By Howard TsumuraVarsity LettersLANGLEY — One of the toughest tasks for a head coach is to stand on the sidelines of a high-stakes basketball game and to somehow summon the patience to wait for just the right moment to introduce a new, potentially tide-changing wrinkle to its defensive schematic.Somehow as the second quarter started this […]
High School
To our loyal readers: What’s happening at Varsity Letters this week… an update after the completion of March Madness 2026!
By HOWARD TSUMURAVARSITY LETTERSLANGLEY — What’s happening this week at Varsity Letters?You’d have thought things would have slowed down, yet constant activity within the window before Spring Break is pulling your founder in different directions at the same time.So much so that I am posting this update to all of our loyal readers who are […]
St. Pat’s tops LA Matheson for third B.C. Triple title in five seasons, capping 37-1 campaign… but don’t ask Coach Nap about ‘Best ever’ stuff because “…I don’t care about that stuff”!
(A note to loyal readers of Variety Letters: Cover of the both the 2A BC final between Collingwood and Notre Dame, as well as the Quad-A final between Vancouver College and Dover Bay will appear at some stage over the next two days — Howard Tsumura)NO. 1 ST. PATRICK 94 NO. 2 L.A. MATHESON 67By […]
Underdog Similkameen Sparks top No. 1 St. John for BC 1A title! Keremeos school cheered on via livestream broadcast from the LEC!
NO. 10 SIMILKAMEEN 75 ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL 63By GARY KINGSTON (Special for Varsity Letters)LANGLEY – At the Sanderson Farm Market and Indian Restaurant in Keremeos, the place was packed Saturday afternoon with hyped up basketball fans.The tables were full, about 90 people jammed inside in eager anticipation, watching the game via the Langley Event Centre’s […]
Final Four Friday 2026 Quad-A game 2: Where did this Dover Bay team come from? After win over Owls, an origin story that confounds!
NO. 1 DOVER BAY 92 NO. 4 KELOWNA 83By Howard TsumuraVarsity LettersLANGLEY — In the quiet, whispered corners of the B.C. boys high school basketball coaching community, there’s been a version of a phrase that has been gaining traction the past few seasons.Perhaps this morning, on the final day of the 2025-26 B.C. senior boys […]
Final Four Friday 2026 Quad-A game 1: No. 2 Vancouver College vs. No. 6 Oak Bay
(Note, due to time constraints, the Dover Bay vs. Kelowna game report will appear Saturday morning)NO. 2 VANCOUVER COLLEGE 70 NO. 6 OAK BAY 69By DAN KINVIG (Special for Varsity Letters)LANGLEY — To break a historic curse, you need a little magic.And while “curse” is probably too strong a word for something as as insignificant […]
Final Four Friday 2026 Triple-A game 2: No. 2 L.A. Matheson vs. No. 6 Enver Creek
NO. 2 L.A. MATHESON 85 NO. 6 ENVER CREEK 78By DAN KINVIG (Special for Varsity Letters)LANGLEY — Old-school basketball wisdom suggests that three-point volume is a double-edged sword: If you live by the three, you may also die by the three.Well, the L.A. Matheson Mustangs are not adverse to hoisting a ton of shots from […]
Final Four Friday 2026 Double-A game 2: No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 4 King George
NO. 1 NOTRE DAME 82 NO. 4 KING GEORGE 59By IAN FRENCH (Special for Varsity Letters) LANGLEY — Fighting for the final spot in the B.C. senior boys’ Single-A provincial championship, the top-ranked Notre Dame Jugglers matched up against the fourth-seeded King George Dragons, and the game quickly lived up to the stakes. Through a beautiful […]
Final Four Friday 2026 Double-A game 1: No. 2 Collingwood vs. No. 11 Kalamalka
NO. 2 COLLINGWOOD 90 NO. 11 KALAMALKA 55By IAN FRENCH (Special for Varsity Letters) LANGLEY — Kalamalka made it to the Final Four, holding underdog status. After earning an upset win over the sixth seed on opening day action, the 11th-ranked Lakers found themselves just one win away from reaching the final of the B.C. senior […]
Final Four Friday 2026 Single-A game 2: No. 3 Vernon Christian vs. No. 10 Similkameen
NO. 10 SIMILKAMEEN 69 NO. 3 VERNON CHRISTIAN 67By GARY KINGSTON (Special for Varsity Letters)LANGLEY – Known as the ‘Fruit Stand Capital’ of Canada, Keremeos, in the cradle of the B.C. Okanagan, is more than just abundant orchards of cherries, peaches, apricots and apples.It’s also producing some growing boys who are ripe with on-court potential. […]