The varsity boys’ and girls’ basketball teams both won championship titles at the annual Kids Inc. Tournament of Champions this weekend.
The Lady Eagles’ road to the championship began with a matchup Friday morning against El Paso Montwood. Canyon faced Panhandle in the semifinals. The girls defeated Randall in the tournament championship.
“I think our team played very well,” senior tournament MVP Kyndal Davis said. “We had a lot of different people contribute in many ways. When the game got pretty close everybody was able to rise to the challenge and we ended up pulling it out. It was a really great win for our team.”
The boys’ basketball team began the tournament with an overtime victory over the Abilene Hawks. Canyon’s semifinal game drew attention due to their opponents: the Aussie Basketball Travelers. Canyon defeated the Australians in their second overtime victory of the tournament, 51-48. The Eagles defeated Arlington Heights in the championship game, 55-51.
“We kept the game low scoring, which worked to our advantage because they were more athletic,” senior tournament MVP Wyatt Sippy said. “We had nine or ten turnovers and we didn’t make many mistakes. Everyone contributed and we handled their pressure well.”
The Aussie Basketball Travelers are teams made up of boys and girls from all over Australia who are in the United States for a three week tour.
Luke Jamieson from Wollongong, New South Wells said that they were invited to a summer camp before joining the team, and that he did not know any of his team mates until the plane ride to America.
“In our first game against [El Paso] Andress, we had to try and adjust to officals, but also overcome our different playing styles all at once,” Jamieson said. “But after being with each other for only a few days we have been able to get more and more comfortable with each other.”
Canyon’s basketball teams hosted the Aussies in their homes during the tournament.
“The city of Canyon was amazing,” Jamieson said. “The people were so nice and so willing to open up their homes for us. It’s such a great experience to come to a rural town where you make new friends within days.”
Canyon was the Aussie Basketball Travelers’ first stop on their tour. They are now in Dallas before going to Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Louisville, Nashville, Los Angeles and Anaheim.
