Getting things off on the right track was important for the veteran senior boys basketball team at St. Augustine School.
The Kings, whose roster includes just one new athlete, played host to St. Dominic from Rocky Mountain House on Dec. 4 and posted a 76-52 victory.
Head coach Adam Bowie expected nothing less than a good start.
“The boys did a great job of picking up where we left off last season,” he said.
“We implemented a new half-court defense, which they had trouble getting into, but that will come with time. The boys moved the ball very well and with scoring 76 points, offence is not a major teaching concern at this point.”
Bowie added that while giving up 52 might seem like a lot, he felt it was a good showing.
“I focus quite a bit on defense in our practices. We do need to work on communication on defense and get louder on the floor,” he stated.
“Our team has always been quiet in that regard. Overall though, I’m happy with the start, but by no means satisfied. We have a long way to go.”
Will take some time
As for the Queens senior girls club, they fell to St. Dominic 47-26.
However, head coach Samantha Mclay felt pretty good about the performance of a team that is really learning the game.
“The girls did well and had the difference down to 10 until near the end of the game,” she said.
“We’ve only had a few practices, spending lots of time on passing and it’s something we will continue to work on. Going forward, we will also be focusing on improving our endurance, cardio and boxing out.”
Free throws — Both clubs were off at tournaments this past weekend, the boys in Pigeon Lake and the girls in Forestburg (results unavailable at press time). The two teams will next be at the Central Alberta Catholic High tournament in Lacombe this coming weekend, before they conclude play prior to the holiday break with a league match in Innisfail Dec. 20. The next home date will be Jan. 17 when they host Nipisihkopahk from Maskwacis.
