Do you hear that noise? That’s the sound of the Wrestling program turning the corner. Recently looked upon by their competition as an easy “W,” those days are done. The Falcons are now on the rise; not just in numbers but in quality. They are no doubt young, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Of course they will miss Seniors Patrick, T.J. and Cale. These guys have seen it all during their time in the Room. Their ability to set the right tone for workouts and meet prep will be sorely missed. But don’t miss them for too long. The future is bright with quality grapplers and hard workers. Credit Coach Driver, his staff and the wonderful wrestling parents and fans that are creating the right atmosphere for success. The wrestling community is unique for its tightness and support for all. It’s great to see that attitude permeating through the Falcon program right now.

The girls’ basketball team found themselves with only 2 wins to their credit. Were they really that bad? No way. I witnessed plenty of their games and the one thing that stood out most was that under no circumstances could you fault the effort of the girls. And that’s a credit to Coach Heithoff and his staff for instilling a sense of hard work that will pay forward. The silver lining is that this team was extremely youthful and has the potential to reverse their record in a big way down the road. Depending on how you look at it, good or bad, they will still be young next year. Unfortunately, they lost two quality seniors in Aileen and Gina that were not only the best players on the floor but also great leaders. But if more female athletes could see the benefits of playing winter ball and come together, the Saintes would undoubtedly be right back on top where they belong.

One of the biggest pressures a St. Albert athlete/team has is continuing the tradition of success that previous teams have paved before them. As fans and supporters, we have come to expect only the best when it comes to our teams. Tell me if I’m wrong. Simply making the playoffs in football is no longer the thrill it one was; now making The Dome is the standard. Earning a trip to a District Final or even a Sub-State game in hoops is not the big deal it once was; it’s a roadie to Des Moines that really gets our attention today. We have become victims of our own success. And I’m not even saying that having those feelings are necessarily a bad thing. The goal coming into each season should be to reach those lofty heights. But if the expectations are that high year in and year out, disappointment is inevitable (unless you’re Harlan I guess). Which brings us to the Boys Basketball season.

It did not finish where Coach Scott or any player on that team wanted it to finish. They felt they were talented enough to go further than they did. Unfortunately, it just didn’t happen. Forget about the record or any reasons that may accompany it; the only record that truly mattered to this group was their post-season record. And this season it wasn’t as glossy as in years past. No one is more disappointed about it than they are. They would still like to be playing, not just for themselves but for the entire SA community. March is a special time to still be playing high school hoops. They know the expectations of the Falcon Faithful and that winning just one or two tourney games isn’t enough. But this year it has to be because – as the sickening-popular saying goes – “it is what it is.” Yes, it stinks that they say goodbye to Seniors Quinn, Alan, Josh and Matt but they also return a hefty portion of their scoring, rebounding and minutes next year. And they will no doubt shoulder that same burden of expectations to the absolute best of their ability. That is something you can count on.

So, as we say adios to winter, I can only wonder what the spring has in store for our student athletes. What are their expectations? What will be the standard for success in their sport of choice? Guess I’ll have to write another column on that later…

Other Miscellaenous Thoughts:

-Went to the greatest Pizza place on earth last night; Pizza King. Every Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (and usually a couple of Fridays in between), I take Nance, the boys and my Mom to The King. Mom and I always split a large Anchovy and there's never any leftovers. The others order a boring Cheese pie. Thankfully Nick’s starting to feel those Italian juices flowing and is digging the ‘Chovy as well. My old man was a big Anchovy guy too; must run in the family.