The chatter in the basketball world around the Foothills exactly a year ago was the play of the Oilfields Drillers senior girls basketball team.
They were not just running with the 3A/4A schools but actually had a winning record amongst them. They were poised to host the 2A Provincial Championship in March 2020 after finishing the season ranked second in the province.
They also had the potential of an even stronger team the following year with seven returning Grade 12 players - Erin Grogan, Meg Grogan, Jocelyn Holladay, Amanda Burritt, Lesley Chalmers, Taryn Robertson and Jocelyn Stewart - for a possible back-to-back championship run.
All that excitement and years of hard work came crashing down last March when the pandemic hit. Knowing how hard the girls worked we asked some of the players and coach James Holladay about writing an article of their years of achievements, how their senior year is turning out and seeing where they are headed beyond Oilfields.
What's the journey and growth of the team been like for you collectively over the years since first playing together?
“We are a tight knit group,” said Drillers post Lesley Chalmers. “For most of the girls they have been playing with each other since elementary school, the rest of us came from Millarville in Grade 9 and I’d say the transfer was pretty well seamless.
“We went from barely being able to dribble with our right hand to playing an entire game with only our left hand as directed by coach during an unbalanced game. Our individual growth made a significant contribution to our growth as a team.”
“I loved working with the team to achieve a common goal,” said Erin Grogan. “When a play worked or we won an important game there was always a feeling of togetherness and support from teammates, parents, coach and everyone involved.”
“This was a special group of girls,” coach Holladay said. “They played school and club together as a team for years and we all knew each other so well that when they played it was amazing to watch. I truly believe if you wanted to witness what a true team looked like these girls were it.
“Any night a different girl would shine and each girl brought a different element to the game, watching them was a joy.”
What has basketball meant to you both on and off the court?
“Basketball has become so much more than just a game to me,” said Meg Grogan. “We are a family and we continue to have such strong relationships even though we aren't playing right now. Showing up to each game and practice and seeing how much we all wanted to win and how hard we were willing to work for everything is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
“Basketball is a team sport where I could hang out with friends while also working hard to achieve something, whether that's improving skills, scoring a simple basket or winning the game,” said Taryn Robertson. “Each year, Mr. Holladay would give me a new skill to work on, like my hook shot last season, and I would really strive to master it.
“That has helped me off the court with goal setting and achieving in my academics, my 4-H projects, and even in my relationship with my horse.”
How much pride have you had in hitting new heights for the Drillers basketball program?
“It was a great feeling to be able to win multiple banners for Oilfields,” said guard Amanda Burritt, speaking on the Drillers' three zone championship from Grades 8-10. “We had a great sense of pride in our team, knowing that we always put forth our best effort in any situation.”
“They have learned that success doesn’t happen in one practice or one game but over time, and hard work can set you up for success,” coach Holladay added. “As a group many times over the years we talked about what we wanted high school to look like and the success the girls wanted to have and what they would do to achieve it. These girls stuck together, they shared blood, sweat, tears, injuries and setbacks and had got to the point where all their hard work had ranked them second in the province.
“Ten days before everything shut down, they beat the current No.1 ranked team in the province, they truly had reached the top with their efforts.”
What was your favourite game as a group to be a part of?
“The West Island College game a couple of weeks before the shutdown,” said guard Jocelyn Holladay. “They were the top team in the province and we had them on the run by the end of the third quarter. We worked together as a team more than any other game before. Everyone contributed.”
What kind of potential did the team have for this season and last season had it gone ahead in normal fashion?
“By the end of the season last year we were one of the top teams in Girls 2A basketball,” Meg Grogan said. “We had earned so much respect from other teams and coaches. There is no doubt in my mind that we would have been playing in the provincial final game hosted on our home court. I also know that this season would have been something really special.”
“Going into the season last year we had a little bit of re-adjustment to make with some new players who were joining the team, but that just meant we could improve and adjust more,” Robertson said. “Our team had a lot of potential going into the beginning of the season and with the added members we had even more. By the end of the season, before everything was shut down by COVID-19, we were ranked second in the province and had a good shot at winning provincials. Who knows what could have happened had we still been able to play basketball? We could have won or we could have lost.
“We can never be certain, but we still had the opportunity to achieve something as a team with our coach. It was only a week before the provincial tournament when it was cancelled, and the disappointment was huge, not only for us but for our whole school because we were supposed to host it. It was a sad time.”
What are your plans for post-secondary? Do you plan to continue playing basketball?
“I plan on going to university in British Columbia for a biology degree.” – Erin Grogan
“Next year I will be attending university in Calgary doing an undergrad in psychology with the hopes of getting my degree in social work later on. I'm not sure what the future holds for me in basketball. I'm not sure if playing university ball is in the cards for me, but I will still do whatever I can to be involved in the basketball community. Giving back to the game that had such a huge impact in shaping me is really important to me.” – Meg Grogan
“For post-secondary, I plan on going to Olds and taking their agriculture management program, I will not be playing basketball when going to post-secondary, but I will miss all of it very much after playing the sport for so long.” – Robertson
“I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play post-secondary basketball next fall. I hope to be playing in the states (COVID permitting) and I think it will be a great experience.” – Chalmers
“Attending BYU –Idaho and basketball will only be a side hobby.” – Jocelyn Holladay
“Attending MRU - I am undecided if I will try out for a post-secondary team yet. Since our season was cut short last year and we were unable to play at all this year it has influenced my plans moving forward.” – Burritt
Jocelyn Stewart plans to attend post-secondary somewhere but is undecided.
