A long trek to Cold Lake on the weekend didn’t turn out the best for the two senior high school basketball teams from Athabasca.
Due to injuries and a school trip, the senior girls team from Edwin Parr Composite went with just six players, which ended up earning head coach Wade Hicks and the squad a rough weekend, losing all three games.
Back on Feb. 10, the club performed well in a league game against Devon, earning a well deserved 54-37 win.
“I thought the girls came out and played really well, in spite being shorthanded,” Hicks stated about having just three guards and five post players for the contest.
“All of the girls adjusted really well to playing extended minutes and some new positions.”
He added he was impressed with the play of Breanna Kennedy and Cayla Prymak, who combined to connect on 93 per cent of there shots.
The club will now gear up for their run to the provincials, which ironically goes right through EPC as they host the zone playoff tournament Mar. 13 and 14. The girls will be in Lloydminster this weekend. Hicks feels the team has a good shot at going back for a provincial title shot, “as I think we are pretty solid going into zones ranked second or third and will have the benefit of the home floor and home crowd.”
As for the senior boys, coach Mitchell Snow explained they didn’t get the result they wanted, coming close but falling in all three contests.
They opened with loss to a team from Fort McMurray following a slow start and not being able to dig themselves out of the hole, but chipped away to end it 51-39.
The boys weren’t as fortunate in their next match versus Bonnyville, where a poor second half cost them.
Their final game against Lac La Biche was extremely close, but they just weren’t able to get the lead, losing 54-53.
“We were playing from behind, but kept digging and fighting the whole way,” Snow said.
Then their starting post player fouled out midway through the final quarter, but two rookies – Nathan Minkus and Tristan Strong – stepped up and played really well to keep them close.
Both the boys and girls will hit the court Thursday at home against Lac La Biche.
