Local basketball teams have begun to finesse their rosters in anticipation of a brand new season on the courts. Already Innisfail Jr./Sr. High School senior boys and girls teams have already had their rosters whittled into shape while 24 girls and 16 boys are slated to try out for the Grade 8 and 9 team starting Nov 19.
“Right now they're excited as heck,” said athletic director Jeff Anderson. “They're excited and nervous at the same time.”
The reason for the slight trepidation is teams are moving up into the Alberta Schools' Athletic Association and will be facing off against higher-calibre teams.
Allan Whitehead, coach of the senior girls team, says he's looking forward to the new season, and is prepping players new and old along with his assistant coaches Kevin Meyer, Morgan Munro and Chris Paish.
“We've got a lot of really young players,” he said. “It's a rebuilding year.”
Just five of his squad are returning players, with two in Grade 12 and three in Grade 11.
“We've really been trying to instill first of all responsibility and hard work,” he said. “You have to put in the work to accomplish your goals.”
The team is setting targets in offensive rebounds, steals, points, and other markers.
“These are the things that make us successful,” he said.
The senior boys contingent is a different story altogether. Most of these players are in Grade 12, with just a few Grade 10 and 11 players.
Teams will start their tournament schedule in early January in Sylvan Lake, with one in Olds in February and one in Edmonton towards the end of that month, before playoffs ramp up.
A mid-season basketball trip to San Diego will help the team warm up to mount a successful bid at a playoff berth. Students took orders for frozen pizzas from Coco Brooks as a fundraiser in support of the voyage.
“They're just like kids that can't wait for Christmas,” Anderson said. “They've been fundraising and working hard.”
