By Howard Tsumura
LANGLEY — Last season’s pre-tournament rankings were better than any mystic’s crystal ball pronouncements.
The Argyle Pipers of North Vancouver and the St. Patricks Celtics of Vancouver were respective No. 1 and 2 seeds heading into the 2025 B.C. junior boys championships, and in the end, it was the Celts topping the Pipers 88-73 in the title tilt.
If the seedings can hold back the tides of upset again this season, then it would only reason that the early prognostications of a Vancouver College vs. Burnaby South championship would provide all the drama the 56th annual gathering can handle when it begins its four-day run at the Langley Events Centre on Saturday.
The Fighting Irish were seeded No. 1 in the gigantic 32-team draw released Wednesday and the Rebels No. 2. (Full draw also below)
The same two teams met in both the 2009 and 2022 final, with the Irish emerging victorious over the Rebels on both occasions, including 51-45 four seasons ago. Since the turn of the century, Vancouver College has won five provincial titles while Burnaby South has won three.
Yet it’s a fool’s errand to assume the script is already set, and that is where all the charm lies in following the rapid-fire twists and turns of the the Big Dance’s younger, smaller but equally dramatic cousin.
Action tips off at 8:30 a.m. Saturday with the first of four games, the first four such quadrants, with additional start times of 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. as the LEC’s Centre Court, South Court, Fieldhouse and East Court are all set to hist games.
Suffer a loss in that first round, and you will instantly move to the consolation side of the draw with your title aspirations are over.
Then, with field whittled to 16 teams, four more quadrants of championship-round games will highlight Saturday afternoon, with twin-bill start times of 4, 5:30, 7 and 8:30 p.m., with those winners advancing to Saturday’s quarterfinal round of four games.
Monday’s Final Four and Tuesday’s title tilt all follow.
This season’s top eight seeded teams: 1 Vancouver College, 2 Burnaby South, 3 Holy Cross, 4 Brookswood, 5 Heritage Woods, 6 Van Tech, 7 Brentwood College, 8 Walnut Grove.
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