It didn’t take long for the Canyon offense to get clicking in the new year as the Cowboys blew out the Antelope Valley Antelopes in the team’s season opener.
Following an appearance in the Division 2A playoffs last season and a fourth-place finish in the Foothill League, Canyon head coach Jessica Haayer wanted the first game of the season to just be a game where her team can break out of some potential off-season rust.
But to her surprise, the Cowboys defeated the Antelopes 73-15, behind a game-high 25-point performance from sophomore Darby Dunn.
“Last season was a growing period for all of us,” Haayer said. We were all together for kind of the first time and I think we’re better this season, just having [Dunn] return, Shannen Wilson return, Bella Chavez return … we’re going to be, I think, a lot better than we were last year.”
In the first quarter, Dunn and Bella Chavez lit up the scoreboard as they led all Canyon scorers and the Cowboys led, 40-4
Chavez, who went four-of-five shooting for the night, also went three-four-four beyond the arc and was the leading scorer from the 3-point line.
Wilson was the third leading scorer for Canyon as she tallied 10 points on four-for-five shooting.
Not only were the shots landing, but also the ball was being passed around.
Ten different players for the Cowboys scored in the win, including Dunn, who tallied 11 assists and finished the night with a double-double.
For Haayer, the offensive showing was a pleasant sight, but the one aspect she was proud of the most was the defense her team showed through all four quarters.
“I talk a lot about physicality and who is going to win those 50/50 balls and every possession putting pressure on the ball, and I thought that they did that tonight,” she said. “They were aggressive and that’s all I asked for.”
With the win, the Cowboys open the season with a victory in what will be a tough non-league start to the season.
Next week, the Cowboys will face Verdugo Hills and Oak Park, two teams that were in the playoff last season. And on the weekend following Thanksgiving, Canyon will match up with Mater Dei, a game Haayer is looking forward to the most.
But Haayer is taking the schedule one game at a time, and focusing on preparing for the most competitive games her team can play before Foothill League season can begin in December.
“I pride myself in wanting to win and wanting to create a culture here where we do win,” she said. “Next week we’re at Mater Dei, so you want to talk about competitiveness, that’s going to be competitive. Every one of those is like an open division or division one team that we’re playing. So, this is like baby steps in that direction for next week. So, it’s just getting us ready slowly but surely.”
The Cowboys play again on Monday at home hosting Verdugo Hills with the game set to tip off at 2 p.m.
