The Sooke Edward Milne Wolverines senior boys basketball team stung VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 StellyB次元官网网址檚 on Saturday, Jan. 11 at the Alberni District Secondary School (ADSS) gymnasium with an outstanding 63-62 comeback win, soaring to Totem 69 glory and a championship banner.
Coached by Trevor Bligh, the Wolverines are currently ranked first in the Vancouver Island Triple-A south division.
B次元官网网址淚t was exciting. Eleven times weB次元官网网址檝e come to Totem. Last year we were in the finals and lost, so that was definitely a short-term goal,B次元官网网址� said coach Bligh. B次元官网网址淛ust the power of believing. The kids were down and just to believe they could make it back was a strength that we will take all the way to the end of the year.B次元官网网址�
Bligh praised the Totem 69 tournament committee.
B次元官网网址淎ll of the effort and preparation that this town, school, the community put together, really makes this a prized event and a prize to win. It really feels like weB次元官网网址檝e won the provincials even though we have a ways to go,B次元官网网址� he said.
Wolverines players Malakai Hills won Totem MVP and Odis Simpson earned an All-Star while StellyB次元官网网址檚 Liam Tudway-Cains and Arjan Sraw took All-Stars.
The home team Alberni Storm senior girls took a 51-43 win over the Belmont Bulldogs to earn a spot in the championship final against Pacific Christian School (PCS), but ultimately suffered a heartbreaking 53-41 loss to the defending tournament champions.
Tseshaht First Nations players Jaidin Knighton was awarded tournament All-Star alongside teammate Hayleigh Watts.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 our first `LB次元官网网址� of the season,B次元官网网址� said Knighton. B次元官网网址淭hey are a really good team and we put all our effort into it. We kind of expected it, so we put everything on the court and thatB次元官网网址檚 ok.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚t was really close. Last year, we played them in the final and lost by 30, so this year itB次元官网网址檚 actually a great learning experience for us. It was way closer,B次元官网网址� she added.
Kiki Tupas-Singh of PCS nabbed the tournament MVP trophy while Hana Nazawa from Belmont and Charlie Slater from Wellington also went home with All-Star medals.
Belmont Bulldogs girls coach Brad Lidstone spoke highly of Totem 69. His team went on to win third place in a 55-49 nail biter against Wellington.
B次元官网网址淚 think this is the ninth year my team has come to Totem. We love coming up here because itB次元官网网址檚 unlike any high school environment youB次元官网网址檒l get at any tournament. ItB次元官网网址檚 second to none,B次元官网网址� said Lidstone.
B次元官网网址淭he tournament is run exceptionally. The positivity towards school spirit, towards school athletics is unlike anything youB次元官网网址檒l see anywhere else, and we have no plans to go anywhere else on this weekend for the foreseeable future. We build our year around coming here,B次元官网网址� continued the coach. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a vibe thatB次元官网网址檚 really hard to explain to kids until they see it. When I say to the kids, `oh itB次元官网网址檚 kind of a big dealB次元官网网址�, they understand that it really is.B次元官网网址�
Alberni Storm senior boys lost an interesting game for third place against Carihi from Campbell River B次元官网网址� with only 20 seconds left on the clock, the game was put on pause when a fan needed medical assistance.
The gym was cleared out to make room for paramedics and Totem tournament organizers opted to call the game 73-58.
B次元官网网址淧ort Alberni played tough. We played tough. ItB次元官网网址檚 unfortunate the way it ended in the last seconds there, but it also puts things into perspective. Even though we can experience the kidsB次元官网网址� basketball lives, it was a good experience for them to see the bigger picture of things,B次元官网网址� said Carihi coach Donnie Fitzpatrick.
B次元官网网址淲e always appreciate coming to Totem,B次元官网网址� he continued. B次元官网网址淭he great thing about every time you come here is the unbelievable energy and the fans are great, the student body is great, the community is great.B次元官网网址�
ADSS player Coen Erickson and Carter Reynolds from Carihi won tournament All-Stars.
Port Alberni City Councillor Charles Mealey was announcing games once again, a volunteer duty he took on from when he was a student in 1995.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 where it all started for me. Because of Totem tournament IB次元官网网址檝e done national broadcasts, IB次元官网网址檝e done Bulldogs, Bandits, all these years,B次元官网网址� said Mealey.
Totem is the longest running high school basketball tournament in B.C. and thanks to all the fan support and the amount of respect they show each team, Mealey says Totem is truly a premier basketball event.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been like this since the old high school. We had the old dog pound and a cavernous gymnasium, and it was amazing in there. ItB次元官网网址檚 nice to see here that we still have the crowd up there,B次元官网网址� he said.
