CANORA — The Canora Composite School Cougars senior boys basketball team hosted the Foam Lake Panthers in an entertaining game on February 7. The Cougars roared out to a hot start with the first seven points of the game, and held a 27 to 15 lead after the first quarter. But the Panthers clawed their way back into contention, coming to within two points of the Cougars during the second quarter. CCS then seemed to find another gear, draining shots from all over the floor and earning an 88 to 58 lead by the end of the third quarter.
Noah Creedon, first-year coach of the Cougars, said the players deserved full credit for the turnaround. “The team realized that we were out of sync, and we weren’t playing ‘our’ game, we were playing theirs,” assessed Creedon. “We made the adjustments that we needed to, and the boys came into the third with a lot of energy and renewed determination to show Foam Lake what they really have in them.”
In the fourth quarter the starters were rested for both teams and the play was relatively even. The final score was 106 to 76 in favour of CCS.
Creedon said it was a challenging game, with some valuable lessons for the Cougars.
“Offensively, I feel that we started off strong, then we started to settle for the first shot, not the best shot. Defensively, we were letting them get to the middle too easily. This meant that they were getting up to the rim without any real contest. Rebound wise, it was a rough game. The reality is that Foam Lake is strong on the rebound, and it is something that we are going to work on.”
After just moving to Canora last summer, Creedon said he is thoroughly enjoying his first year coaching at CCS
“I absolutely love this group of kids. I really don’t think I could have asked for a better group. It has been an amazing way to start off my Saskatchewan coaching career.”
Creedon’s interest in basketball goes back to his first year playing competitively when he was in Grade 6, and his playing career continued through college.
“In high school, I won numerous awards for things like being league MVP, team MVP, and scoring titles,” he recalled. “My junior team went to NOSSA (Northern Ontario Secondary School Athletics) regionals twice, and my senior team made it to provincials in my Grade 12 year.”
His coaching career started in 2017 when he entered college, as the assistant coach for the White Pines high school junior boys team in his hometown, Sault Ste Marie, Ont.
“That year our team went to conference finals, and on to NOSSA finals. The following season, I took over as the junior boys head coach at White Pines. Again, we made it to conferences, and continued on to NOSSA regionals. In 2019 and 2020, I was a part of the coaching staff for the Steel City Slam recreational league for boys in Grades 9 and 10, when COVID restrictions allowed for play.”
When he moved to Saskatchewan, Creedon knew he wanted to continue coaching.
“After I got settled here in town, I called Mark Forsythe with the Good Spirit School Division, and inquired about the possibility of volunteering to coach a team within the school district. He paired me with CCS, and the rest is now history.”
One of Creedon’s favourite aspects about basketball is the technical aspect of the game, and the thinking that it takes to excel.
“Most people see basketball as ‘you put the ball in the hoop and try to outscore the other team.’ In reality, it is so much more than that. I was always taught that the smarter player won. This caused me to become obsessed. Then it became easy because I could see the small details in the game. I started to see the signs of how the opposing team wanted to play and how I could take advantage of it. The thing I love most about coaching is seeing in these kids with the same love for the game that I have. Seeing these kids wanting to learn, wanting to improve, that’s what makes it worthwhile and fun for me.”
One of the qualities that has impressed Creedon most about his team is, “they have an immense amount of composure on the court when facing adversity. As well, they play with incredible intensity. Our team and our style of play is such that it is ‘in your face’ all game long and never lets the opponent get comfortable in any kind of rhythm. We also have some amazing leadership in our graduating players, and that just adds to the spirit of the whole team.”
After the win over Foam Lake, the Cougars’ record for the season was five wins and three losses. Creedon said a few games had to be rescheduled in early January when the school was dealing with a number of CCS cases. After losing the entire previous season to the pandemic, the players are thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to get back on the court again.
“One thousand percent. Many of them have stated that they are incredibly happy to be playing again this year. And I am just as excited as they are, to be coaching again.
“I would like to add that I could not do this without the help of my assistant coaches, Andrew Hoffman and my wife Kamdyn Creedon who are doing an amazing job behind the scenes. They often do not get the credit that they truly deserve, but the job done really is great,” concluded Creedon.
The upcoming schedule for the Cougars includes a trip to Foam Lake on February 17, a tournament in Norquay on February 18 and 19, and another game in Norquay on March 1.
