The coach of the Okotoks Junior A Raiders lacrosse team had an eye on his newest player almost a decade ago when he saw him play in the hotbed of lacrosse, Orangeville, ON.
So when Raiders coach Bruce Codd had the chance to trade for now 17-year-old Okotoks resident Dylan Gibson, he jumped at the opportunity.
“I knew the Gibson family when they were in Orangeville,” Codd said. “I remember Dylan from when he was just a young guy.”
Codd had been hoping to select Gibson in the Alberta Junior A Lacrosse League entry draft last year, but the Calgary Junior A Mountaineers beat him to the punch.
“We were already to select him and the Mountaineers picked right before our pick,” Codd said.
As a result, Gibson spent his first year of Junior A lacrosse with the Mountaineers.
It was a season of adjustment for the rookie.
“The game is a lot faster in Junior A than it was in Midget,” Gibson said. “The skill level is so much higher than it is in Midget A. I had to sit out a few games, but I got to play in most of them.”
Gibson had four goals and five assists in 16 games for the Mountaineers.
He has no regrets about playing Junior A straight out of Midget rather than opting for Junior B.
“Even though I didn’t play every game, I still got the experience of practicing and playing some in Junior A,” Gibson said. “I thought that experience would help me more rather than playing Junior B.”
While he enjoyed his stint with the Mountaineers, the former Okotoks Midget A Mustang is glad to be playing at home.
“I just like playing in my own hometown,” said Gibson, a Grade 12 student at Foothills Composite High School. “I really didn’t like the commute.”
He’s also fully aware in August his hometown is hosting the Minto Cup – the Junior A Lacrosse national championship tournament.
“I think the Mountaineers would have got to play in the Minto Cup because Alberta gets two teams,” Gibson said. “It’s great to be in the Minto because the Raiders are hosting it and it’s where I live.”
Gibson was a transitional player with the Mountaineers last season and it’s the same position Codd expects Gibson to play with the Raiders.
“Dylan has a very good offensive mind,” Codd said. “He’s quick and has a good outside shot.”
Gibson will recognize a lot of faces on the Raiders’ roster. He played on Team Alberta with Raiders Aaron Tackaberry, Brett Baron and Okotoks native Raymond Banister two years ago at the Midget provincials.
As well, Raider Cam Copland and recent draft picks Josh Norton and Ben Fream are former Mustang teammates of Gibson.
Although Okotoks is now home, he said he wouldn’t mind having a little bit of Orangeville come to town.
“I left Orangeville when I was in Grade 4 or so — it was a long time ago,” he said. “But in Orangeville, you would get a thousand people to a lacrosse game. In Okotoks, you don’t get very many people, but it’s getting better. When I first started playing here, no one really knew what it was… It just needs to get advertised better.”
