Toilers Triumph In Battle Of Young Squads
A third quarter bump helped bounce the Peacock Toilers past the Central Cyclones 63 - 51 in a rare Saturday afternoon matinee matchup.
The victory saw the Toilers claim the provincial 4A girls bronze medal.
Hands up by a Peacock Toilers defender as a Central Cyclones player breaks in for a shot on basket
For Peacock Toilers guard Mattaya Coupland was asked to comment on the type of year she and the Toilers had.
“It’s definitely been a physical year for me,” Coupland told MJ Independent when we asked if she was playing hockey or basketball this past season.
She is well known in the Moose Jaw city league for not being afraid to jump into melees fighting for the ball whether in the air or on the floor. Coupland is likely the most bruised Toiler for her style of play.
“I think as a team we started off (the season) kind of slow and in the end we came out with the heat and aggression. So it definitely was a good ending,” she said.
Looking over your shoulder as your opponents try to surround you
Asked about one of Peacock’s flaws this year - a young inexperienced team against older and much more experienced teams - Coupland said this year’s fears and phobias become next season’s strengths.
“It’s definitely playing the older girls but next year we are going to have more experience and good chemistry. It will be a very strong team next year.”
If all of Peacock’s players return for the 2024 - 2025 campaign there will be eight grade 12s on the roster. And only two players from this year‘s team graduate.
About the past week’s ups and downs as it was, decided whether to hold or not hold the full Hoopla three day tournament she said in someways she is disappointing, but nevertheless, happy to be able to at least have one final game.
“Obviously it’s not the outcome we wanted with the full Hoopla but this definitely a good thing that we got going on.”
About the team’s performance in Saturday afternoon’s game Coupland said she believed the team played very well.
Breaking wide and then towards a potential layup
“I feel amazing. I couldn’t be more proud of the team. I think we have grown a lot from day one to where we are,” Peacock Toilers head coach Brendan Fedoski said in the post game interview.
“I’m just incredibly proud of them. Yeah, they’ve come a long way.”
Asked about his younger who stepped up to make the victory happen Fedoski said he was proud of that.
“That’s the thing. Everyone stepped up. Everyone found the role on the team and I thought they just excelled at that role,” he said.
Every game, every practice, every day we always had somebody stepping up. And this game was reflective of that.”
For Fedoski getting to the provincial bronze medal final was a “one day at a time” effort.
About next season Fedoski said it is exciting with 10 out of the 12 players from this year set to be on the team for 2024 - 2025.
Central Cyclones Addison Simpson breaks between two Peacock Toilers defenders who are creating a roof to orient her from shooting
Asked how stressful the past week had been with the cancellation of the Hoopla tournament and the appearance for time there would be no games at all Fedoski said the issue was outside of the team’s hands.
“It was stressful, but we can only control what we can control. We weren’t the only team in the situation and it was just a continued conversation with the students to say ‘this is where we’re at and we’re going to do the best that we can.’ We had a good game plan coming into it and they excelled at that,” he said.
Regarding how he felt by only getting one game Fedoski replied “fantastic. Absolutely incredible. I couldn’t be more proud of the city for hosting this one day of mad basketball. It’s all around, it’s been fantastic and good.”
Asked about sometimes you might travel as far as five or six hours to play in a consolation final Fedoski said it wasn’t unexpected.
“Everybody just wanted to play one last game to end off their season. I’m glad we were able to get it in…That just shows their love of basketball.”
Carefully eyeing up a shot
Despite concerns from many businesses - especially hotels and restaurants - he said there was still a lot of spending because of basketball teams coming to Moose Jaw if only for one game.
“I know they’re making a weekend out of it and I know our city has really welcomed them,” Fedoski said.
Although there is no official final tally employees at fast food restaurants - McDonalds and Burger King - told MJ Independent that Saturday’s business was noticeably up due to the number of customers from the basketball tournament.
According to various news reports in larger media the local Hoopla committee is hoping to host event in a couple of years.
Central Cyclones head coach Tanya McLean gives out instructions during a timeout at the Central Cyclones bench
“That was a disappointing loss,” Central Cyclones head coach Tanya McLean said in a post game interview with MJ Independent.
“Defensively we didn’t do what we needed to do,” McLean said.
Asked about the team season she said they had played well above what most expected from them.
“I mean most people think we would make it to Hoopla. We were super happy to make it to Hoopla. It was (a) good (season).”
One of the main areas for the Cyclones was the lack of experience on the team for 2023 - 2024.
“I mean, we’re happy to be here. We played our part out. Peacock shot well today. We couldn’t stop them effectively.”
An attempt to blast past your opponent
McLean said she was very happy to have the opportunity to finish off the season on the court for one last time.
If there were any problems with it, it was the fact they couldn’t practice for the game. But it’s what all teams had to go through in order to make it to the final day in Moose Jaw.
She said the past week had been like a yo-yo on herself and the team.
“It’s disappointing writing to hear announcements and then thinking you’re going to some thing and then I don’t know practice again today but that’s what it is. Everybody was in the same boat.”
Applauding a basket on the Central Cyclones bench
Despite the loss in Saturday’s final game McLean said it isn’t the final test as to how good the Cyclones are.
“It just wasn’t our day.”
