Staff
The Mine Centre Thunderbirds claimed both the girls’ and boys’ volleyball titles at the Region 1 Bantam championships at Fort High on Saturday.
Momentum swung both ways in the boys’ final, but Mine Centre was able to overcome a feisty St. Francis team to win the best-of-three final by scores of 25-18, 20-25, and 15-12.
“I knew it was going to be tough, but I’m really proud of their sportsmanship and their resilience, and the team spirit they showed that got them through,” Mine Centre boys’ coach Rebecca MacLean enthused.
“They started off the year well and then they kind of fell apart in the middle of the season, but managed to fight back and come together at the end,” she added.
The squad had advanced past Whitefish Bay in the second- versus third-place semi-final to take on the undefeated St. Francis for the gold.
The Mine Centre girls, meanwhile, had an easier time of things in their final, defeating Riverview (Rainy River) in straight sets 25-17 and 25-23 to successfully defend the title they had won last year.
