RICHMOND — Darko Kulic is speaking in jest, yet the head coach of Vancouver’s King George Dragons would never say ‘No’ to getting one more shot at Vancouver Island’s powerhouse, two-time defending B.C. AA champs from Brentwood College.
“You remember the end of Rocky 3?” Kulic asks. “That’s when Rocky and Apollo are alone and they agree to fight one more time in a match no one knows about, and one where they won’t tell anybody who won? That’s what we’d like. Just to know that we can do better.”
Just over one month ago, you will remember, Brentwood College overcame a wave of King George emotion in the title game and posted a convincing 97-59 win over the Dragons.
Yet if life won’t imitate the movies a la the Rocky series, the next best thing might be on view Saturday from Richmond’s R.C. Palmer Secondary.
That’s when the B.C. High School Basketball Association holds it’s All-Star Saturday festivities with three-point and dunk contests, as well as a pair of All-Star games.
One of those will feature the B.C. Single A stars facing those of the B.C. Double A tier, and when it comes to the Double A roster, it’s going to be like a title-game reunion.
Three from Brentwood College — guards Nathan Pasloske, Brendan Sullivan and Bruno Chan — and another three — guard Seyoung Choi and forwards Mohab Mundadi and Boris Obradovic — from King George?
That’s six of the team’s 10 players, and although they were the fiercest of rivals when they clashed March 10 at the Langley Events Centre, Kulic loves the fact that they can now pool their talents within the all-star format.
“That is what is so cool about all-star games, that we can compete so hard against each other and then in games like this, we can mix-and-match and become teammates. It’s like having Cavs and Warriors together on Team USA. We all love to push each other but in the end, we all have nothing but respect for each other.”
Chris Steenhof of Smither’s B.C. champion Bulkley Valley Christian Royals will coach the Single A team, while Brentwood’s Blake Gage will coach the Double A team.
“Blake did a wonderful job,” said Kulic of his title-tilt foe. “His kids play the right way and they were very cohesive. I am glad we got a chance to play them because I thought they were the No. 1 team (across all tiers) in B.C.”
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