Cougars defeat Falcons
By Brady Grove, Times Reporter
Brady Grove Photo
It was a tough tournament for both teams who lost two games each, but a local battle for their final game added something special to the match.
“I guess it’s a bit of rivalry; you’re both hometown Strathmore so the boys were really excited,” said Falcons head coach Colleen Neale who normally coaches the girls’ team at GFS.
The Cougars caught the Falcons flat-footed in the first quarter and made a lot of mid- and long-range shots. The Cougars efficiency continued into the second quarter and they managed to tighten their defense and limit the Falcons offensively which gave them a large 26-7 lead. Cougars Parker Rioux commanded his team like a general, and Kade Robertson bullied his way to the net when needed or made a quick pass.
“We’ve been working a lot with our guys about trying to set up an offense and trying to be patient and allow the play to develop,” said Cougars head coach Ryan Hunter. “They did a better job doing that this game; we struggled a bit in the other two (games).”
While the Cougars slowed down in the second half, the Falcons kept playing hard and it got them opportunities which they capitalized on. Falcons point guard Danniel Hildebrand led the charge from a well of willpower and determination that spread through the entire team.
The Falcons pushed. The Cougars pushed back. It wasn’t enough to get the Falcons back in the game, but in the second half the Falcons outscored the Cougars 21-20.
“We did take over the second half but we didn’t get it together for the first half,” said Neale. “It’s part of learning and growing, and the experience of playing the game.”
Both teams are very young in their divisions. The Cougars are mostly made up of Grade 7 students with a few Grade 8s. However, the Falcons face a bigger age challenge this year because their team is made up mostly of Grade 6 students.
“The thing is all the teams we’ve played against, none of them have Grade 6 students,” said Neale. “They worked hard. For a young team, they’ve shown a lot of progression and growth throughout the season.”
GFS currently is Kindergarten through Grade 8 which cuts off the oldest available players to the Falcons and put each team at a disadvantage, but also allows them to develop their players across a longer period of time. According to Neale, next year GFS will be K-9 which will eliminate that age barrier.
The Cougars are waiting to see if they make the playoffs in their league.
GFS will host a girls’ basketball tournament Feb. 8-9.