The Kelowna Owls show their elation after rallying past Victoria's Claremont Spartans for a four-set win in one of two semifinals contested Friday at the B.C. senior boys AAA volleyball championships. (Photo by Jon Hayduk property of Vancouver Sports Pictures 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Volleyball

B.C. Boys AAA Volleyball – Will Earl Marriott complete golden three-year run, or will Kelowna end 66-year title drought? Answer comes Saturday!

By Gary AhujaLangley Events CentreLANGLEY — All that is standing in the way of the Kelowna Owls’ first AAA provincial volleyball championship in 66 years is an Earl Marriott Mariners program on a dominant three-year run.In 2017, Surrey’s Mariners were 38-0 and captured the junior boys provincial title.After graduating to the senior ranks, the core […]

MEI Eagles' Jonathan Letkemann delivers a kill Friday against Josh Apperloo and the Langley Christian Lightning on Friday in the semifinals of the B.C. senior boys AA volleyball championships at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by Paul Yates property of Vancouver Sports Pictures 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Volleyball

B.C. boys AA volleyball finals are all set: Super-powers MEI and Langley Christian book berths after impressive Friday Final Four wins

By Gary AhujaLangley Events CentreLANGLEY — The two preeminent AA boys volleyball programs in B.C. are set for a Saturday night showdown with the gold medal on the line.Since the turn of the century, the MEI Eagles and Langley Christian Lightning have combined to capture 13 provincial titles and a total of 27 medals over […]

As they prepare for post-game hand-shakes last Saturday night with St. Thomas More, the satisfaction on the faces of Vancouver College players (left to right) Ryan Hsiao, Marcus Teoli and Simon Smith is readily apparent. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Football

Subway Bowl 2019 AAA preview: With a defence producing epic red-light numbers, how do you beat the Vancouver College Fighting Irish?

VANCOUVER — News alert: The Vancouver College Fighting Irish have allowed a grand total of three touchdowns since September, and come this Sunday morning, the day after the Subway Bowl Triple-A championship game, the calendar turns to December.It’s impossible to know, over the entire history of B.C. high school football, if any other team has […]

North Delta's Seaquam Seahawks finished third in their pool on the opening day of the B.C. senior girls Quad A volleyball championships at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo property of Vancouver Sports Pictures 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Girls Volleyball

B.C. Girls Volleyball Championships: Powers remain in contention at Quad-A, Triple-A tiers as LEC turns into knockout stage on Friday

By Gary AhujaLangley Events CentreLANGLEY — Pool play is complete and the teams are ready for the knockout stage as the 3A and 4A tiers of the 2019 B.C. Secondary School Senior Girls Volleyball Provincial Championships got underway at Langley Events Centre on Thursday.The teams for both tiers will play the round of 16 and […]

Prince George's College Heights Cougars battled hard but failed to reach the semifinals in the Double A draw Thursday at the B.C. senior boys volleyball championships at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo property of Vancouver Sports Pictures 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Volleyball

B.C. Boys Volleyball Championships: Pre-tourney seeds prove iron-clad as Friday brings AA Final Four, AAA Elite 8 rounds at LEC

By Gary AhujaLangley Events CentreLANGLEY — It’s down to the Final Four in the 2A tier while eight teams remain in the hunt for the 3A title as teams wrapped up the first two days of competition here at the 2019 B.C. Secondary School Senior Boys Volleyball Provincial Championships.TRIPLE AAll eight top seeds advanced to […]

Unloading down the field, Vernon Panthers quarterback Zack Smith has been a true dual-threat pivot as a senior. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Football

Subway Bowl AA 2019 Preview: Langley coach Piche sees shades of ‘Le-Marvelous’ Durant in Vernon’s 2019 MVP quarterback Zack Smith

VANCOUVER — Ryk Piche was surprised at just how fast a decade could pass when, earlier this season, he got an invitation to the 10-year re-union celebration of the Centennial Centaurs team he helped coach to the 2009 Subway Bowl B.C. high school football Triple A championship title.For many including Piche, now the Langley Saints […]

New Westminster's Greyson Planinsic and a galaxy of B.C.'s best high school talent will take to the field Saturday under the dome for the first-ever BCSSFA all-star game. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Football

ALL-STAR ROSTERS: Your first look at all the selections for Saturday’s inaugural B.C. High School Football All-Star game at B.C. Place

VANCOUVER — All-Star Weekend has finally reached the world of B.C. High School Football.As part of Saturday’s Subway Bowl championship final menu at B.C. Place Stadium, an all-star game will be staged at 2 p.m.The contest will feature talent selected from teams not playing in either the AA or AAA senior varsity finals, meaning there […]

New Lord Tweedsmuir starting quarterback Key'Shaun Dorsey chats with Panthers' offensive coordinator Nick Kawaza during the 2019 Subway Bowl AAA playoffs. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Football

Subway Bowl 2019 AAA Preview: Lord Tweedsmuir sports reaches a rare realm as Panthers meet VC’s Fighting Irish in B.C. title clash

LANGLEY — Brien Gemmell has already thought about how he’s going to be spending some key moment this coming weekend.“Hopefully, I’ll be watching our (senior varsity football team) win at B.C. Place, and I’ll be live-streaming our (senior) girls (volleyball team) on my phone while they are doing the same at their B.C. championships,” the […]

Langley Saints offensive linemen Dayton Boytillier (left) and Dallas Pattenden congratulate running back Kai Thomas after one of his three rushing majors last Saturday in a Subway Bowl semifinal win over G.W. Graham. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Football

Subway Bowl AA Finals Preview: Can the Saints’ march be slowed? Vernon defence will have to be at its best to slow Langley run game

LANGLEY — It’s the kind of highlight that in a film-room session just seems to jump off the screen and get your heart pumping.Last Saturday, in its Subway Bowl B.C. Double A semifinal clash against Chilliwack’s G.W. Graham Grizzlies, Langley running back Kai Thomas took a hand-off, made the first wave of tacklers miss, then […]

Feature Podcast

Varsity Letters PODCAST 11.27.19: Hoops Hall of Famer Howard Kelsey, SFU football’s Rysen John stop by to chat with host Howard Tsumura

LANGLEY — Varsity Letters-The Podcast is celebrating basketball and football as the calendar gets set to take us into December. Joining us first is Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Howard Kelsey, who brings us up to date on the Greater Victoria Invitational NCAA women’s basketball tournament, as well as all the big news on […]