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The Dragons know few outside of the senior boys locker room think they can gain a berth against zone stars, Drumheller Composite and St. Joseph Collegiate, this week.

And that’s fine, said coach Jeff Johnson.

"On paper it doesn’t look good. We’re ranked seventh," he said.

"But we have a strong team … we’ve been keeping up with or beating a lot of the top ranked schools and if we peak in zones, I think we have a chance."

Johnson expects there will be two berths into provincials at Daysland High. South Central found out Monday, after press time, whether it would be handed a wild card.

And a additional berth is just what this team hopes for.

It’s one more opportunity for the Dragons, who’ve been dreaming of reaching the provincial level since they first hit the hardcourt four years ago.

"We started working hard in Grade 7 and then decided we wanted provincials. We’ve been doggedly chasing that goal ever since," Johnson said.

The Dragons have moved through the junior and junior varsity levels together, becoming unbeatable in league play. In 2008 they placed second in zones and won the 2A tournament by 40 points the following year.

This is the first year at the senior level for much of the team, which currently holds 30-23-8. It placed first for the regular season and blazed through the initial round of playoffs against Olds High School.

They were 10 points ahead of the team in the first quarter and jumped ahead another 10 after halftime. Forward Braden Overwater provided the shooting power and solid defence against the advancing team, while post Nathan Tucker shot 7 for 7 from the field.

But the team lost to rival Hugh Sutherland for the league championships last Monday, 57-46.

It was disappointing for the team, Johnson said, - though win or lose they will still play zones as hosts March 12-13.

"We are really going to put an effort in this tournament," said post James Lefebvre.

"It won’t be easy with such a strong zone … but I think we can step it up," he said.

Point guard Jordan Poffenroth said he believes the Dragons are on their way towards peaking and that showed during a Canmore tournament two weeks ago.

"We are holding teams to the 50s and 60s. I think we can only go up from here."

Johnson agrees the team has built an intense defence. The trick will be putting points on the board against teams who can also hold their own, he said.

"Our scoring distribution is good. There is real depth to this team … we don’t rely on just one or two players to score. The whole team can do it," he said.

"But in zones … we will have to get points on the board against some of the big teams. That will be a challenge."