St. Thomas More's Marcus Morales (centre) and the rest of the Knights took a climb from No. 6 to No. 3 in the latest boys AAA Top 10 following a second-place finish at the Rick Hansen tourney this past week in Abbotsford. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2022 All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

B.C. boys hoop ranks 02.08.23 edition: Semiahmoo tops VC Irish to regain No. 1 in Quad-A ranks; STM, Tupper, Westsyde, Nisga’a week’s big climbers!

LANGLEY — The 48th edition of Kelowna Secondary’s Western Canada Invitational has altered the script at the top of the B.C. senior boys Quad-A basketball rankings as the post-season begins.

Semiahmoo’s Thunderbirds, the preseason No. 1, moved back into the penthouse suite of the province’s largest tier, getting a game-high 30 points from forward Cole Bekkering in a 91-83 win over the Vancuver College Fighting Irish in the event’s title clash Saturday.

Point guard Torian Lee added 24 points for the winners, while forward Jack Clayton came off the bench to add 15 more.

Vancouver College, led by the team-high 27 points of Charles Menard, fell from No. 1 to No. 3 in the lastest rankings issued Wednesday afternoon.

Victoria’s Oak Bay Bays moved into the No. 2 slot after beating the host Owls 87-56 in the tourney’s third-place game. The Owls moved up two spots from No. 8 to No. 6.

Three prevously non-ranked teams moved into honourable mention status: North Vancouver’s Handsworth Royals, Surrey’s Holy Cross Crusaders and Langley’s Walnut Grove Gators

The top two teams at B.C.’s three other tiers all remained static this week.

With many zones now into the playoff campaign, here is the latest at all four tiers through games of Feb. 7:

BASKETBALL

TOP 10 RANKINGS

B.C. SENIOR BOYS

QUAD A

1 Semiahmoo Thunderbirds (Surrey) (SF) (LW-2)

2 Oak Bay Bays (Victoria) (VI) (3) 

3 Vancouver College Fighting Irish (VSS) (1) 

4 St. George’s Saints (Vancouver) (VSS) (4) 

5 Fleetwood Park Dragons (Surrey) (SF) (6) 

6 Kelowna Owls (TOK) (8)

7 Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs (Vancouver) (VSS) (9)

8 Abbotsford Panthers (EV) (5)

9 Claremont Spartans (Victoria) (VI) (10-tie)

10-tie Enver Creek Cougars (Surrey) (SF) (7)

10-tie Tamanawis Wildcats (Surrey) (FN) (10-tie) 

Honourable mention — Burnaby South Rebels (FN) (HM), Handsworth Royals (North Vancouver) (VSS) (NR), Holy Cross Crusaders (Surrey) (SF) (NR), Walnut Grove Gators (Langley) (EV) (NR), West Vancouver Highlanders (VSS) (NR)

TRIPLE A

1 St. Patrick’s Celtics (Vancouver) (VSS) (LW-1) 

2 Dover Bay Dolphins (Nanaimo) (VI) (2) 

3 St. Thomas More Knights (Burnaby) (FN) (6) 

4 Lord Byng Grey Ghosts (Vancouver) (VSS) (5) 

5 Brookswood Bobcats (Langley) (EV) (4) 

6 Byrne Creek Bulldogs (Burnaby) (FN) (3) 

7 Sir Charles Tupper Tigers (Vancouver) (VSS) (10)

8 Valleyview Vikes (Kamloops) (TOK) (8)

9 North Delta Huskies (SF) (9) 

10-tie A.R. MacNeill Ravens (Richmond) (HM)

10-tie MEI Eagles (Abbotsford) (EV) (7) 

Honourable mention —Mark Isfeld Ice (Courtenay) (VI) (NR), College Heights Cougars (Prince George) (NC) (HM), Alberni District Armada (VI) (HM), Steveston London Sharks (Richmond) (SF) (HM), Salish Wolves (Surrey) (SF) (NR)

DOUBLE A

1 Brentwood College (Mill Bay) (VI) (LW-1)

2 King George Dragons (Vancouver) (VSS) (2)

3 Pacific Academy Breakers (Surrey (SF) (3)

4 John Barsby Bulldogs (Nanaimo) (VI) (4)

5 St. Thomas Aquinas Fighting Saints (North Vancouver) (VSS) (6)

6 West Point Grey Wolves (Vancouver) (VSS) (7) 

7 Westsyde Whundas (Kamloops) (TOK) (10-tie) 

8 Collingwood Cavaliers (West Vancouver) (VSS) (HM)

9 St. Michaels University School Blue Jags (Victoria) (VI) (HM)

T-10 Lambrick Park Lions (Victoria) (VI) (9) 

T-10 Mulgrave Titans (West Vancouver) (VSS) (5) 

Honourable mention —Fernie Falcons (KOO) (HM), Glenlyon Norfolk Gryphons (Victoria) (VI) (10-tie), Langley Christian Lightning (EV) (HM), Seycove Seyhawks (North Vancouver) (VSS) (NR), Southridge Storm (Surrey) (SF) (8)

SINGLE A

1 Unity Christian Flames (Chilliwack) (EV) (LW-1)

2 King David Lions (Vancouver) (VSS) (2)

3 Brookes Westshore Gryphons (Victoria) (VI) (3) 

4 St. John’s Eagles (Vancouver) (VSS) (4)

5 Aberdeen Hall Gryphons (Kelowna) (TOK) (6) 

6 Nanaimo Christian Trail Blazers (VI) (7)

7 Nisga’a Nighthawks (Gitlaxt’aamiks, Gitwinksihlkw, Laxgalts’ap, Gingolx) (VI) (NR)

8 Gudangaay Tlaat’sgaa Naay Breakers (Haida Gwaii) (NW) (9)

9 Bulkley Valley Christian Royals (Smithers) (NW) (10) 

10 Credo Christian Kodiaks (Langley) (EV) (8)

Honourable mention — Campbell River Christian Cougars (VI) (HM), Dasmesh Punjabi Falcons (Abbotsford) (EV) (NR), John Knox Christian Hawks (New Westminster) (FN) (5), Meadowridge Gryphons (Maple Ridge) (Fraser North) (NR), Similkameen Sparks (Keremeos) (TOK) (HM)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *