Pre-LIT games take place as high school sports return from break

With students back at school following winter break, sports are back in action in Regina.

The 69th Luther Invitational Tournament is to get underway in February and a few Regina high school teams punched their ticket to the prestigious event.

The Riffel Royals and Miller Marauders senior boys teams advanced after Pre-LIT games Monday. Riffel and the Winston Knoll Wolverines senior girls teams qualified for LIT on Tuesday.

“(It’s the) biggest tournament in the province and Troy Casper, the co-ordinator of the LIT, has done a lot of research on this and he thinks it’s the longest-running tournament in Canada,” Aaron Anderson, the commissioner of athletics for the Regina High Schools Athletic Association, said on the Greg Morgan Morning Show. “It is special to our community.”

The tournament features teams from Regina and Saskatoon as well as teams from out of province, with schools in Alberta and Manitoba often sending teams to play.

Anderson said the high school basketball leagues are back up and running; the regular season is to run until February with playoffs beginning in March.

Curling playoffs start on Jan. 31.

Anderson said high school hockey is playing about two games a day with playoffs set to start on Feb. 14.

High school wrestling also begins with pool series wrestling at Johnson Collegiate on Wednesday as well as next week at Miller Comprehensive Catholic High School.

“Those are like mini-tournaments where all the schools are invited,” Anderson said. “We’ve got 208 wrestlers this year so we’re up about 20 per cent in terms of numbers so (it’s) really good with our schools.

“Those tournaments are kind of cool. A computer sorts out the matches and kids usually get two or three bouts and (the event is) done in a couple hours.”