British Columbia’s high school version of March Madness has come to a close.
Quite a few Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»teams made it onto the hardwood for the 2014 B.C. High School Basketball Championships held at the Langley Events Centre the first two weeks of March — too many teams to cover thoroughly, to be honest. So here is a post-tourney wrap up detailing how our Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»teams fared. Ěý
• In the junior boys division, the Killarney Cougars, Kitsilano Blue Demons and the Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»College Fighting Irish made it to the Big Dance.
Though all three teams battled hard, none made it into the top nine.
“My team showed commitment, hard work and teamwork all season and to me that is also a marker of success for youth today,” College coach Mer Marghetti told the Courier by email.
"The Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»College junior varsity team made the school proud with their sportsmanship on the court and their dedication to sports as part of their lifestyle.”
• It was an incredible showing in the single-A boys division for the St. Patrick’s Regional Celtics and the West Point Grey Academy Grey Wolves.
The teams faced each other in the final match for first and second spot.
“It was the team’s third visit to the championship game in the past six years so it was their turn to win, as they defeated rival St. Patrick’s 73 to 56,” said Grey Wolves coach Bob Dodds.
• In the double-A boys category, only the Notre Dame Regional Jugglers made it to the provincials.
Though the team didn’t crack the top 10, players can take pride in being the only Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»team in their division to make it.
“This year’s version of the Notre Dame Jugglers senior boys basketball team can be summed up as fighters,” said Jugglers coach Jamie Boreham, who pointed to senior, captain and team most valuable player, point guard Aldrich Berrios as a huge part of Notre Dame making the provincial tournament for the first time in 10 years. Ěý
Unfortunately, Berrios was injured and couldn’t take part in the provincials.
“The Jugglers fought hard but ended up in four tough games at the tournament without their leader,” said Boreham.
• In the boys triple-A division, only the Tigers made it to the show.
The Sir Charles Tupper Tigers finished in fifth spot — the highest finish in the school’s history.
“I can’t express how proud I am of the entire group and how much pride of their actions on and off the court,” said head couch Jeff Gourley.Ěý
“They are a special group of young men.”
• The first year for the boys quad-A tier saw the Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»College Fighting Irish and the Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs battle it out against the best of the best in the province.
The Lower Mainland Zone Tournament champ VC took eighth spot in the province, while Churchill took the title.
“I have a great group of kids, a great group of parents, a great school, a great P.E. department at Churchill,” said Bulldogs head coach Rick Lopez, summing up his feelings on the historic first place win for his team.
“This isn’t just about us and about me this is about everyone at the school and the community who contributed.”
• In the double-A girls division, the Britannia Bruins and York House Tigers made their schools proud with strong efforts in an extremely competitive tournament.
Britannia finished out of the top 10, while the York House Tigers placed fifth in the province.
“We entered the B.C.’s seeded ninth and placed fifth… losing only to the No. 1 seed,” said the Tigers’ athletic director David Prissinotti in an email to the Courier.
“Our performance was arguably the best in the entire tournament when you consider expectations versus outcome.  Ask anyone who the surprise of the tournament was — that is something to be very proud of.”
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Congratulations to all Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»teams.
**This story has been amended since it was first published.Ěý
Can't get enough basketball? Check out this highlight clip of the Churchill Bulldogs vs West Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»in provincial play at the Langley Events Centre.Ěý
