Staff
Head coach Gord McCabe called it a “dream season.”
After going 8-0 in regular-season play, and compiling a 17-1 record overall, the Muskie junior girls’ basketball team added NorWOSSA gold to its haul with a 51-26 romp over the host Kenora Broncos in the league final last Tuesday.
“The one game we lost was to St. Ignatius from Thunder Bay, and this is one time I really wish there was NWOSSAA for juniors as I think we would all like another crack at them,” McCabe noted in an e-mailed response to the Times late last week.
“This is, without a doubt, the best junior girls’ team I have coached,” he lauded.
McCabe noted the 2015 team, which also went unbeaten in NorWOSSA, would have been very close if you compared the top six or seven players.
“But what set this team apart was the depth,” he said.
McCabe added he was most proud of the way his players conducted themselves both on and off the court.
“There was very little of the silliness during practice that is often an issue with junior girls,” he recalled.
“They knew they wanted to get better and they were there to work hard, and never complained and rarely lost focus.
“They [also] were fabulous ambassadors for our school,” he added. “When we were winning, we kept our celebrations low-key.
“Even in our one loss, they was no sign of sulking or poor sportsmanship,” McCabe stressed.
“We recognized we had been beaten by a team that was a little better than us on that day.”
McCabe noted he’s been coaching for a lot of years and always says he will quit when it is no longer fun.
“This group of girls, along with Coach [Angela] Petsnick and Coach [Alyssa] Faragher, made this season a whole lot of fun,” he enthused.
As for last Tuesday’s final against Kenora, McCabe said he could not have been happier with the way the team played.
“We scored the first 12 points of the game and were up 15-4 after the first quarter,” he recalled.
“And if not for some early nerves, which saw us miss a few close-in opportunities, the margin would have been greater.”
McCabe said the team had worked in practice to use its depth and pressure the ball each time their opponent was trying to advance it up the court.
“It was not really a press but sustained pressure, with the plan being that we would either, one, create a lot of turnovers early or, two, wear their guards down, which we felt would pay dividends as the game went on,” he explained.
The Muskies continued to pressure to start the second quarter and led 23-4 when they went to a straight man-to-man defence, settling for a 29-10 lead at halftime.
“Knowing the game was well in hand, our defensive intensity was not as good in the second half but that was understandable,” McCabe reasoned.
“I think the key to our success in this game was the same as it has been all year: our depth,” he reiterated.
“No matter who went in, I knew they could do the job and I think because of that, everyone felt part of the team.
“I think the real turning point happened before the game started,” McCabe added. “It was our readiness to play.
“We have been guilty of slow starts a few times this season,” he admitted.
“But honestly, after the first 30 seconds, even though the score was still 0-0, I knew we were going to win just by the way the girls were moving their feet on the court.”
Grace Petsnick led the way with 10 points while Joanna Empey had eight and Jamie Spencer seven.
“But I think the most telling stat was the fact that 11 players scored at least two points,” McCabe said.
Looking to next season, McCabe noted more than half the team will be gone.
“Grace [Petsnick], Rachel [Anderson], Carmen [Hebert], Simone [Payne], Jacy [Gagne], Bella [Ward], Angie [Redford], and Jamie [Spencer] all move up to senior,” he said.
“Ingrid Ellis was in Grade 9, but she is from Australia and will be returning there before next season,” he added.
Despite losing so many players, McCabe thinks the Muskie junior girls’ basketball program is in great shape.
“Regardless of whether it is me coaching next year or someone else, they have a great nucleus to build around,” he stressed, noting Joanna Empey, Aurora Hutton, Keisha Debungie, Lauren Penney, Kaylyn Levesque, and Becca Jourdain all will be returning.
“We played an all-Grade 9 lineup a few times this season and they acquitted themselves very well,” he said.
McCabe noted he’s not sure what the talent level is in Grade 8 this year but he will be taking a look when the local elementary basketball season starts.
“A lot of the credit for our success has to go to the [Rainy River District Athletic Association] and the coaches at the elementary schools,” he lauded.
“The fact that our kids are playing organized basketball in Grade 7 and 8 is a huge help to the high school program, and hopefully the fledgling minor basketball club program that is currently running is continued.
“That is going to pay huge dividends.
“And while I definitely have a lot more yesterdays as a coach than I have tomorrows, I am really excited about the future of girls’ basketball at Fort High,” McCabe added.
“I’ve been involved in the girls’ basketball program off and on since the mid-1990s and it is probably healthier right now than I can ever remember.”
