2025 Edmonton Metro Athletics Championship Weekend Takeaways

Written by Harrison Paulichuk

The Edmonton Stingers hosted the Metro League finals at the Flair Airlines Hangar, leading to an exciting group of games. I made it out to the division 1-3 senior boys finals on Friday and Saturday and was not disappointed. I believe Edmonton has some of the best basketball talent in the province. On Friday night, the Division 2 finals saw the Spruce Grove Panthers defeat a  determined Louis St Laurent team. On Saturday, the Division 3 final ended with a win for the Austin O'Brien Crusaders, and that evening, in a hard-fought match, the St FX Rams took out the Strathcona Lords, completing a back-to-back city championship run. Each of these games left me with different takeaways about the teams themselves, the atmosphere of the event, and the athletes within it all. In this article, I’ll share the key takeaways from my coverage of this event. Before moving on to these different thoughts, I want to send out a huge congratulations to all the winners from this weekend. Regardless of what division, a league championship is a remarkable accomplishment that will be remembered forever. See the final results below:

Without further ado and in no particular order, here is my list of takeaways from the Metro Edmonton championship weekend.

 Energy and Crowd turnout at Flair

The Edmonton Stingers once again hosted the Metro athletics finals at their Flair Airlines Hangar arena in the Expo Centre. This weekend was by far the most electric I have seen the Hangar for a high school event. Not just one, but multiple finals games had full sections with parents and fans cheering on their respective teams. I loved the energy this created for the finals and although it wasn't a homecourt environment for anyone, I liked that it had the energy of one and the space for both sides to have representation. Some of the schools in the city have very little room to host events of this size and it was nice to have such a turnout for the athletes at a neutral site. Every game I watched this weekend was close and competitive right up until the final buzzer. The cheers from the fans in all directions created a vibrant and electric energy in the arena. You could truly feel the importance of what was on the line here for everyone on the court. Games like the Div 2 finals had one-half of the gym cheering for LSL and the other was screaming for the Panthers. This made for such a fun atmosphere and if you didn't get a chance to come out and watch this year, make sure to mark it in your calendars for the next.  Flair has certainly become the go-to venue for the Metro finals, and it’s an experience you won’t forget.

Spruce Grove’s Logan Kuva Shines

The finals introduced me to a prospect I wish I had known about all year; Logan Kuva, from Spruce Grove. A 6'5 grade 12 forward, who took the bright lights and pressure of playing in the Flair Airlines Hangar to fuel a standout performance. At the start of the first, he played like a typical big man, eating boards and putting the ball back in through traffic, not straying much from the point. I didn't think much of it until he drained his first three-pointer from far beyond the high school line with ease. After that, Logan showcased his versatility and began getting more involved in all parts of the Panther's offence; bringing the ball up on his own confidently as a big man and beating defenders off the dribble from the perimeter. This was not the typical big man I expected, and instead, turned out to be a game-changing prospect. With several timely buckets as the Barons were creeping back in, Logan had one of the most impactful and standout performances from this weekend.

Scona's Defensive Activity

For the Div 1 finals match, Strathcona knew they had to bring their "A" game against a number two provincially ranked, St. FX team. The last time these two matched up, Scona failed to keep the game competitive. This left many people wondering whether this game would be anything to watch. Anyone who knows anything about the Lords’ coaching staff though, knows that they do not take well to losing. I have nothing but respect for these guys and the constantly competitive product they put on the court. This is because they make adjustments and create a consistently well-disciplined environment for the athletes. As soon as this game started I noticed how well the defence on Scona's side of the ball was rotating. Against an FX team that is generally known for its impenetrable defence, the Lord's defence took the show with their defensive pressure instead. There were multiple possessions throughout the game when the Rams tried to take the ball to the rim and were stopped by seamless switching on the perimeter. The defensive rotations were so fluid that FX had a hard time getting to their usual spots and often had to settle for contested looks at the end of the shot clock. This was the best defence I have seen Scona play this season. Rotations, switching and on-ball pressure were all extremely disciplined and focused. If they take this same energy into provincials, I truly believe that they have the chance to upset some teams above them because a good defense beats a strong offense 99% of the time at this level.

St FX's Sam Richardson Steals the Show

Watching St FX throughout the year is always a joy for me because not only are they one of the top teams in the province, but they also have one of the deepest rosters. Their coaching staff always finds ways to integrate and develop new players into their system. During the finals, their most impactful player was a Team Alberta athlete who played his role previously, but never stood out to me like he did this weekend. 6'2 senior Sam Richardson made his presence known with at least 5 steals both on-ball by stripping defenders and by reading the lanes to cut off passes. When Scona tried to make a run early in the fourth, Sam picked up the ball handler early and forced a few quick turnovers in a row, running the fast break and cashing in on some easy transition buckets. This jump in confidence is a credit to both the coaches and the athlete himself as I never saw this kind of pressure from him early on in the season. Within the Rams system, Sam made a huge jump both defensively, and offensively from the start to the end of the season. He was fearless on the biggest stage in an intense game. As tough as Scona's defence was, Sam seemed to consistently find lanes to the hoop using his quick first step and an arsenal of finishing moves to create his own scoring opportunities. He was patient on offence and spaced the floor well to give himself and his teammates the room to operate offensively. I am not surprised that the Rams were able to integrate and utilize such a high-calibre athlete into their system so well and look forward to seeing how he impacts their provincial run next weekend.

AOB's Guard Play and Standout Shooter

The Division 3 finals was a close match from start to finish but the main factor that I thought won the Crusaders the game was their guards all stepping their game up in the final quarter and playing so well off of each other. Offensively, you could tell that the guards all communicated well with each other and whether they were shooting or driving it looked like they knew exactly where to go to fill space and run off of each other. Having two or three guards playing in sync proved to be too much for Dr. Anne's defence to stop. As soon as you pressured and stopped one of the guards, the other was wide open and would take advantage of the gaps in the defence. The offence was strengthened even more by grade 11 guard Jorge Vien Raphael Macalintal shooting the lights out all game and playing like the best player on the court. He seemed so comfortable with the ball in his hands and would not force anything, especially from deep. His decision-making and spatial awareness were phenomenal. He could slow the pace down and play the game at his own pace, using some shifty handles to get by defenders with ease. Not only did they control the offensive end, but these guards also set up a great half-court press that forced several intercepted passes late in the game with a final on the line. This rotation of guards was the reason that Austin O'Brien was able to win this game late.

Elite Shot Blocker Coming up with the Barons

At the start of the Div 2 finals the Spruce Grove Panthers began driving to the hoop aggressively trying to score their first few buckets in the paint. It's not usually a bad idea to get yourselves going early with good looks inside. Except in this case, where it led to at least three blocked shots at the rim, all from the same player. Jeremy Adedeji, the grade 10 giant out of Louis St. Laurent was able to alter the Panthers shots and effectively forced them to change their whole gameplan in the second quarter where several players seemed much more hesitant to drive to the hoop when he was in the paint. The most shocking thing about this player is that he has not been a basketball player until this season. He was not even sure if he wanted to play this season but I am sure that the Barons are glad that he did. Jeremy was a difference maker on the court and although he still has lots to learn, size and defensive IQ are a combination that can easily lead to a player at the next level. He was already the best shot blocker that I saw this weekend and with some more experience, I am sure he will become an elite scorer as well at his height.

Dr Anne Anderson’s Hidden Gem

Watching the finals for Div 3 introduced me to quite possibly the most underrated player of this weekend. David Boateng, a 6 '3 grade 10 from Dr Anne Anderson was one of, if not the best player in this game. A forward who, on a different team has the skills to play as a guard. He has a clean shot and though he might not be a shoot-first player his IQ allowed him to find his spots on the court and score at a high clip against DAA. He would not force anything and was comfortable moving the ball when the look was not there as well. He played down low at times but was comfortable taking it outside the perimeter and driving hard to the rack. He wasn't afraid of finding contact which is sometimes the biggest issue with younger players. He had the reaction time to get a couple of steals on the ball and comfortably led the break for his team. It seemed like every time the wolves were falling out of striking distance, David would make an impressive drive to the hoop or take an easy ball into the paint and get them back on track. The composure I saw from this kid in a championship setting has me excited to see where his talents take him next.

Scona Girls Can HOOP

I don't typically follow much of the girls' side of things, not due to a lack of skill or interest, but more so due to time restraints and availability for myself. I am glad I got to watch the Div 1 girls' final though. Both Spruce Grove and Strathcona girl's teams are powerhouses this season and put up a hell of a fight. The Lords, however, handled their business in the Hangar this weekend. I have seen them play before and they look as dominant as ever. The way they consistently found their shots and played as a team was amazing to watch. It seemed as though no matter what the defence did, they always knew where their teammates were and the ball movement was fun to watch. The second note I made on them was their aggressiveness in finding contact and getting to the line. These girls all seemed like they were searching for contact but were converting the contact to free throws as well regularly. In high school athletes this can be hard to come across sometimes. Not for the Lords though, it seemed like almost all the girls played with such grit and passion. This is a huge credit to the coaching staff. The Strathcona girls played with such ferociousness that I would be shocked if they were not competing in the final four provincial tournament two weekends from now. I am glad I got to see them perform in such a high-pressure environment this weekend and look forward to seeing them do it again at provincials.

This was a super fun experience for me and I will already punch my ticket to the next event hosted by The Stingers. Although this highlights the top players and notes that stood out to me about this weekend, this is not an exclusive list and there very well could have been more to add. The event itself was just awesome and I want to highlight that Edmonton is a huge hub for basketball players and fans alike. I truly believe that we have one of the greatest communities in the country for hoops. If you do not regularly keep up with Edmonton or even Alberta hoops then what are you doing? If this article highlights anything I think it should be this community and the level of talent that comes out of our great city. I want to get the word out that Canada basketball is more than just Toronto and Ontario. Alberta has some next-level players and programs and if you don't believe me, then you just have to start following and find out for yourself.