Last week saw the culmination of the District No. 46 elementary basketball programs, with the Grade 4/5 Jamboree, followed by the Grade 6/7 Play Days. In a season that was shortened by numerous “snow days” playing havoc with scheduled games, the end result showed there was no shortage of basketball being played in the schools.
The Grade 4/5 Jamboree had to be relocated to two large gyms, as this day had expanded from eight teams last season to 16 teams entering this year. With the able assistance of the Chatelech high school students that ran the Jamboree, coaches and players wanted to thank Grace Brisebois, Lexi Muir, Tiffany Baldwin, Kayen Agnew, Audrey Spitoff, Stevie Nelson, Luca Enthoven, Olivia Lane, and Andre Montes for their help making this a fun afternoon of basketball for them.
The Grade 6/7 girls tournament was relocated to Pender Harbour high school for the first time, where the girls must have felt like they were on a real “road trip.” After a round robin, teams settled into a playoff round where the intensity clearly picked up. The best semi-final game was the Creek girls barely edging out the Gibsons girls in overtime 11-9. They then proceeded into the finals where they met a determined West Sechelt squad, narrowly winning 11-10 to take home the “A” flight trophy. Kinnikinnick defeated the Gibson “B” girls, to take home the “B” flight trophy.
Elphinstone hosted the Grade 6/7 boys tournament where 16 teams competed with the skill level improving throughout the day. While nearly all the scores were close through the round robin portion, possibly the best game of the day was between Ecole du Pacifique who defeated Roberts Creek with a buzzer beater 12-11 to take home the “B” flight hardware. The “A” flight finals saw perennial powers Cedar Grove and Gibsons square off in a spirited game, with the Gibsons boys returning the trophy to their school’s trophy case. With the Elphi senior boys away at the Provincials, the boys tourney was hard-pressed for referees, but hats off to Rowan Evans-Moore, Piper Goerzen, Hayden Vanderstelt and Brett Bjornson for stepping in to help for the day. Special recognition also goes out to teacher coaches Michelle Dueck from Kinnikinnick, Raun Desharnais from West Sechelt, and Mike Hovanes from Pender, who all chipped in to help with the officiating of games on those days. And a special thanks to longtime Elphi PE teacher Lynn Moran, who came out of retirement for the day and stepped in with a whistle, to help make the day run as smoothly as it did. Congratulations to all players and coaches on a successful basketball season.
– Submitted by Jim Gray
