There’s a new leader in the Rocky View Sports Association (RVSA) senior girls’ basketball league, after the Cochrane Cobras defeated the Chestermere Lady Lakers 60-45 in the championship game March 2. The result represented the Cobras’ first senior girls’ basketball title since 2013. The win also marked an end to a dynasty in varsity girls’ basketball that was held by Chestermere from 2014 to 2018, when the Lady Lakers won five-straight RVSA titles. “The team was elated with the success,” said Cochrane’s head coach, Randy Peron. “[We’ve] lost to Chestermere for the last four years, with JV and then senior. “To finally get the monkey off our backs and win our league title – it’s very gratifying for all the hard work the players have done this year.” According to Peron, the Cobras’ success in the RVSA was the result of scouting the Lady Lakers beforehand, and drafting a defensive game plan that would nullify Chestermere’s shooting efficiency. “They’re a three-point shooting team, and we had a defence that the coach of the other team had not seen yet,” said Peron, who coached collegiate basketball at St. Mary’s University in Calgary for four years. “[Chestermere] had no answer for it and we neutralized their strength, which is their three-point shooting.” The Cobras ended the regular season in second place in the RVSA, with a 5-1 record. The team improved at the right time, according to Peron, qualifying for the championship game by beating the Bert Church Chargers 67-38 Feb. 26 in the RVSA quarterfinals, and the W.H. Croxford Cavaliers 54-37 two nights later. “It’s always been important for me to peak [during the post-season] and not sooner, because it’s hard to maintain a peak level – especially in high-school athletics,” he said. “We’re pretty much at our peak now, so we’re going to be competitive and we’re going after that [South Central Zones] title.” Winning the Zones tournament – which took place March 8 and 9 (after press time) at Cochrane High – would book the team’s ticket to the 2019 Alberta Schools Athletic Association (ASAA) provincial championships. Cochrane competed at provincials last year, and according to Peron, returning to the ASAA championships is his players’ ultimate goal. “There are eight returnees who want to go back [to provincials] and finish with a better result,” he said. “We finished fifth last year in the province, and that was with a young team. We’re going to work our hardest and see what happens.”
