The Christmas break is over, classes are back in session and Airdrie’s high-school basketball teams have played their first games of 2020.
Following a three-week hiatus, the 2019-20 Rocky View Sports Association (RVSA) season resumed Jan. 8, with four Airdrie teams seeing action.
In Airdrie, the George McDougall Mustangs senior girls’ team lost 55-52 to the Chestermere Lady Lakers, while the W.H. Croxford Cavaliers senior boys’ team overcame the visiting Springbank Phoenix 55-51. The Cavaliers sunk two layups in the final minute to clinch the narrow victory.
51-51 into the final two minutes. Cavaliers have been missing too many layups this quarter. pic.twitter.com/De8l4OGtkj
— Scott Strasser (@scottstrasser19) January 9, 2020
Despite earning the win, Cavaliers head coach Brett Payne said his players didn’t put their best foot forward against the Phoenix.
“Christmas really took a toll on us, having two weeks of not playing basketball,” he said. “I think it was a reality check for our boys, that, hopefully, when we go into our exam break, they’ll learn from their mistakes going into Christmas and not take two weeks off of practice.”
With just three regular-season games to play before playoffs, Payne added it’s been a positive campaign for the Cavs, thus far. The team is in the middle of the pack, with a 2-2 record.
“There are things we have to learn from each game, and it would be nice to play a complete game, but it’s coming,” he said. “We’re still only halfway through the season, so there’s time, but we’re entering crunch time.”
The Cavaliers competed at the Super South Tournament at Crescent Heights High School in Medicine Hat, Alta., Jan. 9 to 11. Croxford’s league schedule will resume Feb. 12 with an all-Airdrie battle against the Bert Church Chargers.
On the girls’ side, the Mustangs fell just short against Chestermere – the RVSA’s third-place team.
Despite the loss, Mustangs’ head coach Jessica Bower said the tightly-fought battle marked her team’s best performance this season.
The @rvsed senior basketball season is back following the Christmas break (albeit just for one week until the diploma break takes place). I’ll be shooting photos at two separate games tonight in Airdrie. Currently at @ChestermereHigh vs. @GMHSMustangs (senior girls). pic.twitter.com/bbZaPymUql
— Scott Strasser (@scottstrasser19) January 9, 2020
“We did a great job defensively – it was the first time we’d run a full-court press for the entire game, and I was really happy with it,” she said.
“We have some very talented people on our team. So we’re just trying to incorporate that talent into a team setting so that everyone is involved and we’re more dynamic than just having one or two people taking the load of the offence.”
As students prepare to write diploma exams in the second half of January, the RVSA calendar is on hiatus for senior teams until early February.
Despite the break from games, Bower said the team – which is still searching for its first league win – will hold a few practices in the interim.
“The girls are very aware that if they need the time academically, practices are not mandatory,” she said. “We also pushed to let them know that if they need a study break, basketball is a great way to do so.”
Bower said she feels the Mustangs’ best games are on the horizon.
“We haven’t been able to put together a complete game,” she said. “The closest we came was against Chestermere, and that felt great. We want to move forward in January and February, and hopefully set ourselves up a little better for the playoffs.”
Next up for George McDougall will be the Rose Basketball Tournament at Winston Churchill High School, in Calgary, Jan. 30 to Feb. 1.
Following that, the Mustangs will resume the RVSA schedule Feb. 4 on the road against Springbank.
