan Comprehensive School Senior Boys basketball team competed in a tough and competitive tournament. Coach Trevor Dutka reflected on the event, highlighting his team’s growth.
The tournament featured top regional teams, including Prince Albert, Lloydminster, and Yorkton. According to Dutka, facing such strong competition was an important opportunity for his players. “We always try to get a lot of good competitive teams, and teams like Prince Albert, Lloydminster, and Yorkton were definitely at the top. The only way you get better is to push yourselves against better teams, and this weekend we did that.”
Throughout the weekend, the Estevan team showed improvement in both offensive and defensive plays. “We improved throughout the weekend, offensively and defensively,” Dutka said. “The boys came out and played hard every game and really enjoyed themselves playing in front of the hometown crowd.”
The team started the tournament with a tough loss to Lloydminster but showed resilience, pushing through to a narrow 3-point loss to Oxbow in the second game. In their final game, Estevan bounced back with a strong performance, securing a victory over Greenall.
Though the team is primarily made up of Grade 10 players, Coach Dutka was proud of how they performed, noting that stepping up to senior basketball can be a big challenge. “The competition is a lot fiercer, and when you’re running into a team of all Grade 12s, it’s tough,” he explained. “Those boys are a little bit bigger and more mature, and they’ve got a couple more years of experience.”
Looking ahead, the team is excited for the upcoming games in Yorkton and the McLeod Series in February. Dutka remains optimistic, focusing on the overall progress his team has made: “Although we only won one game, we definitely improved, and that’s what we’re looking for.”
Finally, he expressed his gratitude for the support from fans: “We really appreciate all the fan support this weekend. The boys had a really good time, and we’re very proud of them.”