ST. PAUL – In a display of skill, teamwork, and determination, the St. Paul Regional High School (SPRHS) girls’ handball team clinched their first-ever provincial championship title.
The St. Paul handball team entered the final game against Central Alberta Christian High School with a mix of anticipation and nerves on May 13 in Lacombe. Uncertain of the outcome, the girls approached the match, not sure “how it was going to pan out,” said Haley Ozga, the team’s coach and teacher at SPRHS.
It was a contested battle, with neither team relinquishing the lead easily, recalled Ozga. And as the second half drew to a close, a surge of excitement swept through the team as they realized victory could be within their grasp.
"As the buzzer was counting down, some of the girls started to tear up. Some of them started to celebrate," Ozga said. "It was a range of emotions as the score counted down,” then the buzzer blared, and the team ran to the court in celebration.
St. Paul Regional won 37-34.
Beaming with pride, Ozga commended the team’s performance throughout the tournament. "I'm just really proud of the girls," Ozga said. "They worked really hard this season, and I think they deserve that when they showed up and played hard... it's just the cherry on top that we got the gold."
The win is the school’s first ever handball provincial banner, with the girls’ team being formed for the first time ever, last year, according to Ozga.
She also acknowledged the strength of other schools, particularly those located within the same northeast zone, such as Bonnyville’s École Notre Dame High School and École Mallaig School, which historically performed well at provincials.
The Mallaig School girls’ team brought home provincial bronze medals this year.
Mallaig coach Taylor Dechaine gave props to this year's handball team for a job well done at provincials.
"This group of young ladies represented their community and school with great pride this season, performing well and working together on the court," said Dechaine. "This was a completely new sport for half of the team, but that didn’t discourage them from playing their very hardest."
She said the coaches were very proud of the Grade 12 athletes and were appreciative of their leadership this season.
"We wish them the very best in their next adventures after high school," said Dechaine.
Hard work
Ozga, who got involved with the sport as a high school student herself while attending Mallaig School, attributed the SPRHS Saints' victory to the team’s athleticism, as well as reiterating their hard work. “They are multi-sport athletes,” with transferrable skills, “and beyond that, they just worked really well together,” said Ozga.
One challenge the team faced was how short the handball season is. With such a short season comes a lack of league play for the team, especially playing against more established handball programs. It also meant the team had limited exposure to other teams' playing styles.
“So, playing against them was definitely a challenge. And we didn't always come up on top there,” she said. “But the girls rallied and took each game as it came, and we entered provincials not really sure how it was going to go.”
Ozga said winning the provincial championship is a particularly bittersweet moment to some of the Grade 12 players who played a pivotal role in the team's success.
“It's not only their last handball game, but their last [team] school sport of the year. So, they're just really proud and overwhelmed. But of course, we're all excited to represent St. Paul Regional and St. Paul and pull off a win for our town.”
Ozga remains optimistic about the future of handball at SPRHS. She’s looking forward to and hoping for the continued success and growth of the program.
