Once a Falcon, always a Falcon – especially when called upon to help the alma mater.
A charity senior girls basketball game for multiple sclerosis research between the Foothills Falcons and Chestermere Lakers was on the ropes on Dec. 18 when the Lakers were no-shows due to a scheduling foul up.
However, some alumni players came down from the Comp stands and suited up to take on the 2019-20 Falcons.
“It’s fun, it’s good to see the talent that is coming up,” said alumnus Chayle Clark, who is now a post for the St. Mary’s University Lightning. “I think they are doing really well – they shoot really well.”
Clark, along with Lightning guards Hannah Helton and Jaiden Hansen were all in attendance when the word went out that players were needed.
The trio had Lightning gear available – Hannah’s mom was doing laundry for the trio not too far from the gym. As well, the Heltons were able to dig up a pair of sneakers.
It was raining threes for the alumni at the start of the game as Clark, Hansen, Teah Simard, Helton and Tyler Ziehl all jacked up threes from beyond the arc to take a 15-5 lead.
Hansen found it strange to be back.
“This is kind of weird,” Hansen said. “This wasn’t my gym, everything is brand new since I was here.”
The charity game turned out to be a family affair for Class of 2017 Falcon Cevanna Carlson.
The now UNBC Timberwolf got to play – and get fouled – by her younger sister Jorja at the charity game.
“I have never really gotten the chance to play against her, so this is nice,” Cevanna said. “Hopefully after she graduates she came come and play at UNBC and we can have one year together.”
There was one major flaw to the spur of the moment solution, there weren’t quite enough women alumni to make a team. As a result, former Falcons Ziehl, Logan Richards and Adam Pahl filled in.
The 6-5 Pahl is currently starting for the Mount Royal University Cougars.
(C’mon Adam, rebound,” Ziehl yelled from the bench.)
Foothills Falcon Grade 12 guard Chloe Hunter got an early Christmas present when she got to suit up against Helton, Clark, Hansen and co.
The daughter of Falcons coach Vince Hunter, was a bit of a gym rat as a younger girl when the Lightning trio were lighting up the Comp gym.
“They are like my idols, I look up to them – Hannah, Chayle and Jaiden I saw the most especially through my junior high,” Chloe said. “To get to compete with them was pretty cool. I think one thing I take from them is all three balance the game really well mentally and physically.
“They give it a 100 per cent all the time. I know I struggle with my mental game, and to see them play and work hard makes me want to improve as a player.
“At the end of the game I told them thanks so much for playing it was a really cool experience, you are who I look up to.”
The Grade 12 Hunter plans to attend St. Mary’s after graduation and she hopes to play post-secondary basketball.
Hunter got a lesson in defence in the alumni game. She seemed to struggle against Pahl and her box out on Ziehl could have used some work.
“It was scary,” she said with a laugh. “They’re huge.”
Ziehl is studying science at MRU and is also helping to coach the Falcons’ JV boys team. Richards, who graduated last year, is going on his LDS mission in March to Peru. Simard is studying at Lethbridge College, where she played volleyball for the Kodiaks last season but is sitting out this school year due to an injury.
Cardston finalists
The Falcons closed out the 2019 year with a second-place finish at the Cardston Cougars tournament on Nov. 13-14 in Cardston.
“It was awesome to see the competition because we are a small 4A school and to have all the girls come together and play so well, it was nice,” said the Falcon Fiona Zelez.
The Falcons came up against the Centennial Coyotes in the final. They practically tripped over their jaws as they walked on the floor – a bit awestruck by the perennially powerful ‘yotes.
“We walked into the game thinking we are a small school and that they’re a big school and they have always been good,” Chloe Hunter said. “We walked in thinking we had already lost and it showed.”
The Falcons were down and out but held their own in the second half.
“At halftime we talked about why we play the sport, and why we compete on the floor not the scoreboard,” Hunter said. “We decided it’s time to compete.”
Zelez agreed.
“We told ourselves we deserve this, we got here,” she said.
It took some work to get there.
The Falcons opened the tournament by getting by the Notre Dame Cougars from Red Deer 48-47.
Foothills learned that they can’t take anything for granted – a full 40 minutes is needed.
“We were up by 30 at one point and this showed us we have to keep our intensity up the whole time we are on the floor,” Hunter said.
The Falcons were able to hang on for the victory when Grade 10 student Trista Thorn showed veteran-like steel in her veins by hitting some big free throws in the end.
Foothills advanced to the finals by outlasting the Bowness Trojans 66-61 in the semifinals.
