70th Annual Underway

The 70^th Annual BC Boy’s High School hit the hardwood at the Langley Events Centre with an impressive line-up.

While several teams seem to make the event either every year or within a five year span, two of interest has missed a combined total of 101 years away from the tournament.

From vintage fords, to Bobby Sox to the IPod, today’s youth only focus on what happens today and seldom look at past history of any sport.

It’s without this insight that the learning, understanding and an appreciation for the sport is lost, if not for the coaches that work with the boy’s playing.

Given the teams that compete each year, this stat alone shocks many not only in the Basketball world, but sporting world as well.

The teams playing are competitive, disciplined and have several talented players on the team that range from Centre to Point Guard, who is normally the leader when on the court.

They are probably capable of a better shooting accurately from further distances and overall usually have good ball-handling skills.

The small forward often has an aggressive approach to the basket when handling the ball.

The power forward is considered to be what is termed a post player or a big and is the one that typically works around/under the basket, often having the ability to grab lay-ups or shots near the basket.

Head Coach of Lord Tweedsmuir Raj Bagry to me “the school is really buzzing and on a high since we made it, considering we haven’t been there for the last 62 years.”

They are there only due to the stellar play of a full squad that caught fire in the Fraser Valley Zone Play-downs and qualified.

The other school that has been out since 1976, 39 years ago is the Semiahmoo Totems who told us “We are excited to be here and they are in love with the moment.”

Lord Tweedsmuir opened the tournament at noon with a win of 73-47 over the Howe Sound Champions, the West Vancouver Highlanders.

Tweedsmuir is guided by Justin Mason and Iqwinder Gill both forwards and point guard Brett Norris.

The guards that have stepped up for Semiahmoo are Curtis Harvey and Brian Spanier, as well as Patrick Dujmovic in the front of the court.

Each trio has averaged a combined game total of 43 points per game, so this shows the depth of the squad.

Bagry graduated from Aldergrove and he strongly focused on Pat Lee and Tom Antil who were coaching during his time spent playing.

Lefurgy on the other hand graduated from Chilliwack also gives credit to the same pair, who were his coaches in Abbotsford at Collegiately the U of the Fraser Valley.

The first day is in the books and everyone from the organizers to the Staff at the LEC are to be commended on putting on such an impressive show of talent.

For more info visit http://www.bcboysbasketball.com/leagues/homeBCBoysBasketball.cfm?leagueID=0&clientID=2192&link=BCBoysBasketball