Rural
      Raiders
      Take
      Back
     
     
      island
      Basketball
      Crown
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Marc
      MacDonald
     
     
      SPORTS
      EDITOR
     
    
   
   
    
     
      What
      were
      the
     
     
      most
      exciting,
      fan
      crazy,
     
     
      jam
      packed,
      rival
      intensive
     
     
      games
      held
      at
      the
      UPEI
     
     
      Sports
      Center
      this
      year?
     
     
      Although
      it
      may
      surprise
     
     
      some,
      those
      games
      were
     
     
      the
      High
      School
     
     
      Basketball
      AA
      Finals.
     
     
      Both
      the
      Men’
      s
      and
     
     
      Women’s
      gold
      medal
     
     
      games
      featured
      the
      age
     
     
      oldcross
      town
      rivalry
      of
     
     
      the
      Charlottetown
      Rural
     
     
      Raiders
      against
      the
     
     
      Colonel
      Grey
      Colonels.
     
     
      Reminiscent
      of
      the
     
     
      “March
      Madness”
      crowds
     
     
      ofthe
      current
      NCAA
     
     
      finals
      in
      the
      U.S.,
      fans
      for
     
     
      the
      Gray
      and
      Rural
     
     
      ‘
      sported
      school
      t-shirts,
     
     
      anti
      Rural/Grey
      clothing
     
     
      passed
      down
      from
      older
     
     
      siblings,
      face
      paint,
     
     
      propaganda
      posters
      and
     
     
      noise
      makers
      to
      cheer
      on
     
     
      their
      school
      teams.
      Added
     
     
      to
      the
      current
      fan
      base,
     
     
      were
      former
      Raiders/
     
     
      Redmen
      and
      Colonels
     
     
      going
      back
      quite
      possibly
     
     
      to
      the
      opening
      of
      the
      two
     
     
      Charlottetown
      schools.
     
    

    
     
      The
      opening
      game
     
     
      saw
      the
      Grey
      girls
      who
     
     
      had
      finished
      first
      in
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      league
      taking
      thse
      Tindal
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      team
      who
      had
      finished
     
     
      third.
      Rural
      came
      into
      the
     
     
      game
      still
      high
      off
      their
     
     
      upset
      against
      the
      Bluefield
     
     
      Bobcats
      who
      had
      finished
     
     
      second
      in
      the
      league.
      In
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Cadre
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      game
      the
      Raiders
      had
     
     
      trailed
      26-10
      at
      halftime
     
     
      but
      came
      back
      to
      tie
      it
      up
     
     
      in
      the
      second
      half
      and
      then
     
     
      went
      on
      to
      win
      in
     
     
      overtime.
      Both
      Rural
      and
     
     
      Grey
      got
      offtoaslow
     
     
      start
      possibly
      due
      to
      the
     
     
      large
      crowd
      or
      unfamiliar
     
     
      venue
      of
      the
      Field
      House
     
     
      and
      10
      minutes
      into
      the
     
     
      game
      the
      Colonels
      led
      13-
     
     
      04.
      The
      two
      teams
      soon
     
     
      found
      their
      grooves,
     
     
      however,
      and
      with
      less
     
     
      than
      2
      minutes
      remaining
      in
     
     
      the
      first
      halfKim
      Swan
      hit
     
     
      her
      third
      three
      pointer
      to
     
     
      put
      the
      Raiders
      up
      21-19.
     
     
      Charlottetown
      Rural
     
     
      scored
      two
      more
      times
     
     
      after
      that
      and
      finished
      the
     
     
      half
      up
      24-19.
      Grey
      was
     
     
      able
      to
      battle
      back
      in
      the
     
     
      second
      half
      and
      tied
      the
     
     
      Raiders
      31-31
      but
      Swan,
     
     
      who
      went
      on
      to
      be
      named
     
     
      MVP
      of
      the
      tournament,
     
     
      hit
      another
      three
      with
      just
     
     
      over
      8
      minutes
      remaining
     
     
      to
      put
      the
      Raiders
      back
      in
     
     
      the
      lead.
      The
      Raiders
      kept
     
     
      the
      lead
      and
      the
      final
      score
     
     
      was
      Rural
      54
      Gray
      43.
     
     
      This
      win
      returned
     
    

    
     
      Charlottetown
      Rural
      to
      the
     
     
      top
      of
      the
      Island
      in
      High
     
     
      School
      Basketball
      a
      title
     
     
      they
      have
      not
      held
      since
     
     
      back
      to
      back
     
    

    
     
      ;
      championships
      in
      1991
     
     
      and
      1992.
      “We
      had
      a
      very
     
     
      close
      knit
      team,”
      Coach
     
     
      Mike
      Lloyd
      said
      when
     
     
      asked
      about
      the
      game,
     
     
      “we
      worked
      hard
      all
     
     
      year.”
      Lloyd
      also
      said
     
     
      that
      the
      Raiders
      had
      to
      use
     
     
      their
      ability
      to
      stick
      to
      their
     
     
      game
      plan
      in
      order
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~~
      counterthe
      stars
      of
      the
      year
      since
      1991,
      —---
     
    
   
   
    
     
      LLL
      ALOE
      EAE
      ALLO
      LE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Grey
      who
      were
      anable
     
     
      opponent.
      “It
      was
      a
      great
     
     
      victory,
      nobody
      even
     
     
      thought
      we’
      d
      get
      past
     
     
      Bluefield,
      ”
      added
      grade
     
     
      12
      point
      guard
      and
      co-
     
     
      captain
      Sarah
      Adams
     
     
      “we
      just
      went
      out
      and
     
     
      said
      what
      the
      hell
      do
      we
     
     
      have
      to
      lose,
      our
      fans
     
     
      were
      going
      wild
      and
      we
     
     
      fought
      hard
      all
      game.”
     
    

    
     
      In
      the
      second
     
     
      game
      the
      score
      did
      not
     
     
      remain
      as
      close.
      The
     
     
      Men’
      s
      Raiders,
      who
     
     
      finished
      number
      1
      inthe
     
     
      league
      and
      werea
     
     
      powerhouse
      all
      season,
     
     
      pulverized
      the
      Colonels
     
     
      82-47
      breaking
      the
      5
     
     
      year
      absence
      of
      Rural
     
     
      gold.
      Ryan
      Paquet
      and
     
     
      Donnie
      Killorn,
      who
     
     
      were
      each
      named
      to
      the
     
     
      All-Star
      team,
      hit
      several
     
     
      threes
      each
      for
      the
     
     
      Raiders
      and
      “big
      man”
     
     
      Hughie
      Mullaly,
      who
      was
     
     
      named
      tournament
      MVP,
     
     
      did
      his
      job
      inside.
      This
     
     
      game
      marked
      the
      fifth
     
     
      championship
      and
      the
     
     
      end
      ofa
      great
      coaching
     
     
      career
      for
      head
      coach
     
     
      Dale
      Farish.
      Farish
     
     
      retired
      from
      coaching
      the
     
     
      Raiders
      and
      as
      assistant
     
     
      coach
      of
      UPEI
      at
      the
      end
     
     
      of
      this
      season.
     
    

    
     
      “We
      knew
      what
     
     
      we
      were
      capable
      of
     
     
      doing
      going
      in,”
      said
      3rd
     
     
      year
      center
      and
      co-
     
     
      captain
      Hughie
      Mullaly
      “I
     
     
      had
      confidence
      inmy
     
     
      team-mates
      and
      we
     
     
      functioned
      asa
      unit
     
     
      finishing
      off
      the
      year
     
     
      playing
      great
     
     
      basketball.,”
      The
      pair
      of
     
     
      championships
      for
     
     
      Charlottetown
      Rural
      is
     
     
      the
      first
      time
      both
      teams
     
     
      won
      gold
      in
      the
      same
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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