Several basketball teams repping Surrey schools have dribbled their way to various levels of success over the past couple of weeks, with senior boys games to come at Langley Events Centre (LEC) from Wednesday to Saturday (March 6-9).
The busy sports complex on 200 Street plays host to 10 provincial championship tournaments detailed on bchighschoolbasketballchampionships.com, for boys and girls teams in multiple divisions.
In Fraser Heights, an “invitational” tourney for junior girls squads saw South Surrey’s Semiahmoo Thunderbirds win the B.C. banner Feb. 25 at Pacific Academy.
In junior boys action at LEC last week, Enver Creek finished sixth in the provincial tournament edging two other Surrey teams, Pacific Academy (7th) and L.A. Matheson (8th). Pacific Academy’s Adriel Bouguep earned Best Defensive Player, Enver Creek’s Smeer Sandhar was named First Team All-star and Pacific Academy’s Judah Ashbee was picked for Second Team honours.
Back on Feb. 10, the L.A. Matheson junior boys won the Surrey championship and a rare basketball banner for the school, followed by the South Fraser regional title with a win over Enver Creek.
Last Saturday (March 2) at LEC in provincial championship games among senior girls teams, Unity Christian Flames (Chilliwack), Langley Christian Lightning (Langley), Brookswood Bobcats (Langley) and Seaquam Seahawks (North Delta) were winners in their respective tiers based on school population size, from A (smallest) to AAAA (largest).
In the AA senior girls division, Surrey’s Holy Cross finished third. “The last time Holy Cross had a medal for the senior girls was in 2014,” noted head coach Joe Vinluan. Crusader Isla Iannuzzi was named First Team All-star. Second Team honours were given to teammates Solene Jackson and Alyssia Palma, and also Camryn Voros of Pacific Academy, fifth-place finishers at provincials.
In the AAAA girls tourney, Cloverdale’s Lord Tweedsmuir team placed sixth in B.C., tops among Surrey teams, and Panther standout Hanna Grewal was named Second Team All-star.
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Congratulations to the Tamanawis Wildcats for winning the 4a South Fraser Championship. pic.twitter.com/VUayRiVouH
— South Fraser Basketball (@sfchampionships) March 1, 2024
At LEC the focus now shifts to senior boys teams in four divisions, with four Surrey squads in biggest-school AAAA action including Tamanawis (ranked #4 heading in), Semiahmoo (#6), Lord Tweedsmuir (#10) and Sullivan Heights (#12). Newton’s Wildcats won the South Fraser title with a win over the Thunderbirds, and Sullivan Heights Stars are at basketball provincials for the first time in school history.
In the AAA senior boys tourney, North Delta is ranked #4 heading in, followed by Surrey’s Grandview Heights at #10.
In AA senior boys, Pacific Academy is ranked #2, ahead of Southridge (#10) and Khalsa School (#14).
In the small-school A division, École Gabrielle-Roy is repping Surrey as the #9-ranked team. The public Francophone school’s Team Phénix, mostly Grade 11 players, recently won the Fraser Valley title over Regent Christian, and will play at basketball provincials for just the second time (the first was four years ago, in 2020).
In all, 64 senior boys teams will play 128 games at the LEC starting Wednesday, with championships to be decided Saturday afternoon and evening. Tickets are sold at the door, and games are streamed for a fee on the website TFSETV.ca.