LANGLEY — Two of B.C. high school basketball’s tradition-laden top-tiered programs flashed a little something-something, hinting that, late in the campaign, they have each uncovered a little DNA of the yesteryear variety.
The West Vancouver Highlanders, 73-70 regular-season winners back on May 7 over its cross-zone rivals from North Vancouver, the Handsworth Royals, carried that momentum into the North Shore championships with a No. 1 seed.
The Highlanders this week moved from honourable mention status to No. 8 in the most recent Quad-A Top 10 with an opening-round win over Howe Sound. The Royals, themselves opening-round North Shore winners over Carson Graham, also made a move from honourable mention, climbing into the No. 9 spot.
The two Top 10 teams square off tonight, 7:30 p.m., in the North Shore championship final at WVSS as both teams look for added push heading into the Vancouver Sea-to-Sky championships.
Also at Quad-A, unranked Kitsilano took down then-No. 7 Sir Winston Churchill in the Vancouver 4A title game last Friday behind the play of MVP Max Shimizu, pushing the Blue Demons into a share of No. 10 with Surrey’s Enver Creek Cougars.
And to close out 4A, St. George’s flipped spots with Vancouver College and moved into No. 3 after the Saints topped the Fighting Irish 95-81 last Saturday.
At Triple-A, then-No. 10 MEI of Abbotsford toppled then-No. 5 Brookswood of Langley 87-51 on Valentine’s Day in a pivotal Eastern Valley league clash.
The win moved the Eagles up four spots to No. 6 while Langley’s Bobcats fell four spots to No. 9.
Here are the Top 10s for all four tiers courtesy of B.C. boys high school basketball:
BASKETBALL
TOP 10 RANKINGS
B.C. SENIOR BOYS
QUAD A
1 Semiahmoo Thunderbirds (Surrey) (SF) (LW-1)
2 Oak Bay Bays (Victoria) (VI) (2)
3 St. George’s Saints (Vancouver) (VSS) (4)
4 Vancouver College Fighting Irish (VSS) (3)
5 Fleetwood Park Dragons (Surrey) (SF) (5)
6 Kelowna Owls (TOK) (6)
7 Abbotsford Panthers (EV) (8)
8 West Vancouver Highlanders (VSS) (HM)
9 Handsworth Royals (North Vancouver) (VSS) (HM)
10-tie Enver Creek Cougars (Surrey) (SF) (10-tie)
10-tie Kitsilano Blue Demons (Vancouver) (VSS) (NR)
Honourable mention — Burnaby South Rebels (FN) (HM), Claremont Spartans (Victoria) (VI) (9), Holy Cross Crusaders (Surrey) (SF) (HM), Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs (Vancouver) (VSS) (7), Tamanawis Wildcats (Surrey) (FN) (10-tie)
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) (3)
4 Lord Byng Grey Ghosts (Vancouver) (VSS) (4)
5 Byrne Creek Bulldogs (Burnaby) (FN) (6)
6 MEI Eagles (Abbotsford) (EV) (10-tie)
7 North Delta Huskies (SF) (9)
8 Sir Charles Tupper Tigers (Vancouver) (VSS) (7)
9 Brookswood Bobcats (Langley) (EV) (5)
10-tie A.R. MacNeill Ravens (Richmond) (10-tie)
10-tie Valleyview Vikes (Kamloops) (TOK) (8)
Honourable mention —Mark R. Isfeld Ice (Courtenay) (VI) (HM), College Heights Cougars (Prince George) (NC) (HM), Steveston London Sharks (Richmond) (SF) (HM), Alberni District Armada (VI) (HM), Delta Pacers (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) (5)
6 West Point Grey Wolves (Vancouver) (VSS) (6)
7 Westsyde Whundas (Kamloops) (TOK) (7)
8 Mulgrave Titans (West Vancouver) (VSS) (10-tie)
9 St. Michaels University School Blue Jags (Victoria) (VI) (9)
10-tie Collingwood Cavaliers (West Vancouver) (VSS) (8)
10-tie Glenlyon Norfolk Gryphons (Victoria) (VI) (HM)
Honourable mention —Fernie Falcons (KOO) (HM), Lambrick Park Lions (Victoria) (VI) (10-tie), Langley Christian Lightning (EV) (HM), Seycove Seyhawks (North Vancouver) (VSS) (HM), Southridge Storm (Surrey) (SF) (HM)
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 Nanaimo Christian Trail Blazers (VI) (6)
6 Aberdeen Hall Gryphons (Kelowna) (TOK) (5)
7 Bulkley Valley Christian Royals (Smithers) (NW) (9)
8 Nisga’a Nighthawks (Gitlaxt’aamiks, Gitwinksihlkw, Laxgalts’ap, Gingolx) (VI) (7)
9 Gidalang Kuuyas Naay Breakers (Daajiing Giids) (NW (8)
10 Credo Christian Kodiaks (Langley) (EV) (10)
Honourable mention — Campbell River Christian Cougars (VI) (HM), Gudangaay Tlaat’sgaa Naay Thunder (Masset) (NW) (NR), John Knox Christian Hawks (New Westminster) (FN) (HM), Meadowridge Gryphons (Maple Ridge) (Fraser North) (HM), Similkameen Sparks (Keremeos) (TOK) (HM)
