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The enduring strength of Island high school volleyball was evident over the past two Olympic cycles with Martin Reader out of Highland in Comox competing at London 2012 and Claremont products Fred Winters and Jamie Broder at Rio 2016.
The next generation was on ample display this weekend with Island championships breaking out in gyms like a rash.
鈥淚 call it the ripple effect,鈥� said veteran Belmont girls鈥� coach Mike Toakley, whose Bulldogs are ranked No. 3 in sa国际传媒, despite a youthful squad that includes eight Grade 11 players and two from Grade 10.
The Bulldogs were beaten in five pulsating sets by host and sa国际传媒 No. 2-ranked Mount Douglas in the AAAA Island semifinals on Saturday, with the fifth and deciding set going 16-14 in the Rams favour. The other semifinal between Oak Bay and Dover Bay also went five sets.
Coach Derek Horton鈥檚 Mount Douglas squad went on to win the Island crown by besting Oak Bay in the final. Third-place Belmont and the fourth-place Dover Bay Dolphins will go through a wildcard tournament next weekend in Port Coquitlam in order to get to the sa国际传媒 championships Dec. 1-3 in North Vancouver.
鈥淏oth semfinals were knock-down, drag-out affairs and showed the level of talent on the Island,鈥� said Toakley.
鈥淭he intensity was huge. Mount Douglas was the story.鈥�
But despite the Bulldogs youth, and now having to go through the back door, the Bulldogs believe they are still factors for the sa国际传媒 title. Belmont was ranked No. 1 in sa国际传媒 throughout most of the season before losing a league game to Mount Douglas last week.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to be next year鈥檚 team. We want to be this year鈥檚 team and believe we have the chops to do it,鈥� said Toakley, a former UVic Vikes star player.
As further evidence of Island spiking and digging acumen, Toakley pointed to the Island AAA girls鈥� championships.
鈥淔ive of the AAA Island teams are ranked in the sa国际传媒 top-10 poll and that says a lot,鈥� said Toakley, of that tournament, which was held at St. Michaels University School.
Brooks of Powell River was ranked No. 1 in the province, Timberline of Campbell River No. 2, Nanaimo District at No. 8, Carihi No. 9 and Mark Isfeld No. 10.
The boys鈥� AAA championships were taking place in Dover Bay, with the host Dolphins ranked No. 5 in sa国际传媒, the Reynolds Roadrunners No. 9 and Oak Bay No. 10.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: It was a lost weekend for the Island as the top-ranked Terry Fox Ravens defeated the defending champion Mount Douglas Rams 34-25 in the sa国际传媒 high school football AAA quarter-finals Saturday at sa国际传媒 Place . . . Vernon defeated Ballenas 28-6 in the AA quarterfinals.
