The Cochrane High School Cobras varsity boys basketball team came up a couple of shots short of taking it all at the Alberta Schools Athletic Association 3A provincial hoops championship in Spruce Grove over the weekend.
After defeating Fort McMurray Composite 74-57 and WR Myers 72-57 to get to the final, the Cobras were edged 73-65 by Edmonton Christian in the March 16 gold-medal game.
“The competition was excellent,” Cobras varsity boys basketball head coach Kris Nielson said of provincials. “The whole year was excellent as far as the competition goes.”
This season, the Cobras won the Rocky View Sports Association banner, the South Central Alberta Zone banner and four of six tournaments outside league play, claiming second in everything else, including provincials.
“Very pleased. It was a hard year, and a very rewarding year, though,” Nielson said. “Nothing worthwhile is easy, and that’s definitely the case here.”
Five seniors – Seth Milner, Murray Perrault, Corbin Courage, Jake Moulton and Nielson’s son, Chace – all graduate this season, leaving some large roster holes to fill.
“We’ve got some kids coming up from Grade 10,” coach Nielson said of players like Brock Wiebe, Zach Deagle, Tyson Warkentin and his younger son Jake leaving Jim Forrest’s JV boys squad to join the big club. “It’s hard to say at this stage what we’re going to have for next year.”
Regardless, the ink is hardly dry on this season. So coach Nielson can be forgiven if he’s going to take a day or two to bask in the Cobras varsity boys’ success in 2012-13.
