The Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School Eagles junior boys basketball team is in the books.
The Eagles finished off their season on Friday, Jan. 31 and Saturday, Feb. 1 in Quesnel during the regional playoffs. Head coach Willy Hollet said his teams won two games and lost two games, ultimately taking third place in the finals. It is a result he is proud of.
"This weekend it was great to see that the boys played their best games of the whole season in the last two games against Lake City Secondary School and Correlieu Secondary School," Hollett said. “Our final game of the season was truly a culmination of everything we have been working on with intense team defence accompanied by mindful offence and 'heart and grit contributions' from every single player. A great win to end the season!"
Hollet said his team played over 20 games throughout the season this year travelling to communities like Barriere, Williams Lake, Ashcroft, Merrit and Quesnel to compete against different teams. He noted that the boys, from Grade 8 to 10, had a wonderful season and worked hard to develop their skills individually and as a team.
“Regardless of how we were playing or feeling or how tired we might have been from one day to the next, I was most proud of the boys for their consistently hard-working and classy behaviour on and off the court and their resulting reputation among their fellow student-athletes and coaches," Hollet said. "It was my honour to coach the efforts of these young men”.
During the finals, Hollet said their first game Friday was against Columneetza Secondary School from Williams Lake. He noted it was a good game that was neck and neck right to the end, though his team did lose by seven points. The Eagles followed up this loss with a victory over Sir Alexander Mackenzie Secondary School from Bella Coola, though he said he doesn't remember the final score.
On Saturday, the Eagles faced off against the Lake City Secondary School Falcons who went on to win regionals. He remarked PSO played a great game but ultimately came up short, losing 49-38. His boys were able to end on a victory, however, against Quesnel's Correlieu Secondary School.
"We won by playing our best game of the year, applying full-court defensive pressure effectively in the first quarter and throughout the game. (We maintained) good offensive pressure, choosing good scoring opportunities and successfully and consistently putting balls in hoops," Hollet said.
While all his players contributed to this success he noted a few players stood out including Nick Kachmar for his defensive prowess, James Silvey and Gauge Bishop for their tough post play, Jonathan Ladd for his excellent rebounding and quick buckets, Ashton Martel for his consistent and determined push to move the ball quickly up the court and Blaine Bracey for his stamina, scoring capabilities and leadership on the court.
With their season now wrapped up, Hollet and his team would like to thank all the teacher sponsors, community volunteers and business sponsors who made this season possible. Hollet noted they all played a part in promoting the development of his team as athletes, community members and leaders.
