Hawks fly to victory

Posted on: Staff Writer

Aryssah Stankevitsch     
Times Reporter   
 
The Holy Cross Collegiate (HCC) Hawks boys had their first junior varsity basketball game against Foothills Composite High School on Dec. 10, and were defeated 80-35. 
On Jan. 9, the Hawks were the ones punishing, as they defeated Notre Dame Collegiate 79-39 during their first home game of the season.
“It was a good game. A lot of the things that we set out to do, we did fairly well,” HCC coach Tony Irving said. “I thought they pushed the ball very well. They were getting the ball fast enough down the court so the other team hadn’t properly set up defense, which is where you draw more fouls, but it’s also where you create more two-on-ones and three-on-twos.”
HCC dominated defensive rebounds, which eventually led to many offensive rushes during the matchup against Notre Dame. This, and fouls, will be the key points for the Hawks’ upcoming tournament in Canmore from Jan. 11-12.
“This game was a big tune-up for our tournament in Canmore on the weekend,” Irving said. “One of our big concerns is really going at individual players who have strength on the other team and getting them into a little bit of foul trouble – that’s going to be one of our goals every game.”
Irving and the Hawks will get a closer look in Canmore at some squads that they may face later in the season once again.
“Some of these teams (this weekend) may be teams in our league,” Irving said. “You’re not very far into a game when you see who their best players are. The objective offensively should be always get their best players in trouble.”
The HCC boys’ team was under the varsity category last year; however, most players graduated this past June.
“We have a fairly young team. I have three Grade 11’s and eight Grade 10’s,” Irving said. “We do have three people that played on our varsity team last year, who provide a lot of leadership. I’m a real systems and mechanics coach, so we have a long way to go.”
In their second game of the school year, the Hawks defeated Oilfields High School 74-68 on Dec. 17; with this second win in a row, the Hawks hope to have their streak continue into their next game at home against Strathcona Tweedsmuir on Jan. 30.