Joey Payeur
In the numerical world of the Muskie senior girls’ basketball team, 20 equals three.
Riding a 19-game league winning streak that stretches back to the 2012 playoffs, the black-and-gold will chalk up their third-straight NorWOSSA crown if they can make it an even 20 victories in a row Friday in Kenora.
Fort High (8-0) put the finishing touches on another spotless regular season by beating the Kenora Broncos 45-30 in their regular-season finale here last Thursday.
Sierra Cousineau had nine points to lead the Muskies while Cassandra Moffitt and Claire Hyatt each added eight.
“I’m not so much happy for myself as for the girls,” said co-coach Dan Bird, who has been at the helm through the two seasons of excellence.
“It’s proof that when you put in the work, you get rewarded.
“I’m especially happy for the seniors, who are playing their final games, and for [co-coach] Mike Krueger, as well,” he added.
Grade 11 guard Maggie Jean was fully aware of what was at stake when she moved up from the junior ranks this season.
“There was a lot of pressure to keep up the streak and I think we did a good job to keep it up,” said the quick-footed point guard.
The Muskies will await the winner of the semi-final showdown earlier Friday between Kenora and the Dryden Eagles.
But with the final not scheduled until 6 p.m., and with the intention of not spending long hours sitting around the Beaver Brae gym, travel plans have been adjusted accordingly.
“We’re not leaving from here early this year,” noted Bird.
Rather, the plan is for the senior hoopsters and the senior boys’ volleyball team, which also earned a bye to the final by virtue of its first-place finish, to leave Fort High by bus at 12:30 p.m.
Both Muskie junior squads will pull out at 6:30 a.m. to make it in time for their semi-finals matches that morning.
“I think that will make a big difference for us,” Bird said.
Meanwhile, Cousineau, who has stepped up offensively as the team’s starting shooting guard in recent weeks to provide some crucial baskets from the perimeter, won’t hesitate to holster her weapon in order to set up better scoring opportunities down low.
“We want to work the ball around as much as possible because usually we can get the ball in closer,” said Cousineau, one of five Grade 12 players on the team along with Kiera Kowalski, Hannah McLeod, Abbi Perreault, and Moffitt.
“We have the height advantage over everyone else so we might as well use it,” she reasoned.
“We’re better on the inside as a team and when the forwards play like they can down low, they’re pretty tough to stop,” agreed Bird.
“We’ve got people like Hannah down there and Kiera, who has been one of our most improved players in the second half of the season,” he added.
Defence was the catch word being bandied about by all those discussing the main ingredient in once again defending their title and moving on to play at NWOSSAA against the Thunder Bay champs.
“Our defensive speed and pressure defence has improved the most throughout the season,” lauded Bird.
“We’ve got some individuals who come as close as you can come to shutting down the top players in our league.”
“If we get really good ‘D,’ our offence comes really natural for us,” echoed Cousineau.
Unlike the graduating veterans, Jean hasn’t had a taste of the NWOSSAA experience yet—but dearly would love to.
“It’s more exciting than when we won as juniors last year because we didn’t get to go anywhere after we won,” Jean noted.
“At this level, we do.”
