Faith Dut (centre) and the Semiahmoo Totems hold down No. 1 in B.C. girls AAA basketball through the holiday break. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2018. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

12.19.18 edition: Our final B.C. senior varsity girls provincial Big 10 basketball rankings of 2018

LANGLEY — All three tiers of B.C. senior girls high school basketball check in with their final Big 10 rankings of the calendar year. Our pollsters are eligible to submit their next set of provincial rankings for Jan. 9 release.

Earl Marriott senior Cecilee Max-Brown was voted Varsity Letters' B.C. senior varsity girls 2018-19 Player of the Year by our panel of B.C.'s U Sports and NCAA coaches. (Photo by Justin Quinn provided by Academy Volleyball)
Feature High School Girls Volleyball University Women's Volleyball

Cecilee Max-Brown: Despite abbreviated high school career, Oregon State-bound hitter is Varsity Letters’ B.C. Girls Player Of The Year

SURREY — Her path to top in the world of B.C. girls high school volleyball was more than a tad bit unconventional.In fact, circumstances were such that Cecilee Max-Brown basically didn’t even suit up over her last two high school seasons.Yet the 6-foot-1 outside hitter who will graduate this spring from Surrey’s Earl Marriott Secondary […]

Thirteen of the 16 teams taking part in this week's TBI at the Langley Events Centre, are either ranked or honourable mention in the latest AAA and AA B.C. polls. (TFSE graphic)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

12.12.18 edition: Semiahmoo Totems carve out a new spot atop B.C. girls AAA rankings, South Kam holds AA No. 1

TFSELANGLEY — The Semiahmoo Totems, by virtue of its championship finals win over the defending B.C. AAA champion Kelowna Owls at the UFV Cascades Classic on Saturday, are the new No. 1 at B.C.’s largest tier.

Kelowna's Taya Hanson (left) has graduated but the Owls will still have a tremendous rivalry this season with Tavia Rowell and the rest of the Walnut Grove Gators. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2018. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

Senior girls preseason basketball rankings: Defending champion Kelowna Owls, South Kam Titans retain top spots heading into 2018-19

Pollsters were given the option of revamping preseason B.C. senior girls high school basketball rankings from those published following the 2017-18 chapionships last March. Here are the latest preseason Triple-A and Double-A rankings courtesy of the B.C. Secondary Schools Girls Basketball Association.

The engine of the 2018-19 Kelowna Owls, Jaeli Ibbetson (left) and Kennedy Dickie embraced earlier this months in the seconds before their team won the B.C. AAA title at the LEC. Kelowna will open next season at No 1. (Photo by Garrett James property of Langley Events Centre)
Once Burnaby South Grade 10 big man Sasha Vujisic found his health and his fitness, the road to a AAAA B.C. title turned into an expressway. (Photo by Wilson Wong property of UBC athletics)
Semiahmoo's Adam Paige contests a shot by Tamanawis' Miguel Tomley in Friday Final Four action at the LEC. Tomley scored 48 but the Totems prevailed 74-67. Also on the scene are Jordon Chen (4) and Vlad Mihaila. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

Semiahmoo Totems: “Great teams have great teammates” are words Surrey team takes to heart as it plays in first B.C. final since 1961

LANGLEY — When you talk about the 2017-18 Semiahmoo Totems senior boys basketball team, it’s impossible to do so without referencing the importance they have placed on something best described as their intangible basketball culture.

Watching North Delta's Suraj Gahir reminds this former Huskies grad of the 1987-88 season and the sublime play of former ND great Craig Preece. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

TSUMURA: On 30 years of B.C. high school basketball ties, and why the 1988 Final Four remains my all-time favourite

LANGLEY — I am writing with pace in my hotel room this morning because I have a self-imposed deadline on my plate. It’s 9:32 a.m. and I start to tap keys, and I must be at the Langley Events Centre by the strike of noon to watch the Fighting Irish of Vancouver College tip-off against Victoria’s […]

Semiahmoo head coach Ed Lefurgy watches his team in Arena Bowl shoot-around practice Tuesday at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

Semiahmoo Totems: Program’s growing legacy at B.C. Quad A tourney takes the guesswork out of prep

LANGLEY — It’s run of success as it translates to B.C. Quad A tournament berths is still relatively fresh, yet getting to the Big Dance for the third time in four years is enough that Surrey’s Semiahmoo Totems know how to leave nothing to chance.

Kelowna's Jaeli Ibbetson (centre) casts a smile has her teammates Kennedy Dickie (left) and Taya Hanson celebrate a Final Four win over Semiahmoo on LEC Centre Court Friday afternoon. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of Varsity Letters)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

Jaeli gives these Owls a ‘Power of Three’, Ibbetson joins Hanson, Dickie as trio powers Kelowna into B.C. AAA final

LANGLEY — The power of three looks to be one of the most important themes for whichever team emerges victorious Saturday night to win the 2018 B.C. senior girls AAA basketball championship.