Lucas Punkari
Despite a disappointing and quick two-loss exit from the OFSAA ‘AA’ boys’ basketball championships in St. Catharines last week, Muskie head coach Bryce Coyle felt a lot of lessons were learned during Fort High’s first trip to the all-Ontarios since 2001.
“The experience of going down there was a good one, for sure,” he remarked.
“We have a young team for the most part, with three of our regular starters and a couple of our key bench guys coming back next year,” he noted.
“So for those guys to gain the experience of playing in an event like OFSAA, and to see what the really good teams are doing, is something that will help them in the long run.
“We talked about that when we were down there, and hopefully the guys noticed those things and will make the improvements in their game next year to improve upon that,” Coyle added.
But it wasn’t just the players who learned a few things at OFSAA. Coyle, too, gained some valuable knowledge along the way.
“Just seeing the different things that the teams do down there into how they approach the game was pretty neat to see,” said Coyle, who just completed his first year as head coach of the senior Muskies.
“There’s a few things that I saw down there in how the teams are managed that I’m hoping to implement for next season, as we are looking to continue to improve on our program here.”
Seeded 18th in the 18-team field, the Muskies opened action last Monday against eventual bronze medal-winning St. Francis Phoenix (St. Catharines), who used home court to their advantage in a 69-30 win.
“It was a tough environment to go into for our first game,” Coyle recalled.
“They were a skilled team right across the board, and they were also a hard-working team that took it to us right from the start of the game.
“We worked our butts off to stay right in it, but we missed a few of our shots,” he added. “And we also made a few turnovers as a result of a defence that would really pressure you into making those mistakes.
“In the end, they were just a better team than us,” said Coyle. “When you have that combination of a hard work ethic and great skills, you are a very tough team to beat.”
The Muskies then faced the Bishop Morocco Royals (Toronto) on Monday night and found themselves on the short end of a 71-39 final, which eliminated the black-and-gold from further contention.
“Even though they [Bishop Morocco] did go on to finish in fourth, I felt going in that this was a winnable game for us,” said Coyle.
“And the fact that we didn’t play anywhere close to the way that we know that we can play at was very disappointing for me.
“We just could not make a shot early on, and we got down early as a result of that,” he recalled.
“And we were also giving too many easy baskets and allowing a ton of fast breaks, which is something that we don’t normally do.
“As cliché as it sounds, it is what it is, and the guys will all have to live with that one,” Coyle added.
The provincial crown ended up going to the fifth-ranked Vaughn Road Vipers (Toronto), who defeated the fourth-seeded ACMT Jaguars (Hamilton) 73-58 in the final.
With only four players graduating from this year’s NWOSSAA champion squad, and a number of newcomers set to move up from the NorWOSSA-winning junior team, Coyle feels the stage is set for the Muskies to be a dominant program for years to come.
“Now that we have got a taste of going to OFSAA, the bar has been set pretty high and the big thing for us is to make sure that we keep pushing forward as a program,” he stressed.
“I’m hoping to have a meeting soon with the returning players and those in the junior program that are looking to try and make the team, and talk about what they can all improve on in their games during the off-season, along with making a commitment to hitting the weight room.
“Some of the schools that were down at OFSAA have been there for the last seven-10 years, and I don’t see why that’s not possible for us to accomplish,” Coyle added “And that’s something I would like to do.”
