By KEVIN BERGER
Despite blowing snow and poor road conditions across the region, Venture Heights Elementary School nevertheless had a full slate of 16 teams attend its first-ever 2025 Junior Basketball Extravaganza on January 17.
Besides Venture Heights, the tournament featured junior boys’ squads from Valley Christian Academy, Martensville High School, Hague, Prairie Christian Academy, Waldheim, Valley Manor School, Dalmeny, Clavet, Stobart, Langham, Allan and Aberdeen.
The lion’s share of games took place at the Martensville Athletic Pavilion, though some were held at the high school.
Venture Heights principal Ron Biberdorf said their school traditionally holds three large volleyball tournaments in the fall, but this was their first large-scale basketball competition.
Biberdorf said there were two pools of competitors at the extravaganza – one pool of Grade 8/9 contenders from larger schools, and one for Grade 7/8 teams from smaller schools.
“(There were) definitely two calibers of pools,” he said.
In the ‘A’ division, Dalmeny High School went undefeated in the tournament, making it all the way to the finals against Venture Heights School, with Dalmeny winning 39-26.
Nevertheless, the Venture Heights team was “very proud” of the result, said coach Angela Redekopp, as they had previously lost to Dalmeny by 30 points earlier in the season.
“Dalmeny … will be a tough team to beat in the playoffs,” she said.The first place final in the ‘B’ Division final came down to a battle between Stobart Community School and Aberdeen School.
Besides promoting the school’s basketball program, Biberdorf said they co-ordinated with Jolan Lingelbach, the district officials commissioner, to organize the training of some new officials as the tournament was going on.

LEFT: In this photo provided by Ron Biberdorf, three courts of the Martensville Athletic Pavilion (MAP) were taken up by basketball games on January 17 as the Venture Heights-hosted Junior Basketball Extravaganza played out.
BELOW: Coaches Angela Redekopp and Lance Roberts confer with the Venture Heights basketball team.
