The Yorkton Elementary School Sports Association (YESSA) boys’ basketball championships were held on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at MC Knoll School.
The final was held between MC Knoll and Yorkdale Central School.
The winners, for the third year in a row, were the Yorkdale Royals.
The final score was 50-39.
Early in the fourth quarter, the MC Knoll Knights made it a close four-point game, but the Royals pushed back and expanded their lead.
After the game, Royals’ head coach Jason Boyda said he couldn’t be happier with his players.
“I thought we did a really good job at getting the ball inside to Noah Bymak,” he said. “We outmatched them in size so we were using that to our advantage.”
When the Knights adjusted to double team Bymak, Boyda said his players did a good job of executing the outside game.
“Noah Bymak is just a beast inside,” said Boyda. “In my opinion he’s the best player in the city.”
Boyda said the reason why they have been so successful for the past three years is the hard work that comes from the kids.
“We’re blessed with great kids who like to work hard, they listen, they’re very coachable and enthusiastic,” he said. He said the support from the parents and administration is a great help, too.
Mark Schendel, coach of the MC Knoll Knights, said he is proud of what his players showed on the court.
“I can’t ask anything more from them. They left their guts out on the floor for me,” said Schendel. “We lost to some deserving champions, and I give a lot of credit to coach Boyda and coach Edgar. They’ve got a wonderful program there.”
The YESSA girls’ basketball championships will be on Thursday, March 2 at 8:00 p.m. at MC Knoll School.
