YORKTON – The Sacred Heart High School junior boys basketball team concluded their season with an unblemished 24-0 record, clinching the East Central District Championship.
The tournament, hosted by Melville Comprehensive the weekend of March 1-2, brought together teams from three conferences in the region.
Under the guidance of head coach Garett Karcha, the Sacred Heart squad triumphed, showcasing remarkable teamwork and determination.
Karcha, who has been involved in Sacred Heart's basketball program for over two decades, said the achievement might be a first for the school. However, he couldn’t confirm it definitively.
Karcha attributed the success to his players' passion for basketball and their dedication to growth.
"The attendance at practices was fantastic and they were all really coachable," said Karcha of the team.
Karch also credited the players’ elementary school coaches for instilling a love for basketball early on.
"They made our job pretty easy as coaches—just having kids that want to be better," said Karcha.
Karcha emphasized the importance of making the sport enjoyable while holding the players accountable. With a deep roster of talented athletes, the team built their skills through intense practice sessions, often finding their greatest challenges in competing against one another.
"Our practices were sometimes our best games because we were pushing each other to be better," said Karcha, adding, "there was good leadership on the team and when you have leaders that show up it makes everyone else accountable."
Karcha would remind the team that "we’re not just here to make you good basketball players. We’re here to make you good young people," and this fostered of camaraderie and selflessness proving to be a key factor in the team's success.
Despite their impressive achievements, Karcha expressed a slight regret about not testing the team against stronger competition outside the district.
"I somewhat have regrets that I didn't maybe try and get these guys playing some games outside of our district—playing teams from the bigger centres and challenging ourselves a little more to see where we stack up in the rest of the province," said Karcha.
However, the coach said he was still elated by the success of the season.
"Beating our rival down the road here ... it's been tough. They've run some really good programs. Having a group that was able to win means a lot," said Karcha.
