LANGLEY — The Vancouver Independent league race between St. Georges and Vancouver College lived up to its late-season legend.
Each team took turns winning on the other’s home court in a home-and-home last Thursday and Tuesday with the then-No. 1 Fighting Irish coming away with a 94-82 win in the first game, before the then-No. 7-Saints pulled through with a 97-92 triumph yesterday.
The end result?
St. George’s will play as the highest-ranked B.C. team (Quad-A No. 2) in this weekend’s Western Canada Invitational at Kelowna Secondary. Meanwhile, Vancouver College falls back to No. 3.
Dover Bay, which dropped a 90-89 decision to the host team last week at the Vancouver College Emerald tournament, this week topped G.P. Vanier 101-60 and now prepare to open the North Island championships a week tomorrow in Courtenay.
And, oh by the way, they also move into 4A’s coveted No. 1 spot.
At Triple-A, it was a virtual identical example of crosstown foes throwing rankings out the window in late-season league clashes.
In this case, however, former No. 2 L.A. Matheson was swept by No. 7 Enver Creek in a home-and-home set this past Thursday and Monday.
Enver won 72-68 at home in the first game, and the Cougars swept the village derby with a 78-66 victory against the host Mustangs.
When the dust had cleared, Enver Creek was sitting at No. 3 while L.A. Matheson had taken a dip to No. 7.
The emotional residue from those two games are guaranteed to be felt over the course of the South Fraser championships.
There was nothing to match that level of drama as regards to forging change with the provincial rankings.
Here’s this week’s Top 10s for all four tiers, as well as the final B.C. junior boys basketball championship Top 10 of the season. The B.C. junior boys championships begin its four-day run Feb. 21 at the Langley Events Centre:
BASKETBALL
TOP 10 RANKINGS
B.C. SENIOR BOYS
QUAD A
1 Dover Bay Dolphins (Nanaimo) (VI) (LW-2)
2 St. George’s Saints (Vancouver) (VSS) (6)
3 Vancouver College Fighting Irish (VSS) (1)
4 Tamanawis Wildcats (Surrey) (SF) (4)
5 Grandview Heights Grizzlies (Surrey) (SF) (10)
6 Holy Cross Crusaders (Surrey) (SF) (3)
7 Centennial Centaurs (Coquitlam) (FN) (7)
8 Oak Bay Bays (Victoria) (VI) (5)
9 Kitsilano Blue Demons (VSS) (8)
10 Fleetwood Park Dragons (Surrey) (SF) (9)
Honourable mention — Belmont Bulldogs (Victoria) (VI) (NR), Claremont Spartans (Victoria) (VI) (HM), Kelowna Owls (TOK) (HM), Semiahmoo Thunderbirds (Surrey) (SF) (HM), Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs (Vancouver) (VSS) (HM)
Dropped out — Rutland Thunder (West Kelowna) (HM)
TRIPLE A
1 St. Patrick’s Celtics (Vancouver) (VSS) (LW-1)
2 MEI Eagles (Abbotsford) (EV) (3)
3 Enver Creek Cougars (Surrey) (SF) (7)
4 Argyle Pipers (North Vancouver) (VSS) (5)
5 L.A. Matheson Mustangs (Surrey) (SF) (2)
6 Lambrick Park Lions (Victoria) (VI) (4)
7 Byrne Creek Bulldogs (Burnaby) (FN) (6)
8 Brentwood College (Mill Bay) (VI) (HM)
9 Wellington Wildcats (Nanaimo) (HM)
10-tie Thomas More Knights (Burnaby) (FN) (9)
10-tie Richmond Colts (SF) (HM)
Honourable mention — Edward Milne Wolverines (Sooke) (VI) (HM), Magee Lions (Vancouver) (VSS) (10-tie), Mark Isfeld Ice (Courtenay) (VI) (8), Penticton Lakers (TOK) (NR), Sir Charles Tupper Tigers (Vancouver) (VSS) (10-tie)
Dropped out — Steveston-London Sharks (Richmond) (SF) (HM)
DOUBLE-A
1 Collingwood Cavaliers (West Vancouver) (VSS) (LW-1)
2 Notre Dame Jugglers (Vancouver) (VSS) (2)
3 Southridge Storm (Surrey) (SF) (3)
4 Pacific Christian Falcons ((Victoria) VI) (4)
5 King George Dragons (Vancouver) (VSS) (5)
6 Pacific Academy Breakers (Surrey (SF) (6)
7 Surrey Christian Falcons (SF) (8)
8 Abbotsford Traditional Titans (EV) (9)
9 St. Thomas Aquinas Fighting Saints (North Vancouver) (VSS) (10-tie)
10-tie Charles Hays Rainmakers (Prince Rupert) (NW) (HM)
10-tie Mulgrave Titans (West Vancouver) (VSS) (HM)
Honourable mention — Abbotsford Christian Knights (EV) (10-tie), D.P. Todd Trojans (Prince George) (NC) (NR), Kalamalka Lakers (Coldstream) (TOK) (HM), (HM), Langley Christian Lightning (EV) (7), Westsyde Whundas (Kamloops) (TOK) (HM)
Dropped out — Unity Christian Flames (Chilliwack) (EV) (HM)
SINGLE A
1 SJS Eagles (Vancouver) (VSS) (LW-1)
2 Ucluelet Warriors (VI) (2)
3 Daaxiigan Thunderbirds (Masset) (NW) (3)
4 Vernon Christian Royals (TOK) (4)
5 Gabrielle Roy Phoenix (Surrey) (SF) (5)
6 Immaculata Mustangs (Kelowna) (TOK) (7)
7 Maple Ridge Christian Hornets (FN) (6)
8 Lakes District Lakers (Burns Lake) ((NC) (8)
9 Ebenezer Canadian Reformed Timbers (Smithers) (NW) (9)
10-tie Bulkley Valley Christian Royals (Smithers) (NW) (10-tie)
10-tie King David Lions (Vancouver) (VSS) (10-tie)
Honourable mention — Aberdeen Hall Gryphons (Kelowna) (TOK) (HM), Cedars Christian Eagles (Prince George) (NC) (HM), Credo Christian Kodiaks (Langley) (EV) (HM), Southpointe Titans (Delta) (SF) (HM), Sparwood Spartans (KOOT) (HM)
Dropped out —None
(All rankings courtesy B.C. School Sports)
JUNIOR (final)
1 Vancouver College Fighting Irish (VSS) (LW-1)
2 Burnaby South Rebels (FN) (2)
3 Holy Cross Crusaders (Surrey) (SF) (4)
4 Brookswood Bobcats (Langley) (EV) (5)
5 Terry Fox Ravens (Port Coquitlam) (FN) (6)
6 Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers (Surrey) (SF) (3)
7 Heritage Woods Kodiaks (Port Moody) (FN) (7)
8 Vancouver Tech Talismen (VSS) (NR) (8)
9 Brentwood College (Mill Bay) (VI) (9)
10 Lambrick Park Lions (Victoria) (VI) (10)
Honourable mention — Abbotsford Panthers (EV) (HM) , Belmont Bulldogs (Victoria) (VI) (HM), Kelowna Owls (TOK) (NR), Rutland Warriors (West Kelowna) (HM) (10), Walnut Grove Gators (Langley) (EV) (HM)
Dropped out — None
Email all scores here: jrboysprovs@gmail.com
KEY: EV — East Valley, FN — Fraser North, KOOT — Kootenays, NC — North Central, NW — North West, SF — South Fraser, TOK — Thompson-Okanagan, VI — Vancouver Island, VSS — Vancouver Sea-to-Sky
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