The W.H. Croxford Cavaliers senior girls' basketball team achieved the three-peat on March 4, winning their third consecutive Rocky View Sports Association (RVSA) banner by beating the George McDougall Mustangs 63-47 in the division's championship game in Chestermere.
Dianne Hilko, the head coach of the Cavaliers, said the girls were “very excited” to win another banner for the school's gymnasium. The achievement means Croxford's senior girls' basketball team has won the divisional championship every year since 2020, and the dynasty shows no signs of slowing down.
“They came in probably the best prepared individually I’d seen all year, so they were very ready for the challenge – I’m very proud of them,” the second-year head coach of the Cavaliers said.
“It was a hard-fought game. George Mac worked extremely hard. I just think our defence stymied them a bit when we took over. I think it was a really good final, very competitive. The stakes were high, and it was a great game.”
The banner victory over their west Airdrie rivals continues what has been a stellar season for the Cavaliers senior girls' team. According to Hilko, the team's overall record in 2022-23 (including RVSA games and tournaments) is currently 23-4.
Dominating the RVSA, the Cavaliers finished unbeaten with a 6-0 record during the regular season, outscoring their opponents 400-199. Once the playoffs were underway, Croxford won their semi-final 49-38 over the second-seed Bow Valley Bobcats to book their spot in Saturday's championship game.
Away from their regular season, Croxford has competed in six tournaments this season, and Hilko noted the squad has made the podium in all of them, securing two gold medals, three silvers, and a bronze.
“The girls are very committed, they work hard, and they bought in,” Hilko said. “It’s been a wonderful experience.”
Now that the RVSA season is over, Hilko said the Cavaliers' focus will be on their upcoming 4A South Central Zones tournament, the winner of which will qualify for the subsequent Alberta Schools Athletic Association (ASAA) provincial championships later this month. She said Croxford will play the winner of this week's zones battle between the Bert Church Chargers and the Okotoks-based Holy Trinity Academy Knights.
Other RVSA results
Also on Saturday, the host Chestermere Lakers beat the Bow Valley Bobcats 74-66 in the senior boys' championship game.
It was a fitting final, as Bow Valley and Chestermere finished the regular season in first and second place, respectively, with an equal wins-losses record.
Nonetheless, Bow Valley head coach Kris Neilson said it was a disappointing result to fall in the championship game, adding a victory would have marked the Bobcats' first RVSA banner in senior boys' basketball.
“It was really disappointing to work so hard and then have a flat game in the finals with so many things going wrong,” he said, adding the Bobcats were hampered by injuries and foul trouble during the game.
“I thought Chestermere played their ‘A’ game. I thought they brought everything they had, and we didn’t. We came in with some key guys not able to play, and that really hurt us. We got into some foul trouble that we really couldn’t bounce back from. Some of our guys weren’t able to play that much of the game, who were super important for us.”
As for the junior varsity divisions, the Springbank Phoenix won the JV girls' title on March 4, beating the Cavaliers 90-32. In the JV boys' championship game, the Cavaliers replicated the senior girls' accomplishment, beating the Mustangs 70-62 to secure the RVSA banner.
Kodiaks begin post-season
As for Airdrie's Catholic high school, the St. Martin de Porres Kodiaks' senior boys' and girls' basketball teams are kicking off their playoff runs in the Calgary Senior High School Athletics Association (CSHSAA) this week.
After finishing the regular season with a 7-3 record in Division 3, the senior boys' Kodiaks are hosting the Lord Beaverbrook Lords on March 7 in the quartefinals, with jump-ball at 5:30 p.m.
The same day, St. Martin de Porres' senior girls team (who finished the regular season with a 3-7 record) will travel to Calgary to face the Central Memorial Rams.
For more info on the Kodiaks, visit calgaryhighschoolsports.ca
