AMHERST – The Amherst Spartan girl’s basketball team competes at the Under-18, AA girl’s provincial championships this weekend in Cole Harbour.
The team won the provincial title the past two years at the Division A level.
“We moved up a division this year, and we’re hoping to prove ourselves at the next level,” said coach Thomas Skabar.
He says they’re an athletic team.
“We need to focus on is using our athleticism on defence to make it tough for other teams, and use our speed to score in transition.”
He also says they’re developing as a good shooting team.
Emma Gould is one of three Grade 12 Amherst Regional High School students on the team, along with Sharon McCrossin and Tameka Hussey.
Gould won a provincial title with the Spartans the past two years.
“It makes me sad that this is our last tournament together because we’ve played together for a long time,” said Gould.
She says basketball has helped her make a lot of good friends, and believes this year’s Spartans team has a good chance of winning another title at the AA level.
“I think it will be more challenging but I think we can win,” said Gould.
Her teammate, Brianna Warwick, agrees. Warwick is a Grade 10 student at the Oxford Regional Education Centre, and this is her first year on the team.
“We’ve been practicing a lot, so we’re coming together as a team. I think we can win.” said Warwick.
Warwick said she enjoys playing on a team with girls she usually competes against.
“We work well together and it’s nice working with a different group of girls,” she said.
Warwick will be back at OREC next season, and Gould hopes to play university basketball.
“I’m going to Crandall (University) Tuesday to scrimmage with their team, and I have a meeting with the Kings (College) coach while I’m at provincials,” said Gould.
The Spartans first game is Friday at 7:45 p.m., and the tournament wraps up Sunday with the gold medal and bronze medal games.
