A Foothills Falcon who comes off the bench and does the dirty work made the biggest play of the weekend en route to his team winning a Senior high school boys basketball tournament.
The Falcons won the Centennial Howler tournament by beating the McNally Tigers 81-47 in the final Saturday in south Calgary.
However, it was a rebound by the gritty Joss Engen in the dying seconds of a tied 72-72 semifinal final game against Strathcona Composite Lords that got Foothills into the final.
“There was something like five seconds left and Ryan Derochie took a shot from the baseline,” Engen said. “Unfortunately, he missed and all I was thinking was ‘Get the rebound, get the rebound.’”
Engen swooped in from the other side of the court from Derochie and snared the basketball like Superman grabbing a falling Lois Lane. Engen then tipped the ball into the basket to make it 74-72.
Engen called it the biggest play in his Foothills’ carrier.
The Falcons Anand Carrigan then sunk a free throw to make the final 75-72.
Foothills Falcon Ray Goff also had a Superman-like effort against Strathcona. He had 27 points, 12 rebounds and five block shots in the game. Landon Pitcher contributed 14 points and the quick point guard had three steels.
Derochie didn’t miss too many threes. He hit a few from about the Empire Theatre Complex in getting 12 points. Strathcona is ranked in the top 15 of 4A schools in Alberta.
The Falcons then dominated the young McNally Tigers in the tournament final. Tigers coach Paul Jap said his team was overmatched against the talented Falcons. “We got off to a slow start against a very talented team,” Jap said. “There transitional game is amazing. They got the ball up the court in a blink of an eye.
“We couldn’t keep up with their speed. They have a dangerous combination of talent and speed.
The Falcons cleared the glass better than Windex. Foothills had 35 rebounds in the first half. Goff led Foothills with 17 rebounds in the game, to go with his 17 points.
Carrigan and Pitcher had 14 and 13 points respectively in the final.
The Falcons opened the tournament by downing the E.P. Scarlett Lancers 63-53 on Friday night.
“We played possibly the best basketball we played all year at the start, at one point we were ahead 35-6,” Falcons coach Amron Gwilliam said. “Then we let them back in the game… We can’t play like that. We have to keep up that intensity. We came out and did that against Strathcona.”
Carrigan had 14 points against Scarlett.
Pitcher said the team learned from the Scarlett letdown.
“We have to play a full four quarters, not just part of some quarters,” Pitcher said.
Goff was named the tournament MVP, but he was more pleased with the tournament victory.
“This is a big stepping stone for us,” Goff said.
The Falcons host the Notre Dame Timberwolves tonight at 7 p.m. in Foothills Athletic Conference action. Foothills has a perfect 6-0 record in the FAC after downing the Highwood Mustangs Wednesday in High River.
They are in Edmonton this weekend for the Archbishop O’Leary tournament. O’Leary beat the Falcons in the Okotoks high school tournament in January.
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