Comets downed by LCI, Cardston up next

Posted on December 20, 2013 by Westwind Weekly

LCI won the game by some 20 points but the Raymond Comets hung with a top team for much of the night Tuesday and, while winless in two league contests, is showing promise for this stage in the season.

“LCI is a really good team, they’re one of the better teams in the province right now,” said head coach Jack McMurray. “But we played our hearts out (Tuesday) and that’s one of the better full-game efforts I’ve seen in a long time.

“They pulled away from us a bit at the end but we stayed right with them for most of the game and the boys never quit, they never gave up.”

McMurray says the fans in the crowd are starting to notice the Comets getting a little closer to where they want to be and are starting to notice the total team effort being put on the floor each game. That is turning into added support and encouragement and he hopes it leads to some tangible success on the court.

“We have a good group of guys and they like each other a lot,” said McMurray. “I really like this group we have. Every game is getting better and I’m happy with that.

“I’m happy with where we’re at right now.”

Aside from its pair of league games thus far, Raymond is coming off the Cougar Classic, Cardston’s annual December tournament. The result was a loss to Magrath in the consolation final but the team did pick up its first win of the season in the second game of the tourney.

After opening with a loss to Edmonton’s Ross Sheppard, Raymond took on Calgary’s Centennial in the consolation semi and played a solid game from start to finish to pick up the big win.

“Obviously we won, so that’s good, but it really was our best game of the year so far,” McMurray said. “We ended up winning that one by about 30 (points).”

Raymond had no time to rest after Tuesday’s game, as it rounded out the pre-Christmas schedule with a Wednesday trip to Cardston. There were no scores known at press time.

The Comets are in Magrath this weekend for its annual tourney, which normally tips off the season but had to be postponed thanks to a lengthy volleyball season. Cardston, which normally hosts after Magrath, moved its Cougar Classic to last weekend to accommodate.

Sugar Bowl starts Dec. 27

The Boxing Day shopping extravaganza will barely be in the books and the effects of too much Christmas turkey will still have many dragging their feet, but the Raymond Comets are set to host the annual Sugar Bowl beginning Dec. 27, and the club is ready to go.

“We want to win it obviously,” said head coach Jack McMurray. “It’s our tournament, in front of our fans, and this town has a bit of a past tradition, a past tendency of stepping it up for this event.

“You get our great crowd behind you and it becomes a lot easier to play at a high level. We’re very excited to host the tournament, as we always are.”

The Comets will welcome Edmonton’s Ross Sheppard and Harry Ainlay, Calgary’s Centennial and Okotoks’ Foothills Composite as the contingent from outside the zone, while Magrath, Cardston and LCI will be in town from the South Zone.