More than 50 players came out to enjoy the fifth annual Elphinstone Alumni Basketball Tournament held on Dec. 21 and 22. A total of nine games were played over the two days and for the first time, a new team was crowned champion of the event.
In a rematch of last year’s final, the 2014 grad team was able to knock off “The Old Guys” 52-41 to earn bragging rights and the brand new trophy, sponsored by Rain’er’Shine Barbershop.
The 2014 grad team, and arguably most successful boys’ basketball team to come out of Elphinstone Secondary, included the only father and son combo in the tournament, Denis and TJ Turenne (Denis graduated from Elphinstone in 1980). The roster was rounded out with standout players Haden Bush, Wei Lau, Austin Perry, Nate Haglund, Jackson Creelman, Axel Loitz, and Nolan Lewarne.
Also participating in the tournament was the current Elphinstone Senior Boys team. The second-ranked AA team in the province put up a 1-2 record over the weekend, all while playing short-handed with only seven players. Cougars guard Gus Goerzen was crowned the three-point champion of the tournament by outshooting 10 other players en route to victory.
The Alumni Tournament has seen great growth over its short five-year lifespan, by more than doubling its participation since the inaugural event in 2013. Next year, the organizing crew is looking for more players to join the fun and will be introducing some new features to make the event more successful than in years past.
– By Andrew Baron
