ASAA 1A Sr. Girls Tournament Gold and Silver Coaches corner

Toni Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice

The Ryley Rebels defeated the Livingstone Sabres to win the 2012 ASAA 1A Provincial Basketball Tournament on Saturday evening, March 17.

Click here to read the full tournament story.

Ryley Rebels Coach
Brent Anderson
T. Lucas photo

Ryley Rebels Head Coach Brent Anderson has been coaching the Rebels for the last nine years.  He had great praise for Livingstone teen Cord Delinte, who acted as the host for the Ryley team.  "Cord was great to have on our bench. He was respectful and whatever the girls needed he got for them."

"We had a lot of tough tournaments scheduled this year," said Anderson.  We played a lot of 3A and 4A teams throughout the year.  A lot of those tournaments we were successful in.  It was perfect preparation to play a team like Lundbreck.  They have tremendous athletes like Emma Lowry.  It took everything we had to perform in front of the home crowd, and still be successful."

Cord Delinte and Brent Anderson
T. Lucas photo

"It's the end of the season for us," Anderson continued.  "We are graduating five players.  This is their fourth time at provincials.  These grade-twelves finished second in their grade 9 year, finished fourth in their grade ten year, finished second last year, and won gold this year.  A great way to cap off their (grade 12s) career, and I couldn't be happier for them.  Two of the them are moving on to colleges next year, one is going to MacEwan, and one is going to Olds, and we wish them the best."

Anderson continued to be effusive in his praise of the Sabres.  "Lundbreck is a fantastic team.  We were able to get a lead, and they came storming back.  They never gave up.  Jennifer Erickson shot the lights out of the ball, and Emma is Emma.  She is one of the best in the province at this level, or at any level. To beat a team with Emma Lowry and Jennifer Erickson, and their point guard (Sheanna Schamber) is testament to a great team and I couldn't be happier for my girls, for the program, and for our town."

The Ryley Rebels:  2012 ASAA 1A Girls Provincial Champions
T. Lucas photo

"We had a 14 point lead, and it is late in the fourth quarter.  We know they would put on pressure.  We didn't react to it very well.  They changed and made an adjustment to a type of zone we hadn't seen yet today.  That gave us troubles for a while.  We were lucky enough to score a couple of points later on that held up for the lead.  They never gave up.  That happens in a Championship game, that a team never goes away and you have to maintain your work."

Ryley Coach Brent Anderson collects a souvenir
C. Davis photo

"It has been four years that I've coached them, I have coached them in club, I have coached them on this team and I have never been around a better group of girls.  I am very proud of them," Anderson concluded.

"This close..."
Sabres Head Coach
Paul  Erickson
T. Lucas photo

Livingstone Sabres head coach Paul Erickson was very proud of his team.  "I have to say this is the favorite group of girls that I have coached," he said.  "Some of those girls I have coached for six or seven years.  Best group of girls that I have ever had.  They worked had this year, and they improved a lot. They have worked hard, and they worked hard this game," he continued.   "The other team was a better team today.  They shot the ball so well.  We  made our run at them and they dug down and wanted it bad.  That close, two points.  No complaints, because they stepped up their game, all the way around."

"We were over 10 points down at one point I believe we were 12 or 14.  We threw a press on, and we started to push them back.  If I could do anything over again, I would be throwing that press on earlier, as it did work fairly well."

Sabres fans Matthew Erickson 
and Josee Wiebe
T. Lucas photo

"We changed up our defense.  We went man-to-man, then we went to zone, then we went back to man-to-man, but we were pressed.   We were trying to change it up to make them adjust, and they did.  They are a well coached team and those girls executed very well."

Erickson has been coaching the Sabres since 2005, and coached the boys team before that. "I start over with the boys now," he said.

Erickson spoke briefly about the future of the team. "We lose three girls, very valuable girls this year.  We have some good grade-elevens coming up."

"Emma is going on to a college," he continued. "I don't know which one, a lot of colleges are looking at her.  You never know with some of the other girls out here.  We had some good games out here, and there were college coaches in the stands."

Sabres fans in the house
C. Davis photo

Click here to read the full tournament story.