There’s no tiptoeing back into high school basketball for the Knights.
In fact, the Holy Trinity Academy Knights senior girls have made a point of pushing the pace and executing the press in their successful return to the high school basketball scene for the first time since the spring of 2020.
“We’re a really fast team, we’re not super tall,” said guard Kylie Tiedje, one of the Knights’ captains. “But I think our strengths in the games we’ve played so far is our press, just being able to fast-break really quick and run the court really well.”
For Brooklyn Bonertz, early-season work has also prioritized breaking the press with quick ball movement with work on the defensive side also paying dividends, she said.
“I think the dynamic on the team this year is really good,” Tiedje said. “Brooklyn and Jill (Bonertz) are sisters, we’ve got people who’ve played together already before which is really nice. “And everyone gets along really well.”
The Knights boast six seniors on the team, bucking a trend seen on a lot of varsity sports team this season on the heels of last year’s cancelled campaign, with a trio of returners from the 2019-20 season in Bonertz, Tiedje and point guard Francine Sarmiento.
“It’s been a new dynamic because we were Grade 10s last time we played,” Brooklyn said. “Going from rookies to seniors is different, but it’s been really fun.”
Along with the six seniors — a group that also includes cross-country provincial medallist Evonne Henning as well as Allyson Newnham and Ariana Dela Paz — the Knights feature four Grade 11s and one Grade 10.
They’ve looked the part of having the right mix in the early going.
The Knights have been dynamite in tournament play thus far with final appearances at its home competition as well as at the Notre Dame Cougar Classic.
HTA played the rival Foothills Falcons in both tournament finals with the Comp getting the better of the Knights at HTA and the Knights returning the favour in Red Deer. It’s the first meeting between the teams since their run at the 4A South Central Zones were cut short at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
“When we played the Comp for the first time this season that was the game we were all really excited for because the zone final we didn’t really get to do (that in 2020),” Bonertz said. “It was really nice to be able to play them.”
n the Foothills Athletic Council, the Knights opened their season at home with a blowout victory over the Strathcona-Tweedsmuir Spartans on Dec. 8.
“It was really fun to have that home opener,” Tiedje said. “There wasn’t a lot of people (there), but it was just nice to be in our home gym again.”
This week, the Knights are in Airdrie for the Bert Church Chargers tournament from Dec. 16-18, followed by the All Saints tournament held in early-January.
The HTA Knights senior boys team continued its strong start with lopsided victories over Highwood and STS followed up by a pair of exhibition contests in Calgary. HTA delivered against the St. Francis Browns in an 86-63 triumph on Dec. 10 led by a 24-points and six assists showcase from Marcus Abrenica. The following day, the Knights were outlasted by the Joane Cardinal-Schubert Ravens 86-61.
