The unthinkable happened Friday night as the heavily favoured DCHS senior boys basketball team were knocked out of the championship round of the zone tournament, dashing their provincial championship aspirations.
The DCHS Dynos had a red-hot season with lots to celebrate including an undefeated league record leading into the Golden Hills League final and five tournament wins. They were ranked number one in the province this season for 2A schools at the mid-February rankings. The loss is an obvious disappointment for the team. “Even though it was a disappointing weekend and it is tough for the team knowing they have been one of the top teams in the province over the year, and do not have a chance to capture the provincial championship, I am very proud of the team, especially the seniors for the year,” said coach Jeff Messom. The team had great expectations going into the tournament and was up against the hosts Didsbury, a team with nothing to lose. The crowd was strongly behind the hometown hope last Friday night. “On Friday night we were flat and couldn’t hit a shot, however we did manage to have the lead for 37 minutes,” said Messom. “Didsbury did a good job of hitting the 3 point shot, I believe they made more than 10, and we, on the other hand, were 2 for 20 from the 3 point line.” Didsbury won and the Dynos were reeling. “It was then basically trying to make the best of a disappointing situation for the grade 12’s who have worked so hard over the year, and the last six years,” said Messom. The team showed great resolve and were unstoppable the rest of the tournament. On Saturday, they tromped Oilfields School from Black Diamond by almost 50 points, and then beat Hanna for the consolation trophy 94-52. “I gained a lot of respect for the team who could have gave up on Saturday, but instead showed the strength in their character returning to form and ending the season on as much a positive as can be possible given the situation,” said Messom.