Feature Podcast

The Varsity Letters PODCAST 11.20.19 edition: Vernon football’s Sean Smith, UFV women’s hoop coach Al Tuchscherer & the LEC’s Gary Ahuja

LANGLEY — The Varsity Letters’ podcast is back, and ready to not only chat about football and basketball, but about the home for so many of our province’s top high school invitational and championship tournaments. First, in the spirit of this Saturday’s Subway Bowl Final Four weekend at B.C. Place Stadium, Vernon Panthers’ head coach […]

A long shot from the outset of her university basketball career, Fraser Valley Cascades head coach Al Tuchscherer now calls rising fourth-year forward Veronica Kobes the ultimate walk-on. (Photo by Dan Kinvig property of University of the Fraser Valley athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Girls Basketball University Women's Basketball

UFV’s Veronica Kobes: The walk-on who refused to walk away speaks to her dual dreams of a career with Cascades hoops and a med school future

ABBOTSFORD — In its most figurative sense, basketball has grudgingly given in. For years, it had watched the unrelenting will to learn from the walk-on who refused to walk away, deciding finally that she had earned the right to be its friend and confidant.

UBC Thunderbirds' Jessica Hanson has grown into the complete player in her fourth season on the Point Grey campus. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Women's Basketball

UBC’s Jessica Hanson: On eve of playoff opener vs. Wesmen, coach Huband says of ‘Birds veteran “…she’ll always err on the side of leadership”

VANCOUVER — Be a scorer. Be a facilitator. Be a lock-down defender. Accepting the task of wearing those three hats on the basketball court at the same time starts you on the road to becoming a complete player.

South Kamloop's Maddy Gobeil has committed her university basketball future to the UFV Cascades. She'll be at LEC Dec. 13 for the start of TBI girls 2018. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2018. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Girls Basketball University Women's Basketball

Mighty Maddy makes her move! South Kamloops Titans’ senior B.C. MVP point guard chooses future with Fraser Valley Cascades

ABBOTSFORD — Some of our best memories are stored away just below the surface, needing just a figurative nudge from within to bring a smile to our faces.

Trinity Western Spartans' women's basketball coach Cheryl Jean-Paul has led her unranked Spartans to a program-best 4-0 Canada West conference start. (Scott Stewart/TWU athletics)
Feature University Women's Basketball

Preseason pain equals program-best Canada West gains as TWU Spartans sweep No. 6 Regina, return home at 4-0 for LEC weekend

LANGLEY — If you’re a fan of Trinity Western Spartans’ women’s basketball, it’s OK to go ahead and admit it. Yes, you counted up the losses which added up to an 0-7 exhibition mark, and you wondered just how much progress the Spartans were going to be making following a breakthrough 2017-18 campaign.

UBC's second-year forward Madison Legault and the rest of the improving Thunderbirds open the 2018-19 Canada West regular season Friday at home to the Saskatchewan Huskies. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics)
Feature University Women's Basketball

UBC women’s basketball: On eve of 2018-19 season-opener, ‘Birds head coach Huband see a talented core set for “a coming of age”

VANCOUVER — The best way to describe just how close last season’s youthful UBC Thunderbirds’ women’s basketball team came to achieving a breakthrough campaign would be to imagine longtime head coach Deb Huband holding up a hand with her thumb and index finger about an inch apart.

UBC's Keylyn Filewich is flashing star potential towards the end of her second season with the 'Birds. (Bob Frid/UBC athletics)
Feature University Women's Basketball

This ‘Key’ unlocks the future: UBC’s Keylyn Filewich opens the door and befriends her inner basketball beast

VANCOUVER — Keylyn Filewich emerged from an impromptu one-on-one chat with her head coach one day not too long ago, realizing to a certain extent that she has just discovered her mission statement.

The most important road trip the UBC Thunderbirds have taken this season was to Cuba over the winter break. (Photo courtesy UBC women's basketball)
Feature University Women's Basketball

Havana hoops holiday helps harvest ‘eureka’ moments, Huband’s UBC Thunderbirds grow together in time to make late-season surge

VANCOUVER — Listen to Deb Huband talk about the ever-evolving state of the youngest team she has ever coached in her 23 seasons at the helm of the UBC Thunderbirds women’s basketball program, and one phrase — ‘eureka moments’ — stands out above all the others.

Tanis Metcalfe is averaging 26 ppg as she leads her Carson Graham Eagles into this week's Top 10 Shoot-Out tournament at Coquitlam's Centennial Secondary beginning Thursday. (Varsity Letters photo by Howard Tsumura)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

Tanis Metcalfe: Carson Graham’s UBC-bound hoops star brings new-and-old school talents to Centennial Top 10 Shoot-Out tourney

NORTH VANCOUVER — It’s one thing for a high school basketball talent to surface in her senior season with a skill set on the court so varied she is able to affect the game at virtual any part of its dimensions. Yet it’s something entirely different when that surfacing reveals what is commonly referred to as […]

Trinity Western Spartans' women's basketball coach Cheryl Jean-Paul has put a brick-and-mortar foundation in place for Trinity Western women's basketball. (Scott Stewart/TWU athletics)
Feature University Women's Basketball

Cheryl Jean-Paul: TWU coach’s unwavering belief lifts Spartans into uncharted territory

LANGLEY — Even in more tumultuous times, her body language never wavered. The women’s basketball program at Trinity Western University has gone through some pretty tough times since Cheryl Jean-Paul took over the program in 2010