听 听 听 听 听 听 The Senior Boys Curling Team from Carlyle's Gordon F. Kells High School became Saskatchewan's provincial curling champions, Saturday, March 11 in Assiniboia. Skip Lane Newell, third Zach Romaniuk, second Ethan Newell, lead Jace Fischer and alternate Brayden Hill- led by coach Brian Romaniuk- captured the Saskatchewan's top high school curling title in Assiniboia, competing against teams from Regina, Saskatoon, Yorkton, Tisdale, Assiniboia, Carrot River and Spiritwood.
听听听听听听听听听听听 The team from GFK curled three games on Friday, March 10- where they defeated Regina's Campbell Collegiate 11-7, closely followed by a 6-2 win over Spiritwood. Their last game of the day ended in an 8-4 loss to Tisdale. However, their draw to the button score was the best overall, which gave them the edge and put them in their first pool.
听听听听听听听听听听听 In Saturday's semi-finals, they defeated Saskatoon's St. Joseph's team 6-3, which put them in the gold-medal game against Spiritwood, which they won 9-2, clinching the provincial title.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Their coach, Brian Romaniuk says, 鈥淭hey were excellent. During Districts, Regionals and Provincials, they only lost two games. Every time they started to struggle, they picked themselves up and came back strong. It's definitely gratifying; the boys made me very proud and their hard work definitely paid off.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 GFK principal Maurice Saltel agrees, adding: This is what makes this such an amazing story: In high achool athletics, there's only one sport where the size of the school doesn't matter- and this is it.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭hat's what makes this such an extraordinary achievement.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 On their return from Assiniboia, the team was treated to an impromptu welcome home as teachers, family members and friends gathered at Carlyle's curling rink late Saturday night.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 think that's when (winning) really hit home for me,鈥� says skip Lane Newell. 鈥淲alking into the curling rink and seeing all of those people.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 think I speak for everyone when I say it hasn't sunk in at all yet,鈥� says Brayden Hill, the team's alternate. 鈥淎nd I wasn't expecting the welcome we got- none of us were. But once I saw all of those cars at the rink late Saturday night, I realized that something was up.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥�(The welcome) was awesome,鈥� adds lead Jace Fischer. 鈥淚t really hit home then. All of those people- the whole top of the curling rink was full. Walking into that building, that's when it really started to hit me.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚t was our first full year curling together as a team,鈥� says second Ethan Newell. 鈥淭his year, we practiced lots; we practiced together and our coach helped us out a lot. I thought we had a pretty good chance at Provincials, especially when we won the skills night on Thursday.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Third Zach Romaniuk agrees. 鈥淚 still kind of believed we could win, but not at first. What stood out for me was the Thursday night before (Saturday's)听 Provincials. At practice, we out-shot everyone else. That really made me think we had a chance.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淎fter the first two wins, we really started clicking,鈥� says Lane Newell. 鈥淎fter the third game...We kind of had a bad game against Tisdale, we screwed up and lost.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭hen the next day we had a team meeting and decided it didn't look so bad,鈥� added Lane. 鈥淲e decided that even in our school, we've never won a banner for curling. So even if we just take home a silver, we'd still take home a banner for our school. But it turned out to be better than that.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Throughout the season, the team of five curlers has come together- and persevered on the path to provincials.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淏rayden (Hill) really stepped up during Regionals, as our alternate,鈥� says Ethan Newell. 鈥淚 fell on the ice and my knee was in a brace and he really came through for our team.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淏asically, we've known each other and we're friends in curling and outside curling,鈥� Ethan continues. 鈥淥ur coach has coached us all the way through. This year, we practiced real good and worked as a team.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲e're really good friends and we gell really well together.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Hill says, 鈥淓than was injured and I stepped up. That's what you do when you're on a team. Because I'm in Cadets, I can't practice with them every practice, but we're still a team.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚n Saskatoon, we were a very different team,鈥� adds Hill. 鈥淲e've learned a lot this year and (Brian Romaniuk) is an amazing coach. And in recent months, he's also been coaching the juniors. But after that, he was working with us constantly.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Skip Lane Newell says of winning a provincial title: 鈥淚t feels great- unbelievable. We just did what we had to do and what's really great is that we won against smaller schools with 200 kids or so and schools with 1,600 students.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Fischer says, 鈥淥n behalf of all of us, we'd like to thank all of the people who supported us through the season and everyone who came out to the curling rink in Carlyle to welcome us home.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲e're a young team,鈥� adds Lane. 鈥淭wo of us are in grade 11 and three of us are in grade 10. We were the youngest team at Provincials and we'd like to go back next year, too- to win.鈥�
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