(BOYS) Quarter-final matchup sees Charles Hays Rainmakers hail over Killarney Cougars

December 6, 2019

Killarney Cougars v. Charles Hays Rainmakers

Written by Scott Leigh, Handsworth Grad ‘06

On a foggy day in the hills of West Vancouver we have a quarterfinal matchup between the Killarney Cougars and Charles Hays Rainmakers. You can expect the Rainmakers to be interested in taking this fog which has evaporated from various water sources into the air, allow it to condense, and then, well, make it rain on the Cougars. The Cougars on the other hand are looking to use the fog to help disguise themselves as they prepare for their non-solitary team attack, very nonconventional for the traditional cougar. 

Enough science class for one day, let’s get to some basketball with this intriguing matchup!

The Rainmakers come out guns a slingin’ with a fast bucket inside by Leighton. An early heat check from Leighton comes up short, but Jones is there to pick up where he left off last game with an early 3. A quick 7-0 run to start the game after the wiggle and dish from Jones, leading to an easy bucket. It may be a bit pre-mature and I do not want to jinx it - but we are currently witnessing the unprecedented shutout: 9-0. Dakota Knockwood, currently on the Charles Hays bench, may have just knocked on the wood bench to help counter the potential jinx. Charles Hays has come out full of energy and efficient on both ends of the court - the Cougars are going to have to find some rhythm soon to get back into this game. Halfway through the quarter the Rainmakers are up 16-1. The suffocating defence from Charles Hays is forcing turnovers and tough shots. The Cougars will have to look to use their athleticism in the open court to try and get on a run before the quarter comes to an end. Wesley Dass hits the first three of the game for Killarney, hoping to spark his team’s play. The size of Charles Hays is causing difficulties for the Cougars, not only with easy buckets from the post players but also multiple offensive rebounds leading to second chance opportunities. The Rainmakers are up 29-9 at the end of the first Q.

Charles Hays continues to apply the pressure in the early parts of the second quarter, but the Cougars are finding opportunities to break down the defenders and get to the foul line. With that said, that will not be enough if Killarney does not find a player and box them out on the defensive end; offensive rebounds leading to putback buckets are killers when you are looking to make a comeback. Unfortunately for the Cougars it may just be one of those days - even the layups won’t seem to drop for them right now. The Rainmakers have gone cold from deep over the last few minutes of play; this could be an opportunity to pull back into the game for the Cougars before we enter the half. No such luck, as the Rainmakers are living up to their name in the first half with a 47-21 lead. 

Halftime Fact: The rainiest city in Canada is Abbotsford, with an average of 1538 millimeters (roughly 5 feet) of precipitation a year. That is a lot of evaporation, then condensation and then precipitation!

Halftime Fact: Unlike other big cats, the cougar cannot roar, instead the large cat purrs like a house cat; let’s hope these Cougars have some other intimidation tactics up their sleeve for the second half.

Charles Hays comes across as a team that has played a fair amount together, even early in the season, as they are executing well on their set plays both in-game and from out of bounds scenarios. The energy Charles Hays plays with will cause trouble for any team, and will allow them to compete in almost any game; on top of that, if they have a size advantage down-low and are knocking down the deep ball - things will continue to be difficult for their opponents. That has certainly been the case here today as they have extended their lead partway into the third quarter to 27. To the Cougars credit they have not given in and continue to work hard on both ends of the court. The athleticism that led Killarney to a win yesterday is not proving as fruitful on day 2 of the No Regrets Basketball Tournament. At the end of 3 Charles Hays is up 69-34.

Not the situation Killarney was hoping to find themselves in entering the final quarter, but still an opportunity to spread out the minutes and work on their systems in the early part of the season.  Speaking of guns a slingin’, Brandon Woo, #49 for the Cougars, yes #49, has knocked down two jumpers this game from range with what would be considered an unconventional, yet effective, shot form. Unconventional shot form + unconventional jersey number = 100% from the field.

In the end, sophisticated scientific weather cycles outperform the feisty feline. 

Final Score: Charles Hays 77 :  Killarney 46.

No Regrets