A newly-revived boys basketball team competed at the provincial A tournament last week in Abbotsford, placing 16th and breaking the tournament three-point record.
Coach Kris Olsen said he was especially pleased with the Queen Charlotte senior boys performance because it's the first time the islands have sent a team to the provincial As since 1990.
In Abbotsford, the team played first against number three seed Mulgrave, a school from West Vancouver. Matt Gladstone scored an incredible 37 points in this game, Mr. Olsen said, earning him the game all-star. Allan Friesen played exceptionally strong defence, holding their 6'6" star shooting centre to only a few points. Dwyer Cross also played strong with seven morale-breaking blocks.
The next game, against Fraser Lake, saw Eddy deBucy, the team's point guard, work to a game all-star, Mr. Olsen said. The senior boys then faced Campbell River Christian School, where they lost to a buzzer beater 91-90 game, with Joel Young earning a game all-star.
The final game saw QCSS face off against the northwest zone champs Bulkley Valley Christian School. Matt Gladstone finished the weekend by breaking the three-point tournament record by two with 21 bombs, Mr. Olsen said.
Recognition goes out to the senior team's bench where Cory Williams, Kyle Shannon, Jonah Collinson, Brionne Lavoie, Denver Cross and Key Borserio all stepped up to complete the team. Because QCSS is so small, the team includes several grade 9 and 10 players, as well as senior grade level players.
The provincial tournament marked the end of a fantastic season, which started with the senior boys traveling to Kitimat in late January, and to the northwest zone championships with Houston in mid-February, where they placed second with a 4-1 record. Joel Young earned a tournament all-star at this event.
The outlook for next year is excellent, Mr. Olsen said, with six of the 11 boys returning. The boys send a special thank you to the G.M. Dawson senior boys team, he said, as the memories shared on the court will last a lifetime.
"We could not have gone so far without their support," he said. He also thanks the Skidegate Band Council, Gwaii Trust, the school district and the staff at QCSS.