Fighting through high winds and icy roads, fans piled into the Cochrane High School gym, self-styled as the ‘Cobradome’, to watch the first place W.H. Croxford Cavaliers Senior Boys basketball team take on the Cochrane Cobras on Tuesday evening.
Sitting comfortably in first place with an undefeated record, the Cavaliers exchanged fast breaks with the rival Cobras, who amounted to the most significant challenger the Cavaliers have faced so far this season.
In four games this season the Cavaliers have finished with double digit leads over Springbank, Chestermere, Bert Church, and Bow Valley–scoring an average of 87 points a game. Yet, right up until the start of the second half on January 16, the Cavaliers were set to potentially lose their first game of the season.
Trailing 41-33 after two frames, the Cavaliers appeared out of sorts, and not at all like the team box scores show them to be. Cavaliers head coach Brett Payne stalked the sidelines all game and orchestrated offensive and defensive alignments from his spot on the hardwood, while another coach said, “You gotta want it!”, in reference to the Cavaliers turnovers.
As soon as the second half started, the Cavaliers looked like a completely different team. A strong and physical defense forced the Cobras to turnover the ball without adding to their point total, and key foul calls for the Cavaliers allowed them to claw their way back up 62-57 going into the final quarter.
The Cobra fans could feel it; the momentum had completely swung out of the home team’s favour. Chants of “D-fence” intensified in volume and intervals as the Cavaliers racked up bank shot after bank shot.
Throughout most of the game both teams had made it a custom to spread the ball around. Players rotated off the bench, and no one individual took command of the scoring. That was until the fourth quarter, when Benson Thomas became the star of the show.
He made blocks at one end and started the transition with a lob or quick pass, then bolted up the court to receive the ball at the hoop for what seemed to be a guaranteed two points.
To finish the game, Thomas pounced up the court with the ball in hand and landed the game’s only dunk as the Cavaliers closed out the Cobras 85-74 to continue their perfect season.
When asked what made the difference between the first and second halves, Payne said, “I think [the team] just woke up and decided to play basketball…I don’t know what happened in the first quarter but they came out much stronger in the second half.”
“Benson is definitely a leader on the court for us,” said Payne after the game. “He brings a lot of leadership to the court for us.”
The Cavaliers next game will also be their final regular season contest. They will take on George McDougall at the W.H. Croxford gym on February 13.
