The Varsity Boys basketball team at Niverville Collegiate is coming off their fourth tournament of the season, where they beat the Garden Valley Zodiacs 70–44 in the final to claim the championship. The team has played consistently all season, leading to their top spot in this week’s power rankings.

“Lately, we have been playing more consistently with great effort and focus, leading to less turnovers,” says head coach Richard Toews. “This effort has allowed us to improve and play close to our potential.”

The Panthers, who are leading their division, dominated the tournament, winning each game by at least ten points. Playing against teams they don’t normally get the chance to see, these tournaments have given Niverville the chance to up their play and adapt to different styles.

“We played well, and close to the consistency we are aiming for, in our last tournament,” Toews says. “Each game had intense moments with aggressive play. We encountered some challenging teams, leading to challenging games. This gave us some experience in playing in tight games. Playing tough teams with high intensity allows us to elevate our own play, which helps us bring greater intensity to our regular season games. It is nice playing different teams that each have their own style of play. We must adapt and modify how we play to give us the best opportunity to play well.”

Currently undefeated in Zone 13, the Panthers have leaned on their veterans, Joel Dueck, Josh Limpright, and Kress Schmidt, to lead by example through hard work, determination, and unselfish play.

“Increased communication has been a goal for the season,” says Toews. “Their focus and efforts have contributed to the team improving throughout the year and we aim to continue this improvement in all areas. All of our players have been outstanding at different times and different ways. We need all of their strengths to be the best team possible, and each player has been unselfish, making sacrifices so the team can experience success. I am thankful for the character they have each shown.”

He says the Panthers are playing a disciplined season, working hard and creating strategies that focus on defence while maintaining a fundamental offense that focusses on ball and player movement.

Despite their success thus far, Toews is quick to note that he and the team are not interested in settling for where they are now.

“I determine success by how well we are playing based on our potential,” he says.