It has been more than 30 years since the Estevan Comprehensive School has found itself on the winning end of the McLeod Series, but this year’s senior boys basketball team is hoping that drought will come to an end.
Heading into the 80th year of the contest, which pits the senior boys and girls basketball teams from the comprehensive schools in Estevan and Weyburn against one another in a head-to-head, home-and-home, total-points series, Weyburn boasts a 42-37 record thanks to the three-decades-spanning winning streak.
The boys want to do their part when the series starts in Weyburn Feb. 4, and when it comes to playing against the Weyburn Eagles, they have some momentum in their corner. To start the basketball season, the Elecs first two games against the Eagles saw them fall by 20 and 16 points, respectively.
Since then, the Elecs won the last two meetings by the same point margin.
Head coach Shane Ross said the team was shortstaffed during those first two games against the Eagles, and he’s hopeful it’s the latter result that will be seen during the McLeod Series.
“The big thing is taking it to another level or seriousness,” said Ross, who noted maintaining focus throughout the 40-minute games will be vital.
Like the senior girls, the boys are a young team. They only have two Grade 12 students on the team. The head coach doesn’t want that used as an excuse. He said he doesn’t want to hear players talking about being better in two years and winning then. He wants to see the team rise to the opportunity this year.
“These guys have played a lot of basketball, so they're all talking about how good they’re going to be in two years. That’s fine, but I’ve been trying to sway them to see how good we can be right now. Let’s focus on right now,” said Ross.
Focusing on right now can be difficult for young players caught up in the midst of a 30-year drought with just one or two chances to be the team that stops it. But assistant coach Dustin Wilson, who himself played and lost in the McLeod Series when he attended ECS, said the team can be loose.
“They’re embracing it, and they’ve really got nothing to lose,” he said. “Other teams went through and didn’t make it happen. They understand the opportunity that’s in front of them.”
“There are always those myths and rumours about how big it is. It’s going to be easy to get them up for this game,” said Ross, who noted many have had older brothers or sisters, even parents play in the series.
Wilson began coaching junior teams at ECS five years ago, and as someone who grew up in the tradition, impressed upon the players at that time that winning the McLeod Series is a noble goal.
“I’ve been talking about the McLeod Series since a lot of these kids were in Grade 9. They know the goal we’ve put forward,” he said.
The coaches said in the previous match ups against Weyburn, the intensity level has picked up. They expect nothing less during tip off next Wednesday.
