Edwin Parr Composite’s senior boys and girls basketball teams are back in action.
Both teams got their season started with exhibition games at home to Barrhead last Wednesday. The boys then had the weekend off, while the girls traveled to Okotoks for a tournament.
The girls dismantled visiting Barrhead 63-15 on Wednesday before competing in Okotoks, where they won a game before bowing out in the bronze medal match.
All in all, it was a good start, according to coach Wade Hicks.
“(Barrhead) was a good game for the girls,” he said.
“We got to go out there and run lots of systems, and get lots of playing time in for our new kids.”
While Barrhead was a team still finding its identity, the same could not be said for the clubs the girls faced in Okotoks.
First up was Holy Rosary, a strong team that the Pacers managed to beat by 13 points.
Next up was McCoy from Medicine Hat, a team that was ranked second in the entire province last year. The Predators impressed their coach by staying neck and neck with them before ultimately losing the game.
“We had lots of nerves in the first half; the girls knew how good they were. But once we got past the nerves, we played them dead even.”
Finally, the local girls faced Holy Trinity Academy, another top-ranked team, and lost by six in the bronze medal game.
The girls had a number of leads that they couldn’t quite hold on to, but the effort was there.
The season is young but the signs are positive, according to the coach.
“You can tell we don’t have our legs underneath us, (but) it’s a good sign for early in the year. The girls can see that we can play with teams that are going to be the top ranked teams in the province.”
This weekend they’ll host their home tournament at Edwin Parr Composite Friday and Saturday.
“It should be a really good tournament. We managed to win it last year, and it’d be nice to repeat if we could.”
The senior boys Predators, meanwhile, have played just the one game so far, losing 69-47 to Barrhead on their home court.
“It was a decent start,” said coach Mark Francis. “There’s a lot to work on. We did some things well in the first half, led most of it, but in the second half our offense went south.”
The coach isn’t too concerned, as the team has yet to make final cuts and could make some changes. Even if they don’t, it always takes a game or two for a new team to find its footing.
“We have a lot of returning players, and there are some new faces out there,” he said. “I think we’re a very competitive team. We have some height, and last year some of our leading scorers were younger, and we still have those guys. I think we should be in the thick of the zone hunt.”
The team will compete at a tournament in Rocky Mountain House this weekend.
Hicks and Francis teamed up this fall for an after-school basketball program that aimed to teach the game to youngsters. The 10-week program wrapped up last Wednesday, and it was a big success according to both coaches.
“It was excellent. We know it’s going to grow, and it’s great to get the kids playing early,” said Francis.
Hicks was also pleased with th program.
“It’s always nice to be able to give the kids more options and some other stuff to be able to do in town.”
On the last day, the kids gathered for some exhibition games where they showed off their basketball skills for their family and friends.
“It’s a really good program to run, and I’m really happy with how it turned out.”
