It was not the start they wanted, but the scoreboard doesn't always define the battle.
Both the boys and girls senior basketball teams at Innisfail High School took a loss in their first matchup of the season, but were able to walk away with their heads high.
“I would say that our (first) basketball game on Tuesday was a success,” said Kevin Meyer, head coach for the girls basketball team. “We didn't win but they were tied at the end of the first half. They started to lose their legs and we got into a little bit of foul trouble in the second half of the game so we couldn't keep up.”
The teams squared off against Notre Dame High School from Red Deer in the first game of the season and lost a close game by a score of 56 to 47.
“I was very proud of their performance and very happy with their opening efforts. It was their first game of the year,” he added.
While Meyer noted there were positives the team could take from its opening game he also pointed out areas he will address and have his team work on throughout the season, including penalties.
“That comes down to defensive discipline and conditioning,” said Meyer. “I think those are the two greatest areas of opportunity to improve upon.”
The boys senior basketball team also started its season with a loss at home.
“We got off to a very slow start but overall they did pretty well,” said Kaye Kronebusch, head coach for the boys basketball team. “They worked hard but we lost 86 to 42.”
He noted the team struggled in the first half as they were outscored by 40 points, but the boys gamely battled through.
“In the second half we were only outscored by four points so there was a big difference,” said Kronebusch. “The boys started to fall into their groove and didn't stop until the very end and the last buzzer.”
Like the girls, the boys also had a few first game butterflies and ran into some penalty trouble during the game.
Despite the loss there was one big positive that stood out for the boys' coach.
“They didn't give up. They played a full 40-minute game,” said Kronebusch. “They play very well as a team and I was very pleased. I'm looking forward to more games with the team.”
Kaye Kronebusch
"In the second half we were only outscored by four points so there was a big difference. The boys started to fall into their groove and didn't stop until the very end and the last buzzer."
