Bow Valley High School’s senior varsity girls basketball team is eying league, zones and possibly a provincial banner as the team continues to roll over the competition.
The Bobcats kicked off the new year with a 61-33 win over Airdrie’s George MacDougall High School last week and a win over Cochrane High School last night to extend their record to 16-2. They also stormed their way through the Olds Spartan Classic
Tournament capping the tournament off with a gold medal 45-27 win over the host school in the finals.
Coach Kris Nielson says he is impressed with the way his team, which finished last in the league last year, has pulled together to craft a winning season.
When asked what he thought contributed to the phenomenal shift in results, Nielson pointed to things, commitment and athleticism.
“I’ve never seen a shift so significant,” said the coach of 24 years.
The team, which is comprised of six returning seniors and four from last years junior varsity zone championship team, has a lot of depth, which Nielson says makes them tough to defend against.
There is no particular player that stands out, we have a different leading scorer almost every game and a different top defender,” said Nielson.
While it seems almost storybook-style ambition, Nielson said the team has lofty goals this year, including taking the league championship and winning zones before heading off to compete at provincials, something the Bobcat’s Sr. Girls have never done. Nielson coached the Bobcats’ junior team to a zone championship last season.
“Provincials is a different ball game. It’s something that could impact the kids down the road,” said Nielson, adding that level of play is essential to elevating a team’s level of play.
Natasha Boisvenue, a 16-year-old post player, and one of the players from the zone-winning junior team, said her team is hungry this year and wants to add a few senior girls banners to the school’s gymnasium.
“We bring that energy team now and that influences the other girls,” Boisvenue said, adding a lot of the team’s success can be attributed to player chemistry, off the court they do a lot of team bonding.
“That’s extremely important,” she said. “It makes us more cohesive and makes us appreciate each other more.”
Boisvenue said hard work and dedication will be what continues to win the team games, adding that work ethic will be essential if they want to hit their ultimate goal of a provincial banner.
