On Saturday, March 17 the Broncos took the provincial ‘A’ title in Rosenort, beating the Shevchenko Sabres 62-58. According to long-time coach Keith Forsyth, everyone involved was ecstatic.
“It feels beyond satisfying,” Forsyth stated. “Anytime you work towards a goal and then reach it, especially when others are trying to deny you, satisfying, fulfilling…it’s hard to describe but it feels good!”
“The girls are on cloud nine and extremely proud of themselves, as they should be. Not one of them was a starter last season, we had to completely change our game plan on offense and defense because of a change in player personnel due to graduation. Whad to do all of that through a number of significant injuries, and a player leaving us. Of the six championships in varsity basketball, this might be the most satisfying for me as a coach.”
Despite the win, it was a tough one. The Broncos let a lead slip away, and ended up only two points ahead late in the fourth quarter. Forsyth said he could have lived without the drama, not being interested in increasing “entertainment value”. He was impressed with how the team responded in the last couple of minutes after letting their opponent back in the game. The last basket by Raylin Unrau to increase the lead to four with less than thirty seconds to go was very important.
How did they win?
“A number of things,” the coach explained. “We were consistent. Anja Nell had an outstanding game from the three-point arc, making five baskets while Madde Billaney (2) and Faith Billaney (1) added three more threes. Our defense was our strength all season and it was evident all weekend. Sarah Hallett, Raylin Unrau and Aurora Holstein did not allow the opposition many offensive rebounds, and did a good job at getting the rebounds on their end as well. Madde and Trinity Billaney were excellent on the perimeter making any outside shots difficult to make.”
He said the team was nervous before the big game, so he talked to them about being nervous and focusing that. Forsyth said being nervous about winning and losing is a waste of energy, so instead they should focus on the process. Do not worry about wins and losses, but worry about how you play. As he said, they played very well on Saturday.
The Broncos had finished as the first seed in the province, and were able to host a provincial qualifier a couple of weeks ago. They defeated Prairie Mountain and St. Rose to advance to the finals.
It was an interesting year for the team. As Forsyth explained, there was plenty of adversity during the season. To start with, there were graduations as there is every year, but that was only the beginning. The coach said they never had the same starting lineup in a tournament this season. Their season started with a loss to Killarney, and from that they worked on both offense and defense. After that, they never lost a league or playoff game and won the Zone 9 title before provincials.
It was not easy. Madde Billaney had torn her ACL the previous February and was not back until this January. Rose Corcoran, an exchange student from Australia, filled in well, leading the team for the first half of the year. When she went home, Billaney was ready to go. Trinity Billaney suffered two concussions that kept her out of the lineup for five weeks. Anja Nell broke a finger on her shooting hand that kept her out for three weeks in February. Forsyth said for a while they were depending on younger players to keep the team going.
“It wasn’t until the qualifier in March that we had our entire ‘varsity’ lineup healthy and all playing together.”
Forsyth has been coaching the girls’ game in Boissevain since 1995-96 when he transferred over from Minto. He got involved when the school asked what he would be willing to coach. As a hockey player, he named the game on ice. But it was doing well with Brad White and Greg Cameron, so he told Principal Al Stewart to figure out where he wanted him. That was girl’s basketball.
There was plenty to learn, as the hoops are a complicated game.
“When I started, everyone said it’s very similar to hockey, which it is, but it took me about ten years to figure that out,” Forsyth explained. “It’s like running a power play every time you’re down the floor. When the TB Lightning ran their 1-3-1 trap in the playoffs a few years ago, well, we ran the exact same thing on the hardwood, I mean the exact same. It was weird watching. I am always learning, we ran plays this year that I pickpocketed from their coaches, and I ask a lot of questions.”
He said when he started out, he asked a lot of questions of successful coaches and watched coaching videos – even on VHS.
Forsyth has certainly coached many great teams, with six championships to his credit in varsity as well as two in JV. He feels the 2013 squad with Paula Tutkaluke, Jennie Forsyth, Cassie Scott and Bobcat Kinsley Ransom was a top one, winning three consecutive gold medals and a ‘AA’ championship in 2012 with only grade 10 and 11’s. In 2010, a talented group won in Boissevain. He also said the group from 2003, with Danielle Rainnie, Codi Guenther, Jocelyn Epp, Kirby Adams and Tessa Stobbe will always be remembered as they won the school’s first girls’ title.
“This team is different, which is why this is such a satisfying win,” he said. “This win was unexpected until three weeks ago. I honestly wasn’t sure we were there. With everything I mentioned previously, this has been a unique season.”
He added he feels they can be even better in the future, with all of the young talent.
As for himself, Forsyth sees himself coaching for at least three more years, when he will be able to retire from teaching. From there, he does not know.
“I have a wife who is very supportive and encourages me to continue, so I’ll wait and see after the 2021 season.”
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff