Gosse right on track
By Ryan McCracken on June 1, 2018.
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com @MHNMcCracken Bailey Gosse is taking an inside lane to the next level. The Grade 11 Hat High Mohawks basketball star has joined up with the University of Lethbridge Jr. Horns program after a standout high school season in the hopes of becoming a permanent fixture when he eventually enrolls for post-secondary. Standing 6-foot-9, Gosse says he’s always been a head-and-a-half above classmates and opponents alike, but joining up with the Horns has given him some insight on what to expect at the U Sports level. “I get to play against people my size, and really good players,” said Gosse. “It’s definitely different. I’ve learned that I have to get a lot stronger because I can’t just shoot over them — I have to make moves, so I have to get faster too.” Life with the Jr. Horns will take Gosse to a handful of tournaments south of the border over the coming months, including one in Missoula next weekend and another in Las Vegas in July. While the events are sure to feature some serious competition, Gosse’s Jr. Horns will be running hot into Missoula after going undefeated at their home tournament last weekend — which included a decisive victory over his hometown Medicine Hat Outlaws. “It was really weird,” said Gosse, who practices with the Outlaws and competes with the Jr. Horns. “I had to worry about not passing to the other team because I used to play with them. It was just really weird.” While his height provides an advantage in the paint, Gosse doesn’t take it for granted. The leading Mohawks scorer says he hits the gym four-to-five times per week, while getting in at least five shootaround sessions to stay sharp. When he’s finished with the Jr. Horns’ summer season, Gosse will lead his Mohawks back onto the floor for his varsity year. Hat High closed the book on 2017-18 with animpressive underdog performance as hosts of the Alberta Schools Athletics Association 4A championships. While they didn’t leave the court with the crown, Gosse’s 13th-seed Mohawks still made a lot of noise by upsetting the fourth-seed St. Mary’s Saints in the opening round — something Gosse says will be an important learning tool heading into next year. “It was awesome, we were a lower seed but we ended up getting that upset in the first round,” said Gosse, who earned a league second team all-star nod this season. “It was a really cool experience and now everybody has provincial experience for next year so we kind of know what to do in certain situations in close games.” 11
-10
