Crunch time is proving to be Falcons time in high school basketball.
The Foothills Falcons senior boys earned a fourth consecutive tournament medal and did so in dramatic fashion with Grade 12 guard Nash Byam breaking a deadlock with a layup in the final seconds as the Comp edged the Harry Ainlay Titans 75-73 for bronze on Dec. 28 at the 57th annual Sugar Bowl in Raymond.
In the final minute of the third-place match, Drew Byam evened the score for the Falcons with a short-range jumper and Grant Godfrey secured a steal with 19 seconds left to give Foothills the chance at the final shot.
Nash Byam, a shifty guard always willing to drive the lane, hit an acrobatic kiss off the glass lay up from a tough angle while being fouled with 4.9 seconds left in what held up as the winning points.
The St. FX Rams, the No. 2 ranked 4A team in the province, won the title 85-46 over the host Comets.
In their opener, Foothills defeated the third-ranked Cardston Cougars 80-61, earning a measure of revenge with a loss in Cardston earlier in the month, before its semifinal loss to the Rams by a 79-51 score.
Rankings released
The first 4A high school basketball rankings for the 2024-25 season have been released with Okotoks teams well represented among the top of the class.
In the senior boys ranks, Foothills has been ranked No. 6 with the Holy Trinity Academy Knights coming in at No. 10.
The Falcons senior girls, who’ve been off to a terrific start in tournament play with three medals already this season, were also ranked No. 6.
The first rankings were released on Dec. 19 and evaluated games played during the first semester of school factoring in strength of schedule, common opponents and head-to-head games.
The first rankings for teams at the 1A, 2A and 3A levels are set to be released on Jan. 20.
For more information go to asaa.ca/basketball/ranking-information.
