The three blue-chippers headlining the 34th annual Island high school Seniors Classic all-star basketball games, tonight in the Spectrum School gym, will be taking different routes next season.
Griffin Arnatt from the sa国际传媒 Quad-A boys’ semifinalist Oak Bay Bays is headed to the youthful two-time sa国际传媒 West champion and 2023 U Sports national semifinalist University of Victoria Vikes squad that is expected to be knocking on the door nationally for several years to come. The UVic resurgence — the Vikes have not won the national title since their eighth overall in 1997 led by Olympian Eric Hinrichsen — has been bolstered by recent Island high school recruits Diego Maffia from Oak Bay, Ethan Boag, Izzy Helman and Jakob Neufeld out of the Claremont Secondary Spartans, Shadynn Smid from the Cowichan Secondary Thunderbirds and Sergio Pereira from the Shawnigan Lake School Stags. They all return with Arnatt to be added to the roster.
“Griffin [Arnatt] was arguably the best overall player in sa国际传媒 high school basketball this season,” said UVic head coach Craig Beaucamp.
“He is another high-quality Island recruit for us and brings a lot to the table from rebounding to defence to scoring. We’re really excited to get him. He adds to our very young core.”
Highly-regarded Brentwood College star Dylan Gage, meanwhile, has decided to go the preparatory path through essentially a Grade 13 season at the Berkshire Academy in Sheffield, Massachusetts, which has produced numerous NCAA athletes in basketball, hockey, lacrosse, rowing, field hockey, tennis and track.
“It was a terrific offer and it will be a unique experience,” said Gage, who led Brentwood College into the sa国际传媒 Double-AA championship game last month at the Langley Events Centre.
“I think it will be better for me physically and will give me more exposure.”
Gage, who helped lead sa国际传媒 to the silver medal in the 2022 sa国际传媒 Summer Games in the Niagara Region, said he hasn’t ruled out any routes after Berkshire Academy, from NCAA to U Sports. He is a long and crafty guard who can shoot and pass and is known to make the right play. Gage said it’s hard to believe his high school career, at least in sa国际传媒, ends tonight.
“It’s not hit me yet,” he said.
Gage was coached at Brentwood College by his dad, Blake Gage, who also played the game.
“I will always cherish having had my dad by my side in my high school career,” said Dylan Gage.
“He pretty much taught me everything. The way he sees the game is unique. He was a good point-guard and passer and his vision on how to play the game rubbed off on me.”
Meanwhile, two-time Island Quad-A girls’ tournament MVP Adia Pye of the Claremont Spartans is on both the sa国际传媒 junior basketball and rugby teams, leading the sa国际传媒 sevens rugby team to the gold medal in the 2022 sa国际传媒 Summer Games.
“The long-term dream is the national team and Olympics in rugby but I know how difficult and hard that would be to achieve,” she said.
The journey continues when Pye plays rugby for the UBC Thunderbirds. Although rugby will be her sport, the tenacious five-foot-four guard will always carry fond memories of her high school hoops career at Claremont
“I loved attacking the rim hard and am really going to miss high school basketball. It goes by so fast,” said Pye.
She credited her coach Darren Reisig for her success in basketball.
“There isn’t a player in high school who could stop Adia one-on-one,” said Reisig.
The teams tonight for the Island high school Seniors Classic will be divided into South and North teams. The boys’ B game is at 4 p.m., the girls’ game at 5:45 p.m. and boys’ A game at 7:30 p.m. at Spectrum. Admission is $10 and $5 for students.
