While hockey playoffs have been top-of-mind for many sports fans, the NBA finals also wrapped up recently, with the Boston Celtics capturing a record 18th championship thanks to a 106-88 win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the finals. Which leads us to a recap of top local high school basketball teams from the season past.
Among teams at the senior (Grade 11-12) level of secondary school basketball, the main story this past season was a provincial championship claimed by the Dover Bay Dolphins AAA senior boys’ team. A year ago the Dover team lost in the B.C. final. This year’s team got sweet revenge after first winning the North Island and Island titles and then going undefeated at provincials in Langley. They became only the second Nanaimo senior boys’ team to earn the AAA B.C. championship, with the other being the 1978 NDSS Islanders, led by coach John Levering and brothers John, Greg and Gerald Kazanowski. (Cedar’s senior AA boys won provincials in 2005 and Dover Bay’s AAAA senior boys won in 2007.)
On this year’s Dover Bay squad were players Arden Alfonso, Manmeet Gurm, Arsh Chahal, Tarman Sandhu, Marcus Lee, Andril Zhukov, Joe Linder, Oyama Crouch, Evan Slater, James McGuire, Braxton Abney, Van Suiter, Hudson Trood and tournament MVP Frank Linder. Head coach was Darren Seaman, assisted by Michael Linder and Curtis Slater.
The AAA senior boys from Wellington Secondary also had a fine season, placing third at Islands and then 12th at provincials. Luke Letham was head coach, Jason Vance and Chris Russell were assistants and Wildcats players were J.J. Gonzalez, Jacob Merilees, Hudson Minifie, Jaxon Goncalves, Gavin Duncanson, Joe Madill, Dimetri Vassilopoulos, Max Hurren, James Park, Holden West, Mack Bach, Brayden Savage, Jackson Peters, Grayson Ritzand, Noah Robertson and Keegan Brouwer.
Wellington’s AAA senior girls’ team got to Islands, losing in the consolation final. On the court were players Fatima Douhaibi, Arieta Sadilkova, Chyvonne Borsa, Samantha Robertson, Caitlyn DeRuiter, Duong Bui, Eshmeet Aujla, Ali Bergmann, Natsuki Tamaru, Toni Saynes, Avery Luciuk and Gray Talbot. Coaching the girls were Dave Brown and Nicole McRae.
At the AAAA level, top senior teams came from Nanaimo District Secondary. The senior boys won the North Islands and were fourth at Islands. Graham Giske and Joel Smith provided coaching for Boyd Anderson, Gavin Gunderson, Daniel O’leary, Jackson Tonsi, Graedon Ratanshi, Troy Lam, Owen Tamasson, Enam Pobee, Cameron Fulla, Carter Clark, Keenan De Wit, Eli Rinald, Luke Sall, Ben Tomasson and Victor Bjarnason.
Meanwhile, the NDSS senior girls placed second at North Islands and fourth at Islands. Representing their school were players Clara Culbertson, Olivia Grant, Hailey Helm, Avery Henderson, Beth Kerridge, Dayna Nickolet, Natasha Olds, Lydia Paris, Lucy Russel, Avery Winchell and Subin Yun.
At the AA level, top local team was the senior boys’ squad from John Barsby Secondary, coached by Rick Hart. The Bulldogs placed second at Islands and then eighth at provincials. Players were Rhondé Lyle, Jonny Durkan, Cohen Cadieux, Kai Rednour Bruckman, William Scott, James Francis, Niall O’Hara, Jacobi White, Jacob Fair, Hayden Beaulieu, A.J. Barter, Arjun Janjua, Wyatt Toomer, Victor Gutierrez Guerra and Ethan Lyttle.
Nanaimo Christian School entered teams at the senior A level. The NCC senior boys hosted and placed third at North Islands, then seventh at Islands. The senior girls were second at Islands, advancing to provincials where they finished 10th. Coaches for the Trail Blazers were Bre Quist and Trevor Kempner and players were Ava Manshanden, Isabel Erickson, Emma McKay, Victoria Somers, Kiana Lucente, Mariia Lavrishcheva, Rachelle Jacobsohn, Brooklyn Haugen, Rebekah Kempner, Nicole Hobbs, Nik Agana and Elizabeth Rocha.
Whatever your sport, a reminder in closing to play your hardest, play fair, and show good sportsmanship.