A dramatic final night of senior boys basketball left three teams tied for first place in Rocky View yesterday (February 14), including two Airdrie teams. Meanwhile, Airdrie junior teams struggled in their final games of the season.

Springbank Phoenix at George McDougall Mustangs

In the Mustang Corral, George McDougall's senior squad made quick work of the Springbank Phoenix, winning the game 84-51.

Head Coach Nathan Lee said the team got off to a slow start but quickly adjusted.

"Early in the game the boys didn’t quite have the intensity that we have seen before, but they rallied and were able to have moments of consistently working our system. We are stressing the importance of running our system and last night we spent a lot of time working in different players into new roles and testing them with how well they could execute."

The game also had a special moment at the end when Lee put Tyson into the game.

"Tyson has special needs and is a great member of our team. He was able to get the ball and score a three-point shot. It was great to see and the boys were all happy for him."

The win against the Phoenix left the Mustangs with a 4-1 record to end the season and a tie for first place with Bert Church and Cochrane. Using the Division's tiebreaking protocol, which looks at points for and against during the whole season, George McDougall wound up in second place, giving them a bye to the second round of the Rocky View Playoffs.

Meanwhile, it was a slightly worse night for the junior Mustangs, who fell 94-85 at home to the Phoenix. The loss meant the two teams swapped places in the standings, with George McDougall ending up in fifth place with a 3-3 record.

Cochrane Cobras at Bert Church Chargers

The senior Bert Church Chargers had home court advantage and the chance to spoil a perfect season for the Cochrane Cobras, and they delivered.

The Chargers managed a 74-68 win at home to serve the Cobras their first loss of the season. Head Coach Mike Sera was extremely pleased with the win, which he credited to contributions from his team on offence and defence.

"We were able to execute at both ends of the floor. Our half-court defence allowed us to get out and transition. We have to clean up our mental lapses that occur at times throughout the game. Those lapses allow the other teams to fight their way back into the game."

The win meant the Chargers finished the season with a 4-1 record, the same as Cochrane and George McDougall. The Chargers just missed out on a bye to the second round of the playoffs because their points for and against was worse than those other teams, meaning they finished third in Rocky View and will play in the playoff quarterfinals.

The junior Chargers were also at home last night but not as successful as the seniors. The top-ranked Cobras delivered a 72-35 loss to the Chargers, relinquishing them to sixth place with a 1-5 record.

 

Questions, comments or story ideas? Email us at news@discoverairdrie.com