From Coach Ozcan:
The Chestermere Lakers senior boys basketball team traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii between December 26th and January 5th to compete in the Merv Lopes Holiday Classic, do many team building activities and take in the culture and history of the Aloha state. The goal of the trip was to return a better team than prior to leaving on the trip. The tournament games were eye opening as the different style of game, as a result of rule modifications in Hawaii’s high school system, gave the Lakers a great deal trouble with the Hawaiian teams. In the first game on December 28th, the Lakers matched up against the home team from St. Francis high school. St. Francis jumped out to an early lead and the Lakers never recovered, losing 72-48. The second game saw the Lakers play a smaller but quicker team in Kailua. The Lakers held off Kailua’s late surge to win 57-52. The third game saw the Lakers play the biggest team they have to date. The Stafford Govs boasted 4 players who had the body of NCAA offensive lineman and several very quick guards. The Govs won the game 70-51. The final game saw the Lakers play their best basketball. The match up was against Hawaii’s number one ranked team, the King Kamehameha Warriors Division 1 team. The game was a see-saw battle with the biggest lead of the game for either team coming right at the end for Kamehameha as they beat the Lakers 69-62. The major rule change was that there was no shot clock during these games so if the Lakers wanted the basketball, they had to play an aggressive and attacking style of defense. This aspect of the tournament alone has significantly benefited the team for league play.
On January 1st, the Lakers celebrated New Year’s Day at the beautiful wedding of Steve Kendall and Marlene Hendry (Chris Hendry’s mom). The wedding was on one of Oahu’s gorgeous beaches and the entire team was a part of a truly magical moment for the couple. The couple partook in several traditional Hawaiian ceremonies during the wedding.
The Lakers also had the opportunity to take in the culture and history of Hawaii. The team headed to the Polynesian Cultural Centre on January 2nd where they had the opportunity to learn about the traditional food, dance, dress, and customs of Pacific nations that included Tonga, Tahiti, Samoa, Hawaii, New Zealand (Maori), and Fiji. The players tried their hand at spear throwing, coconut tree climbing, the Hula dance, and canoeing. The evening ended with the incredible, “Breath of Life” show that included fire walking and fire dancing.
The Lakers toured Pearl Harbor on January 3rd. The trip was an opportunity to see the hallowed grounds that are still the tombs of many of the navy members who gave their lives on December 7th, 1941, which subsequently led to the entry of the United States into World War Two. The team took the ferry ride to see the sunken USS Arizona which took 1102 men with her as she sank.
The Lakers also mixed in watching a University of Hawaii men’s basketball game, outdoor basketball practices and fitness training sessions, along with a 45 minute jog to Diamond Head volcano (which boasted the best views of Waikiki) to round out the trip. Overall, the team learned dozens of lessons on and off the court, became closer as a team, and got some relaxation time on one of the nicest beaches in the world.
This week the team returns to league action hosting Bert Church, on Thursday, at 7:45.
JV GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
The Junior Varsity Girls basketball team kicked off the New Year with another tournament championship on the weekend. They traveled to Didsbury on Friday night to take on a young but energetic squad from Cold Lake in their first game. Both teams struggled early as they were undoubtedly trying to shake off the holiday rust. The Lady Lakers came on in the second quarter and built up a 30-12 half time lead. Every player stepped up in the second half as the team rolled to a 54-25 victory. Saturday morning meant an early wake-up call and a game versus the Lakers from Sylvan Lake. The girls from Chestermere came prepared to play and worked hard the entire game. Makayla Boisjoli and Laura Costello led the team in scoring on the way to a convincing 75-39 win. It proved to be a tough final against the Didsbury Dragons. Both teams started strong defensively and were able to limit the high-powered offenses from scoring. The Lady Lakers led 13-4 after the first quarter. The host team battled hard but struggled to score against the tough Chestermere defense. Once again, every player had a huge contribution in the second half. Led by the scoring of Kendall Armstrong, the Lady Lakers went on to claim their fourth tournament title of the season and remain undefeated with a 16-0 record. The Lady Lakers have a busy week of basketball ahead as they take on the always-tough Bert Church Chargers on Wednesday night before hosting their own tournament on the weekend. The girls play two games on Friday and two games on Saturday.
VARSITY GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
The Varsity Girls’ team practised during the holidays and have a big week. On Thursday we host the Bert Church Chargers, at 6:00, and on the weekend we will travel to play in the Bearspaw Christian Tournament. This is the first time the Lady Lakers have ever been in this tournament.
JV BOYS’ BASKETBALL
The Chestermere JV Lakers played their first games of the 2012 year, with a mini-tournamnet against Rosemary and George McDougall on January 6th. The Lakers started out strong in the first game with Rosemary never giving up the lead. The final score was an 82 -33 win. The Lakers were led by Charnjot Gill with 18 points ,7 assists 7 rebounds and 6 steals. Colby Georgsen added a double double in the effort racking up 10 points and 11 assists. Bailey Grabmuller and Jag Gill also added a solid 10 points and 12 rebounds each. In the next game against George McDougall the scoring came from everywhere on the floor. It was a close overtime win for the Lakers. Final score was a 79-76. Scoring leaders were Charnjot Gill with 18 , Bailey Grabmuller with 11, Jag Gill with 9 and Garry Gill with 7. Rebounding was lead by Seth Dickin with 12 rebounds followed by Mantaj Malkana and Bailey Grabmuller with 8 apiece. Next up for the Lakers is a home league game on Wednesday Jan 11 at 7:45pm against the Chargers of Bert Church. They also play in High River in the Highwood tournament January 13th and 14th
