North Delta's Amapreet Lalli scores off a steal just before the end of the first half against Wellington during Day 1 Sweet 16 play at the 2024 B.C. senior boys basketball championships March 6, 2024 at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by Wilson Wong property of Langley Events Centre 2024. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

3A Boys: North Delta’s zone defence and the Hothi-Lalli duo carry the day as Huskies top Wellington for Elite 8!

TRIPLE-ANo. 4 NORTH DELTA  66 No. 13 WELLINGTON 45LANGLEY — Just before the half, in a game the North Delta Huskies were already dominating, one of its starting seniors let everyone wearing the school’s traditional black-and-gold that there would be no rest in his team’s quest to return to the provincial Elite 8.First Amarpreet Lalli […]

Senior forward Jack Clayton of Semiahmoo was a huge load for the Kelowna Owls during Day 1 Sweet 16 play at the 2024 B.C. senior boys basketball championships March 6, 2024 at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by Blair Shier property of Vancouver Sports Pictures 2024. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

4-A boys: Semiahmoo’s Jack-hammer pair help T-Birds plow a path to Elite 8, Clayton and Snead prove to much for KSS Owls!

No. 6 SEMIAHMOO 73 No. 11 KELOWNA 64LANGLEY — In the end, Semiahmoo’s two Jacks were enough to break the backs of the Kelowna Owls in a game won in this modern, three-point centric era of basketball with just two made triples.Instead, it was more like throwback, cager-style hoops.Senior post Jack Clayton and Grade 10 […]

On his way to a 16-point performance, Mountain's Kaizer Nystrom hangs in the air to and puts his team up 55-48 with a jumper to beat the third-quarter buzzer agains West Vancouver during Day 1 Sweet 16 play at the 2024 B.C. senior boys basketball championships March 6, 2024 at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of Varsity Letters 2024. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

Boys 4-A: Langley’s No. 14 Mountain men threaten with upset bit, but No. 3 West Van ties a plaid ribbon around a 67-59 win!

No. 3 WEST VANCOUVER 67 No. 17 R.E. MOUNTAIN 59By Howard TsumuraLANGLEY — Andrew Steinfeld, where are you?You know I’m old school, but more than that, just plain old.And so I ask again, Andrew Steinfeld where are you?Back in the spring of 1988, in one of the most organically-grown stories of the B.C. boys high […]

Burnaby South's Llordrikk Gutierrez has his eyes on the rim as he drives past Lord Tweedsmuir's during Day 1 Sweet 16 play at the 2024 B.C. senior boys basketball championships March 6, 2024 at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by Wilson Wong property of Langley Events Centre 2024. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

Boys 4-A: Bby South’s under-sized Llordrikk Gutierrez drops 30 in win over Tweedy then says “I’m playing against Goliath and I am David, every time”

No. 7 BURNABY SOUTH 86 No. 10 LORD TWEEDSMUIR 73By HOWARD TSUMURALANGLEY — Pound for pound, inch for inch, it’s hard to find a better player in the Class of 2024 thaN Burnaby South senior Lordrikk Gutierrez.Fire-plug wide and perhaps somewhat generously listed at 5-foot-10, the Rebels’ play-me-anywhere-and-I’ll-still-get-it-done-coach star was at his best as the […]

Justin Hinrichsen of the Spectrum Thunder is guarded by Everett Muratori of the Prince George Polars during Day 1 Sweet 16 play at the 2024 B.C. senior boys basketball championships March 6, 2024 at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by Wilson Wong property of Langley Events Centre 2024. All Rights Reserved)
Justin Hinrichsen of the Spectrum Thunder is guarded by Everett Muratori of the Prince George Polars during Day 1 Sweet 16 play at the 2024 B.C. senior boys basketball championships March 6, 2024 at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by Wilson Wong property of Langley Events Centre 2024. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

4-A Boys: Spectrum’s first trip to B.C.’s this century finds its groove after early jitters! No. 2 seeds eventually roll past No. 15 Polars!

No. 2 SPECTRUM 89 No. 15 PRINCE GEORGE 56By Howard TsumuraLANGLEY — If you asked the members of the Spectrum Thunder what one thing they would want to most clean up with regards to their game here at the 78th annual B.C. senior boys Quad-A basketball championship, it’s setting the temp off the opening tip.In […]

One of the most fabled B.C. champs of all time celebrate their 60th anniversary this week at the 2024 B.C. boys basketball championships at the LEC. (Photo property of Winslade Collection 2024. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

How Ken Shields learned to dream! The story of a young boy’s road to the B.C. title 60 years ago with the 1964 Prince Rupert Rainmakers!

By Howard TsumuraNORTH DELTA — When I think about the single most enduring reason that high school basketball has remained my favourite subject on which to write, I continually come back to that near-mystical feeling I get thinking about the moment when a young player catches the game’s fever for the first time and never […]

Burnaby South Rebels head coach Mike Bell has his Rebels ready to roll as a No. 7 seed and 10 am date this Wednesday against the Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of Varsity Letters 2024. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

B.C. Boys Basketball Championships 2024: Your roadmap to the LEC’s March Madness adventure! Here’s all four tiers to follow all four glorious days of action at Arena Bowl, Centre Court, South Court and the Fieldhouse!

LANGLEY — Here’s all four 16-team draws as the B.C. senior boys high school basketball championships open Wednesday for a four-day run at the Langley Events Centre.QUAD ATRIPLE-ADOUBLE-ASINGLE-AIf you’re reading this story or viewing these photos on any website other than one belonging to a university athletic department, it has been taken without appropriate permission. […]

Yale's Darius Best slams with authority against R.E. Mountain during Eastern Valley Quad-A championship final played Sunday night at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by Wilson Wong 2024. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

B.C. Boys Top 10 basketball rankings 02.21.28 edition: Oak Bay, St. Pat’s ascend to No. 1 spots in 4A and 3A in 2023-24’s final poll!

LANGLEY — More teams dropping out of the top 10 and more non-ranked teams making themselves known than at any time this season.That’s what happens when zone championship tournaments are at their best.With that said, here’s the final Top 10s of the season heading into Selection Sunday and the 2024 B.C. senior boys basketball championships […]

(Photo by Garrett James property of Vancouver Sports Pictures 2024. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

With Terry Fox’s brothers Darrell & Fred offering pre-game inspiration, Ravens feel ‘invincible’, top St. Pat’s for first BC Jr. Boys title in 22 years!

LANGLEY — Marvin Reyes admitted that before he took to the floor for the pre-game introductions Monday night at the Langley Events Centre for the B.C. junior boys basketball championship final, one of the last things he did was wipe away the tears of emotion from his cheek.“I did, and so did all of my […]

(Photo property Howard Tsumura, Varsity Letters 2023. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball High School Girls Basketball

A message from Howard T: Some changes to my coverage at B.C. girls and boys senior basketball championships

LANGLEY — Hello to all of my loyal readers here at Varsity Letters.I felt it was important today for me to let everyone know that there will be some changes to way I will be covering both the B.C. senior girls and boys tournaments which run Feb. 28-March 2, and March 6-9, here at the […]