On March 22nd, the PPCS Bears Senior Boys Basketball Team captured their first-ever SHSAA 1A Boys Gold at Hoopla in Saskatoon. After two years of silver medals, the third time proved to be the charm.
The air was electric as the boys took the court for warm ups, preparing to battle the Preeceville Panthers. The girls from Preeceville had just won gold and the boys were looking to make it a pair. From the first whistle to the last, the boys gave 100%. The crowd was loud and proud. Many eruptions of “Go Bears Go!” and “De-Fense!” thundered across the gym, often drowning out the announcers and other fans alike. As the final 45 seconds ticked down, the crowd came to its feet. As it became more apparent what was about to happen, the roar grew to epic proportions. The final buzzer went, but it was hard to hear it over the crowd. Event staff stopped trying to contain the Porcupine contingency as friends, family, and alumni flooded the court!
Until 2023, the Bears hadn’t had a Hoopla appearance since 2003 & 2005, where the boys earned silver and bronze, respectively. Their long-awaited return in 2023 saw them finish with another silver. In 2024, they worked their tails off and were ranked #1 in the province. However, when SHSAA canceled Hoopla, a one-day provincial basketball championship was held in Moose Jaw, where they once again took silver. This year, they finally completed their journey — bringing home the gold!
Congratulations to the team and coaches on an unforgettable season!
Portions of write-up taken and modified from March 24th “Bear Blast” written by Daniel Mielke