Vancouver Island boys’ high school basketball has been “on an upswing,” said Chris Franklin, and that may be an understatement.
Franklin’s Oak Bay Bays are ranked No. 2 in sa国际传媒 heading into the Island Quad-A championship running today through Saturday in the Cowichan Secondary School gymnasium.
Franklin pointed to the recent graduates who have come through Island high school hoops and have propelled the University of Victoria Vikes to the No. 1 ranking in the U Sports national top-10 poll. Of the Vikes’ local-heavy roster, Diego Maffia and Jaden Touchie are out of Oak Bay, Izzy Helman, Ethan Boag and Jakob Neufeld from Claremont Secondary, Shadynn Smid from Cowichan Secondary and Sergio Pereira is out of Shawnigan Lake School.
“There’s the club work, and the individual skills coaches the kids have now, and we are seeing the results with a higher level of basketball player coming out of high school and the top ones are staying on the Island and playing for UVic,” said Franklin.
It is reminiscent of the UVic Vikes national-championship dynasty of the 1980s which was built largely on the talents of Island high school products such as Craig Higgins, Kelly Dukeshire, Ted Anderson, Phil Ohl, Greg Kazanowski and Olympian Gerald Kazanowski.
“With our population and history, it should be happening again and is,” said Franklin.
“You open up the Island high school tournament program this week and see past all-stars like [two-time NBA MVP] Steve Nash and [former UVic national-champion and Olympian] Eric Hinrichsen.”
The echoes carry forward with Hinrichsen’s son, rising Grade 10 standout Justin Hinrichsen, leading Spectrum into the Island tournament today. The younger Hinrichsen will be closely watched over the next two years.
But the next player heading from the Island tournament to UVic will be Vikes-recruited Grade 12 star Griffin Arnatt of the Bays, but not before he attempts to bring Island and sa国际传媒 championship banners home to Oak Bay, which has only the Semiahmoo Thunderbirds of White Rock ranked ahead in the province.
“We have entered the top tournaments in sa国际传媒 this season to put our players in pressure situations so they will be ready for moments like this,” said Franklin, of his Bays.
“It will come down to who has the best three days. The keys are defence, rebounding and playing smart.”
Given a good chance of meeting Oak Bay in the Quad-A Island championship game on Saturday night are the sa国际传媒 honourable mention-ranked Claremont Spartans. Joining Oak Bay, Claremont and Spectrum in the Island tournament are the Reynolds Roadrunners, Belmont Bulldogs, Cowichan Thunderbirds, Nanaimo District Islanders and G.P. Vanier Towhees of Courtenay.
The top-two Island teams will advance to the sa国际传媒 championship next month at the Langley Events Centre.
The Island berths in the provnicial Triple-A high school championships at the LEC will be decided today through Saturday at Stelly’s Secondary. The Dover Bay Dolphins of Naniamo are ranked No. 2 in sa国际传媒 and favoured in the Island tournament, which includes the Stelly’s Stingers, Esquimalt Dockers, Carihi Tyees, Vic High Totems, Wellington Wildcats, Mount Douglas Rams and Alberni Armada.
The boys’ Double-A Islands are today through Saturday at St. Michaels University School and feature sa国际传媒 top-ranked Brentwood College, provincial No. 4 John Barsby and No. 9 SMUS.
Meanwhile, sa国际传媒 No. 9-ranked Claremont beat Reynolds in the girls’ Quad-A Island championship game last weekend in Claremont’s gym. Reynolds then beat third-place Belmont in the challenge game Tuesday night to earn the second Island berth into the sa国际传媒 championship next week at the LEC.
Claremont will open the sa国际传媒 tournament against No. 8-ranked Sir Winston Churchill as the draw for the provincial tournaments was held Wednesday night.
Reynolds, the 12th seed, opens against No. 5 Seaquam.
“The Island was so strong this year that Belmont deserved to go to provincials, too, but we only get two berths,” said Claremont coach Darren Reisig.
All-rounder Adia Pye of Claremont, a provincial team player in both basketball and rugby, was named Island tournament MVP for the second consecutive year as the Spartans defended their title. They look to be good for a while yet with Claremont Grade 10 players Iva Kalabric and Carys Clarke named to the Island first all-star team.
“We know Adia will get her points, but we also share the ball well on offence, and commit to defence,” said Reisig.
SMUS, meanwhile, is top-ranked in sa国际传媒 in girls’ Triple-A and they will open the provincial championship tournament against No. 16 W.L. Seaton. Mark Isfeld, the 15th seed, opens play against No. 2 Abbotsford.
The Double-A tournament will seed third-seeded Pacific Christian open against No. 14 St. Patrick, while No. 12 Brentwood College faces No. 5 St. Thomas More and 15th seed Lambrick Park goes up agianst No. 2 Langley Christian.
