After an eventful season both boys and girls Grade 8-9 basketball teams came out victorious in regular season play. With a win in Delburne the girls clinched the top slot in the league and are looking forward to hosting playoffs Tuesday, Feb. 26, alongside the boys who also came in first.
ìWe have a saying called making it rain ñ when all our shots are dropping,î said Grade 8-9 boys coach Ed Coles, noting he can't wait for playoffs. ìI'm hoping that's what's going to happen.î
Though the boys team arrived with plenty of skills in tow, Coles says he wanted to build a sense of importance around sportsmanship.
ìWhat I'm trying to instill in the guys it doesn't matter whether we win or lose in the game, we're good sportsmen,î he said, noting in many cases the team took off the ìpressî that's similar to a neutral zone trap when their lead got quite high. ìThe chemistry they've built over the years is what's keeping us going.î
During a game in Rocky Mountain House at West Central both senior teams played, with the girls suffering a 65-25 loss and the boys being dealt an 84-48 defeat. The boys team had been on the verge of a playoff berth.
On Feb. 11 the senior teams played a strong game in Red Deer at Notre Dame, but missed the mark with the girls losing 65-25 and the boys losing 84-46.
The recent loss of the junior boys team to Olds Koinonia Christian School Feb. 12 underscores the difficulty of getting results from players who may want to try to do everything.
ìI think what it came down to is majority of our team also plays provincial hockey,î Coles said. ìA lot of guys were having a hard time splitting their time between the two,î he said. ìWe kind of lost our chemistry. I think they were just tired and worn out from two sports.î
He said he made sure to rally the youth, though he made sure not to micromanage.
ìThere's only so much you can put into a kid's ear,î he said. ìAt the end of the day let them go out and figure out for themselves.î
Coles wants the boys to focus on their strengths heading into playoffs.
ìWe're getting torched on the rebounds all the time,î he said. ìWe don't have a lot of height but we're fast with good hands.î
On Feb. 7 both Grade 8-9 teams faced off against Mother Teresa from Sylvan Lake, the girls walking away with a 62-9 win and the boys beating out their competition 55-45.
The successful season is just a case of long hours of hard work finally paying off, Coles said.
ìThings are just starting to click,î he said. ìAt the beginning of the season we were outhustling everybody but nothing would come of it.î
