It would be quite apt if the St. Mary’s Celtics senior varsity boys volleyball team’s theme song for this season is Bon Jovi’s Blaze of Glory.
The team hopes to be going out in a blaze of glory for what may be the last senior varsity boys’ volleyball program for awhile.
There are 10 players on the senior varsity team, and no junior varsity boys program this year.
“It is the first time in awhile that we haven’t had one,” said Kevin Leahy, head coach of the Celtics. “I don’t know what it is. There’s no junior high boys volleyball and there wasn’t any last year. I don’t know if it’s other sports, extremely low interest in the sport or parents not willing to push it — I’m not sure. It looks like it’s the end of the line, which is a shame because all we need is three or four Grade 10s to step up to the plate.”
There are six Grade 12s on the team and four Grade 11s, with the veteran leadership of the seniors helping bring the program up to being ranked 10th in the league two years ago to third this year in pre-season rankings for the Southern Alberta High School Boys Volleyball League.
“I have pretty high expectations, and so do they,” said Leahy.
“They’ve really brought themselves up. We had a very good JV season last year and these kids that are now in Grade 12 have a lot to prove to themselves — it’s a big season for them.”
Leahy has seen that development as a group over the last couple of years in team-game play.
The team has a trip planned to Anaheim in October where the Celtics will play matches against various area teams. St. Mary’s will also get a chance to practise in the UCLA Bruins gymnasium during the trip.
The volleyball slate for the Celtics will also have St. Mary’s hosting boys 1A provincials from Nov. 25-27 in what is shaping up to be a season to remember, if it is indeed the last one for the senior boys program in the foreseeable future on the hardcourt.
“If this is our last season, we are going to go out with a bang. I hope it doesn’t put more pressure on them and they just go out and play and play the way they know how,” said Leahy.
“For all Grade 12 kids it’s the end of the line. Very few go on to college or university play. The pressure is there already whether it’s the last year for volleyball or not. Being ranked third in the league, I hope it doesn’t put undue pressure on the kids... it’s an extremely tough league against big schools and they are strong.”
The Celtics travel to Coaldale today to battle the Kate Andrews Pride in its opening match of league play.
The team also travels to Chinook high school in Lethbridge for the early-season tournament on Saturday.
St. Mary’s Celtics’ home opener is Sept. 15 against Lethbridge Collegiate Institute Rams.