Playing in front of their hometown fans, the Ste. Rose Celtics boys basketball team won the bronze medal at provincials, Saturday afternoon.

The Celtics opened the tournament with a 61-48 win over the Dufferin Christian Stingers, Thursday.

The Celtics then fell, 95-36, to the Glenboro/Baldur Panthers in the semifinals, setting up a bronze medal showdown with the Wawanesa Warriors.

In a back-and-forth game, the Celtics prevailed, 64-58.

Aiden Brunel was named a tournament all-star for his efforts.

Celtics coach Nathan Zadorozny said it was a loud and emotional game.

“The fans in Ste. Rose were incredible and they really helped us win that game. It was a hard fought effort by our guys,” he said.

The Celtics led by nine at halftime, but the Warriors fought back and took the lead at one point. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Celtics regained the lead for good.

“We had some foul trouble from our varsity guys and a couple of Grade 9s and Grade 10s had to step into the game and they really made a big impact to keep us in the game,” Zadorozny said.

Zadorozny had never won a medal before as a player or coach, so this was a big moment for him, as well as the players.

“This is the best feeling ever. This is my first medal game ever. And the guys gave me a medal. They brought it home for me, so it feels absolutely amazing right now,” he said.

Zadorozny said the Celtics were one of the hardest working teams all year long, which was a key factor in its success.

“And we always go no matter what the score is. We had to fight back after that loss against Glenboro. It was a pretty big loss. They’re a very good team. But we didn’t care. We just knew we still had a job to do and we went and did it,” he said.

Zadorozny saw an improvement in the team’s play since the start of the season.

For the full story, read this week’s edition of the Dauphin Herald.