Last season, Abbotsford running back Jalem Catlin was one of only four Grade 11's named to the B.C. AAA provincial all-star team. This season, whichever AA and AAA provincial all-star selections happen not to make it to the Subway Bowl title game will be able to suit up in the first-ever BCSSFA all-star game at B.C. Place Stadium on Nov. 30 (Photo by Becky Szmutko used through permission of Abbotsford Secondary athletics)
Feature High School Football

Subway Bowl’s Super Saturday gets star-studded addition! BCSSFA adds high school all-star game for Nov. 30 at BC Place Stadium

LANGLEY — It’s an idea whose time has come, and the timing couldn’t be any better for B.C. high school football to add even more entertainment value to its heralded championship finals weekend.The BCSSFA has confirmed plans to hold a B.C. all-star game as part of its season-ending Subway Bowl Saturday championship menu this coming […]

Vancouver College's Fighting Irish celebrated a B.C. Triple A title last November. This season, they open the new campaign at No. 5. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Soccer

B.C. boys high school soccer AAA preseason Top 10 rankings: Dr. Charles Best, Argyle tabbed as the teams to beat!

SOCCERSENIOR BOYSTRIPLE APRESEASON1 Dr. Charles Best Blue Devils (Coquitlam)2 Argyle Pipers (North Vancouver)3 Panorama Ridge Thunder (Surrey) 4 Burnaby South Rebels5 Vancouver College Fighting Irish6 Reynolds Roadrunners (Victoria)7 Kitsilano Blue Demons (Vancouver)8 St. George’s Saints (Vancouver)9 Centennial Centaurs (Coquitlam)10 Sullivan Heights Stars (Surrey)Honourable mention — Fleetwood Park Dragons (Surrey), Sardis Falcons (Chilliwack), Oak Bay Bays (Victoria), […]

Surrey's Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers, like great Tweedy teams of past seasons, will greet their home crowd during its ceremonial run onto the field Friday as they host the Kelowna Owls. This week, however, LT will do it as B.C.'s No. 1-ranked AAA team. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Football

Varsity Letters 09.23.19 B.C. high school football rankings: Tweedy takes over AAA No. 1! Hyacks, Sun Devils complete the top three

LANGLEY — Welcome to Week 4 of the 2019 B.C. high school football season. The coveted No. 1 spot in the Triple A rankings has changed for the first time this season.The latest rankings:TRIPLE A1 Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers (Surrey) (2-0, 1-0) (2)LW — Def. Terry Fox 27-0.TW — Friday host Kelowna. 2 New Westminster Hyacks (2-1, […]

For Trinity Western's Joanna Williams, a courageous decision to speak about her mental health struggles has put her in a joyful place, one where she has left her worries behind her. (Photo by Bailey Broadbent property of Trinity Western athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Cross Country

A Sunday Read: TWU’s Joanna Williams confronts her mental health struggles and says “I think there is something so beautiful about feeling strong”

LANGLEY — She’d never had this feeling before.For the first seven seasons of her competitive running life, Joanna Williams had tried to justify the myriad reasons that she trained and she raced, yet in her deepest place, they had all rung hollow.But this new feeling? What was it? She’d never had this feeling before.Two Saturday mornings […]

Carson Graham's Trent Skill breaks the plane of the goal line Saturday to score one of the Eagles' eight TDs on the day in a Buchanan Bowl win over Handsworth. (Photo by Blair Shier property of Blair.photo 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Football

VL’s Saturday BCHSF Report: No. 5 South Delta takes down No. 1 Van College, Carson Graham a big Buchanan Bowl victor

Welcome to the Saturday edition of the Varsity Letters’ B.C. High school football report.We’ve got the first major upset of the season, and a decisive result in the annual Buchanan Bowl.Our thanks to Blair Shier for the generosity and excellence of his photographic contributions.TRIPLE AWESTERN CONFERENCENo. 1 VANCOUVER COLLEGE 23 at No. 5 SOUTH DELTA […]

The SFU defence, led by the likes of defensive back Matt Duda (left) mades things tough for South Dakota Mines' receiver Anthony Ullrich on Saturday at Swangard. (Photo by Paul Yates property of Simon Fraser Clan athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Football

Football growing pains! Two pick-six majors against, two disallowed TDs are Clan’s undoing in home-opening loss to SD Hardrockers

BURNABY — The Simon Fraser Clan may be young, but they are starting to show enough signs of forward progress that head coach Thomas Ford, after the team’s 2019 home opener, refused to use their overall inexperience as a crutch.That was the story as the Clan (0-3) allowed the offence of the visiting South Dakota […]

Gabe Olivares came off the bench Saturday in Winnipeg to quarterback UBC in its loss to the Manitoba Bisons. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Football

UBC Football: ‘Birds hit midway mark of Canada West season plagued by giveaways, penalties in 37-19 loss at Manitoba

The UBC Thunderbirds spent the week leading up to Saturday afternoon’s key Canada West clash in Winnipeg against the Manitoba Bisons building the good vibes they hoped would bring about a sharp turn in their road as the 2019 Canada West season reached its midway mark.Instead, a fumbled hand-off on its first series, a surrendered […]

With solid play in all three phases of play, Hyacks' head coach Farhan Lalji was satisfied with the performance of his team in the provincial capital on Friday. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Football

FINAL EDITION: Varsity Letters’ 09.20.19 Friday Night Lights B.C. High School Football Report

Welcome to the final edition of Varsity Letter’s Friday Night Lights B.C. high school football report. We’ve got the lowdown from all 14 games played today around our province.Be sure to visit us often throughout the weekend. We’ll have Saturday’s package as well right here at VarsityLetters.caTRIPLE AEASTERN CONFERENCENO. 2 LORD TWEEDSMUIR 27 at TERRY FOX 0COQUITLAM — Three players went over […]

Fraser Valley's Taylor Claggett is headed into her senior season with the Cascades relishing the experiences of her team's recent trip to India (left, with teammate Amanda Thompson). (Photos property UFV athletics 2019. All rights reserved)
Feature University Women's Basketball

A Passage To India: The travels of UFV senior Taylor Claggett yield new perspectives as Cascades star preps for a torch-passing season

ABBOTSFORD — So many time-honoured adages centre around the fact that greatness remains elusive without first taking a willing step outside of your comfort zone.Taylor Claggett wants to lead her team to the top of the Canadian university basketball mountain this coming spring, so maybe it was fitting that she stepped outside of hers earlier […]

Vancouver's St. Patrick's Celtics, celebrating a point during last week's UBC Mizuno Invitational at War Memorial Gymnasium, open the new season at AA No. 4. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Girls Volleyball

B.C. girls high school volleyball: It’s Top 10 time again as we check with our first set of rankings at all four tiers!

Welcome to a new season of B.C. senior girls high school volleyball.Here are the first set of Top 10 rankings for all four tiers!QUAD A1 Kelowna Owls2 Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers (Surrey)3 Handsworth Royals (North Vancouver)4 Semiahmoo Totems (Surrey)5 Lord Byng Grey Ghosts (Vancouver)6 Claremont Spartans (Victoria)7 Earl Marriott Mariners (Surrey)8 Oak Bay Breakers (Victoria)9 Elgin […]