The North Battleford Comprehensive High School senior boys' basketball team kicked off their tournament Friday. (submitted photo/Mark Kotchorek) : Tyler Marr

By Martin Martinson

Down the stretch-run

NBCHS Vikings look to close out season strong

Mar 1, 2019 | 9:26 PM

The North Battleford Comprehensive High School senior boys’ basketball team kicked off their home tournament Friday afternoon at NBCHS.

With two games on the schedule Friday to open the tournament, the Vikings’ senior boys began their weekend with a match-up against Warman at 12 p.m.

Warman defeated NBCHS 60-52 on the afternoon.

Now at 9-14 on the season, the Vikings can finish anywhere from 6th to 8th amongst the nine teams in their conference heading into regionals.

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The Vikings’ senior boys’ basketball program is just a year removed from placing within the top two teams at regionals, and moving onto provincials last season. 2018-19, however, has been a bit of a rebuilding year.

Jeremy Cockrill, head coach of the school’s senior boys’ team, said this year’s rendition of the squad has seen a lot of turnover in personnel from last year, with just four seniors on the roster this time around.

“[There is] a lot of new blood,” Cockrill said. “It’s a lot of younger players, and in the second-half of the season we’ve brought up five Grade 9 players as well, just to help round out our team.”

Cockrill estimates about 60 to 70 per cent of the team’s total offense this season has been provided by the Grade 12 players.

One of the younger roster players who has caught the coach’s eye, however, is Jackson Geddes, a recently called up Grade 9 wing, who in just under a month with the team, has already established himself within the Vikings’ starting lineup.

“A tough player, and a multisport athlete,” Cockrill said he is looking forward to the future having a strong group of up-and-comers, led by Geddes, as part of the school’s basketball program for the next three years.

With still a big test ahead of the team this season, with regionals are fast approaching, Cockrill said the Vikings need to continue to play a fast, up-tempo style of game to have a strong finish to the season.

“We have been successful when we push the ball up the floor quickly,” the coach said. “We don’t have a big team, so we have to use our speed, and we do have some dangerous shooters, so when we’re hitting, we can be a pretty dangerous team that way.”

NBCHS will play one more game Friday night, as the team is slated for a 6:30 p.m. tip off against Moose Jaw’s Central Collegiate at 6:30 p.m.

Following the weekend, the Vikings will play JPII in an exhibition game Mar. 6 at NBCHS at 8 p.m.

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