This coach was sad to see Kildonan walk into our gym Monday afternoon with just five players. Kildonan had been hit hard by illness and were missing many key players. Our long anticipated meeting was not what either side wanted. I thought back to the two games we played last season. DDS lost both exciting games by just one basket. They were real high energy outings from start to finish and it was great to have both teams work so hard and play so well. That’s what this coach wanted and my heart went out to Kildonan. I hope we will be able to make up our weather cancelled, second meeting with Kildonan soon. I really want that same great matchup we had last season.
All our DDS Tigers scored with Ben Poholchuk and Jackson Ryan scoring their first varsity buckets. Great shot Ben and Jackson! Danielle Stamer led all scorers with 10 points and some fantastic defensive play, not to mention some great rebounds. Eighth grade guards Austin Christensen and Cooper Davis each scored 8 points and both got a significant amount of playing time. Their defense was excellent, causing many turnovers that we converted into scores. Matthew Stapylton added 7 points, Christian Ouellette scored 6 points, Griffin Wilson added 4 points, relinquishing much of his playing time to the rest of the team. He even gave up several shots to help everyone get in the scorebook. Adam Baker and Shriman Bala added a bucket a piece and also gave up playing time for their teammates. Hudson Kuras sat this game out with a broken finger. I know it was hard to keep this DDS captain on the bench. I hope he will be able to come back before the end of the season. We need his energy and leadership very much.
It was a great game for the team to work on their fast break coverage and rebound positioning. We also worked on our man-to-man defense in preparation for Rumsey on Thursday. While the final score was 51-16, it is in no way indicative of the talent of Kildonan. I told our kids to remember how it must feel to lose a game by so many points, especially when your key players are absent. Our DDS players handled themselves with great class as they congratulated Kildonan on their “never say never” attitude. This win brings the Tigers record to 6-1. Another big test is coming up on Thursday against Rumsey on their home court. DDS will be missing two key players, Hudson and Adam, but our remaining players learned a great lesson from the Kildonan players. Never give up and play your heart out. I salute Kildonan. They should be very proud of their efforts.
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