The Winnipegosis Lakers varsity boys basketball team is putting together a wonderful season.

Playing in a tournament in Elm Creek, Winnipegosis finished in second place. They would follow that up with an even better performance in their next tournament. They beat Riverton, 94-47 in the final, to claim a title.

The team has also competed very well in league play and thanks to their success, they're being recognized. In the most recent Power Rankings put out by the Manitoba High School Athletic Association, they are the fifth-best varsity boys basketball team in the "A" category.

The fourth-ranked team is Minegoziibe Anishinabe Talons, who the Lakers have had success against this season. They've beaten them once while they lost twice against them, however, both losses came in overtime.

"Our guys have been playing really strong this season," said Jeremy Gilfoy, Head Coach. "We're off to a good start and we're looking to keep it going towards the zones."

One of the Lakers' leaders this season has been Ryan Eyre. He's played with the program for four years. JJ Chartrand and TJ Menard from Camperville and Blake Maud from Skownan have also been solid.

"They're all playing at all-star levels," continued Gilfoy. "We've had contributions from players across the board, that's been our key."

The team will play some more league games moving forward, but they certainly have February 21 circled on their calendars. That's when they'll play in the Zone Championships that will be hosted by Gilbert Plains, who is the 10th ranked team in the province.

If they get past the semifinals, they will play in the finals on February 23 and the winner of that tournament will get an automatic berth to the provincials.

"We're confident that we'll be able to finish what we started," said Gilfoy. "With that said, there are some very good teams in this area, so it'll be fun for our guys."

The Ste. Rose Celtics have also cracked the Top-10 as they're ranked #9.