OLDS — The Olds Koinonia Christian School (OKCS) Royals senior boys' basketball team won the league final, downing the École Olds High School (ÉOHS) Spartans 72-36 at the Community Learning Campus gym on March 2.
Israel Furst led Royals in scoring with 25 points. He hit six three-pointers.
Royals head coach Ken Taks says the key for them was good defence.
“We focused really hard on the defensive end as a basketball team,” Taks said during an interview. “We held them to 10 points in the first half and it just kind of kept rolling from there.”
In an email, ÉOHS principal Tom Christensen said the Royals really improved from when the two teams met earlier in the season.
“Our boys hosted because they had beaten OKCS early in the season by two points,” Christensen wrote. “OKCS played a more physical game this time and shot very well. They showed huge improvement through the season.”
Taks agreed. He said that first time they played the Spartans after just a couple of practices and it showed.
“So it was kind of nice to get them back for that one. And the league final makes it pretty sweet too,” he said.
Taks said that focus on defensive play was not only key in the final but throughout the season.
“We do a lot of defensive details. We change our schemes all the time and our boys work extremely hard to improve all year long. They’re a really good group and they’re willing to work hard and listen, so it goes a long way,” he said.
The Royals are now getting ready for the 1A South Central Zones this coming weekend.
“If we do well enough there, we’ll go to provincials, depending on how they hand out wild card spots,” Taks said.
“We have to win zones to go. If we get a wild card, we can place second in zones and go but it probably looks like we probably have to win zones to go.”
The Royals should be a power next season too. They only lose four players to graduation.
“We only graduate two starters, so we’ve got a good group of young guys,” Taks said.
