Holy Cross Collegiate Varsity basketball teams preparing for season

Times Contributor   

 

With volleyball season wrapping up, both of the varsity basketball team coaches at Holy Cross Collegiate are getting ready for the upcoming season.

“I’m really excited (for the start of the season),” said varsity boys coach Michael Annicchiarico.  “Basketball is a very popular sport at our school, and we have a wide array of interests.”

Tryouts for the all of the basketball teams at Holy Cross Collegiate started on Nov. 19, after the volleyball zones.  For the varsity teams, the season also started this week, and it will run until the second week of March.  

If the teams make provincials, then their season will be extended by another week.

Both Annicchiarico and varsity girls coach Angela MacLean are preparing for the season by examining what their needs are for their respective teams.

“This season, I will have a lot of new girls on my team because last year I had a lot of (Grade 12 students),” said MacLean.  “So, I will have a lot of new faces this year.”

MacLean also added that due to the new faces on the team, she may try different plays, depending on what the strengths of her players are, including strengths that she may never have seen before.

“(For my team), it’s about getting familiar with the drills that I’ve used from the past, and I need to keep and what I need to change,” added Annicchiarico.  “It will depend on who I decide to put on my team.”

Annicchiarico also has high expectations for his team.  

“We would like to make it to 2A provincials, and that is what we are building towards,” said Annicchiarico.  

He also mentioned that since Holy Cross Collegiate is hosting 2A Zones, he would like his team to do well at that tournament.

MacLean, meanwhile, is looking towards the future for her team because of the departure of many players from last year’s roster.  

“It’s going to be a new team, so it will be to see how we will work well together,” she said.  “It’s about building the foundation for the future.”

MacLean added that she would also like to have her team qualify for the 2A Zones.

Holy Cross Collegiate is hosting a tournament next week, the Christ Redeemer Tournament, which will be their first tournament of the year.  

The home tournaments for Holy Cross Collegiate are Dec. 13-14 for the varsity boys, and Feb.1 – 2 for the varsity girls.