The Elphinstone Senior Boys Basketball Team won the Howe Sound AA Championship Feb. 22, earning a berth in the provincial championships from March 6 to 9 at the Langley Events Centre.
Elphinstone plays in the AA division with seven other schools in the Howe Sound region, four of which were ranked among the top 10 in the province or had honourable mentions during the season, providing for a dramatic Howe Sound tournament.
The Cougars handily won their first tournament game versus Sutherland Secondary by a score of 94 to 51.
The next game versus Seycove Secondary was an overtime thriller as the Cougars trailed late in the fourth quarter but were able to tie the game to force overtime, winning the game 83 to 75.
The semi-final game against St. Thomas Aquinas Regional Secondary School was a back and forth affair, which Elphinstone managed to win 62 to 59.
The final saw Cougars once again matched against Seycove. In the dying seconds Seycove hit a shot to force overtime, but the Cougars prevailed once more, clinching the championship title with a score of 81 to 74.
In addition to winning the Howe Sound Zone tournament, several members of the team picked up individual honours. Gus Goerzen was Tournament MVP and League MVP and named to the tournament all-star team. Elan Kimpton-Cuellar and Noah Woodin were also given tournament all-star team honours.
The Elphinstone Cougars have now been seeded fourth in the upcoming Provincial Tournament, their first game was at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 6 against Abbottsford Christian Secondary School.
– Submitted by Lyle Isaak
