PORCUPINE PLAIN — The Porcupine Plain senior basketball team and Dan Bloski, basketball coach, athletic director and teacher for the Porcupine Plain School were excited to head to Hoopla, the high school basketball provincials, this year.
It was its 75th anniversary of the inaugural event. More than 800 athletes on 48 teams played in four gyms in Prince Albert this year. It had been over 1,461 days since the HOOPLA was last hosted in one location.
It was Bloski’s first time a team he coached made it to Hoopla. He has been coaching basketball for 15 years and junior and senior basketball for eight years.
The team that made it to Hoopla consists of J.R. Antazo, J.B. Antazo, Luis Sabayton, Gavin Henry, Angelo Ponce, Trayce Mathieu, Kayden Wasylyk, Ferdinand Francisco, Jeremy Konchakowski and Coach Daniel Bloski.
Bloski said there is a mix of guys from Grade 9 to 12. One of their starters, Kayden Wasylyk, is a rookie and only 14 years old. Bloski said he was excited to see him excel.
The team wanted gold this last weekend but unfortunately came home with a silver medal instead. They lost to Legacy Christian Academy out of Saskatoon. The entire community of Porcupine Plain was excited for the team. The team appreciated the posters, pep rallies and the fans that made the trip to Prince Albert. Bloski said it is a great group of kids that everyone wants to cheer for. “The energy and hype is one of the great things sport brings to a school.”
“We played in eight tournaments ranging from 1a to 5a teams and travelling to The Pas, Man. to Estevan,” Bloski said. “The team worked extremely hard over the last few years to get to this point and I am very proud of them as athletes and for the character they display as young men.”
