In a three game series where each team won a game by 20 points game three was sure to be interesting. For the Ponoka senior boys basketball team on offence nothing seemed to go well for the well-oiled machine led by coach Blaine Haines, however, their defence continued to be strong and carry the team.
The Broncs faced the Wetaskiwin Sabres in a three game series losing 2-1. The series started out in Wetaskiwin on March 3, where the Broncs were handed a devastating loss 70-47. On March 7 there were two different teams as the Broncs put on an offensive clinic winning 74-55 in front of a loud and proud Broncs crowd.
However, during the deciding game the Broncs were all over the Sabres on defence but at the other end of the court the baskets were not there and lost 47-43.
“When you play so hard and you hold a team under 50 points most nights if you do that you will win, especially in high school basketball,” said Haines. “There was a lid on that hoop for us tonight, but I am proud of them, it was a great year, a great journey together and great kids, I told them to hold their heads up high.”
Although the team worked the perimeter and continued to drive hard to the basket, they couldn’t connect on some easy opportunities to pull ahead in the fourth quarter.
“Foul shots probably would have won us the game. They have shot really well from the line at times this year, but again it was just one of those nights, I don’t know why we couldn’t put the ball in anywhere. I don’t even know if we could have put lay-ups in, it was just a rough night for us offensively,” said Haines.
Wetaskiwin head coach Rob Cross knew that going into the third game would be tough and challenged his players to step up.
“Both teams kept fighting. It’s great when it is close and tied at half and really close in the third quarter and the guys know that every possession matters. It could have gone either way,” said Cross. “We have turned the corner at the end of the year and have been up and down over the year. Sometimes we have looked like a good team and other times we have looked a little shaky.”
Haines thought that the last few weeks of the season the team has had its ups and downs as well and compared them to Dr.Jekyl and Mr.Hyde.
“I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. I knew they would come to play and they did they played their hearts out for us. I’m really proud of them, my heart goes out to my seniors it’s a tough way to end your career,” he said.
For the seniors on the team, Eric Dortman who led the team with 15 points, Mike Hatala, 10, Bryan Riske and Quinton Wilkinson it was a very emotional night.
“It was a tough series overall. Game one they showed us something that they didn’t show us at the start of the year. We didn’t come to play and we had too many turnovers,” said Hatala. It’s hard, we had a good coach who always pushed us, it sucks we had to lose this way to a team we could have beat. We couldn’t hit any shots. I do give them credit they played good defence. It just didn’t come out the way we wanted it to.”
For Haines he thinks the seniors are what make the program and encourages them in their future endeavors.
“We’d like to thank them for their dedication and commitment to our program ... and wish them nothing but great things in their futures ... for they will always be Broncs at heart.”