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At the end of the 2021 season Creston owner and manager Mike Roberts had a decision to make. Does he keep a team together that had won it all the previous season and had just missed the playoffs with 106 wins, or does he make some changes to try to put together a team that will be in contention for a longer period of time. It was a tough call. Superstars Jovon Yakow and Joaquin Oberkfell had another season left in them and winning in the neighbourhood of 106 games for a third straight season and another run at the Beer with this team was very possible. Roberts just had a feeling though that the team would end up falling just short again. Yakow and Oberkfell would surely retire at the end of 2022 which would make building a contender much harder. Roberts decided to do a one season mini rebuild so that Creston would have the pieces in place going forward to be a contender for a longer period of time.
As you can imagine, the decision to break up a serious contender for the Beer was not a popular decision with the fans. After being somewhat of a surprise winner of the Beer in 2020 there was no longer the attitude of being just happy to be in contention to make the playoffs, but getting back to the Beer was now an expectation in the minds of the Creston faithful. The Kokanee went on to win 90 games in 2022 and finished a distant 3rd place in the division.
We will never know if that 2022 team had it in them to get back to the Beer if it had been left in tact, but the results of two seasons of wheeling and dealing are being seen now as Creston has captured their first Farmers West division title under the tenure of Roberts. Even though they won the Beer just a few seasons ago this title was a very proud moment for the team. For the previous 12 seasons under Roberts they watched Kelowna grab the title 11 times, Vancouver and Victoria once each. The players celebrated this division title with almost as much excitement as they did when they had won it all.
Putting this somewhat new look Creston team together took 14 trades involving 55 players and picks. It also required making some good picks at the 2022 draft. Three of those picks made the team as rookies this season, others were traded away for help in key areas.
It is yet to be seen if this team can make some noise in the playoffs like they have in the past. In 2019 they surprised everybody by taking a Calgary powerhouse to 7 games before bowing out, and in 2020 they got on a roll few expected and took home the Beer. Roberts is hoping they have some of that playoff magic in them this season since they are now entering these playoff as an underdog due to a couple of unfortunate injuries in the final week of the season, including one of the game’s greatest players, SS Shannon Bailes, who may be available for round two if Creston can find a way to get past a tough Regina team in the opening round, and talented veteran pitcher Dustin Carlton who was lost for the season robbing Creston of some depth.
Making the playoffs is a victory in itself for Roberts as he has seen all of his changes paying off. Now that the team has made it though Roberts knows the expectations are high going forward, both with performing in these playoffs and for contending for seasons to come.
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