The Strathcona-Tweedsmuir Spartans are hoping history can repeat itself.
The Spartans used their victory last season in the Oilfields Drillers Senior Boys volleyball tournament as a catalyst in winning the 2A South Central zone title.
It’s one down and one to go.
The Spartans defended their title by beating the St. Michael Dragons 25-21, 25-22 in the Drillers Classic final Saturday in Black Diamond.
“This tournament is a big start for us,” Spartans coach Dale Roth said. “Our guys had a great tournament, really poured it on.
“It’s a great confidence booster and showed them what they are capable of.”
The Spartans were able to overcome eight missed serves in the opening set to pull of the 25-21 victory.
The winning point came when the Spartans James King blocked St. Mike’s Ty Amctil’s spike. The ball came firing back to the Dragons’ side of the court for the victory.
The second set had impatient sports reporters asking ‘Do they play to 15 in the third set?”
The Dragons appeared to be waltzing to victory by building a 15-5 lead before the Spartans doused their fire.
A spike by STS middle Griffin Watson-Boehnisch off a Dragon free-ball tied the game at 22-22.
“I think it was the want to win,” Watson-Boehnisch said. “We didn’t really look at the score. We just fought really hard for each point.”
The Spartans would rattle off three straight points, winning the Drillers’ tourney when a Dragon shot went out of bounds.
St. Mike’s coach Tyler Speelman said his team ran out of steam.
“We were dead tired, we had played four games in a row,” he said. “I have preached to the guys that in order to win, we have to attack. I can’t get mad at the guys for going down swinging (spiking).”
Spartans power James Lochrie said they never gave up.
“We just looked at each other and said ‘we can do this,’” Lochrie said. “This is a big tournament as a whole because it will help with the team chemistry.”
The Spartans were a perfect 16-0 in the tournament.
St. Mike’s had advanced to the final by downing the Holy Trinity Academy Knights in three sets.
The host Oilfields Drillers were knocked out in the quarterfinals.
“We have six players and we will bring up Grade 10s when we need to -- we brought up two Grade 10 kids this weekend because we were missing a middle,” Drillers coach Leigh Bretzlaff said. “I’m happy with how we played. It gives us something to work on this week.”
They have a date for the big dance in the future.
The Drillers will host the 2A provincial championships in November.
