Cockrill Cracks All-Star Roster

For the first time in a number of years (quite possibly since Jamie Vaughan from Highroad Academy in 2002), a Chilliwack basketball player has been selected to play in the annual B.C. High School Boys Provincial All-Star Game at UBC.

Micah Cockrill, G.W. Graham's leading scorer and a first-team all-star at AA Provincials, was one of 22 graduating seniors selected to play in the annual showcase.  Cockrill is among the three players representing the AA tier (also including Brett Rouault from Clarence Fulton and Semir Ibrahim from Britannia).

The game will be played at War Memorial Gym at UBC this Saturday afternoon (time TBA).  Below are the rosters for the two teams.

Gotta love March Madness

This week's column

Check out this week's column highlighting Unity Christian and the middle school girls teams from Rosedale and G.W. Graham who both finished well at Provincials.

Last week's column and AAA Provincials

Here's a link for last week's column if you missed it:

Making the grade (Chilliwack Times, March 5)

Also, keep your eyes open for my coverage of the AAA Provincial Championships happening next weekend at the Agrodome in Vancouver.

Unity 66 Glenlyon-Norfolk 65

Much of my Wednesday morning was spent sitting next to a sea of orange at the Langley Events Centre.  No, this was not a massive Gatorade spill, rather the entire student body of Unity Christian School out to support their senior boys team in Unity's first-round matchup against Glenlyon-Norfolk.

The beginning of the game saw Unity jump out to a quick lead although nerves were obvious as Unity missed many easy scoring opportunities.  Unity, typically a very strong rebounding team allowed Glenlyon to grab numerous offensive rebounds.  Nevertheless, Unity led 12-7 after the first quarter.

The second quarter was much the same with Unity pushing the ball but capitalizing on a higher percentage of their field goal attempts.  Keith Vugteveen and Brent Meyerink were the early offensive leaders for the Flames and their efforts helped Unity to take a 29-22 lead heading into halftime.

A completely different game trend emerged in the second half with Glenlyon-Norfolk using endless missed opportunities by Unity to take the lead late in the third quarter.  Brent Meyerink picked up his fourth foul early in the third which sent him to the bench for nearly the entire quarter.

The game was tied or within a margin of two points for most of the fourth quarter until Meyerink hit a three-pointer with 4:28 to play to put the Flames ahead by one.  However, Meyerink picked up his fifth and disqualifying foul (on a foolish block attempt) with 3:13 to play.  Unity, led by Keith Vugteveen, Curtis Vermeer, and a big three by Nathan Vugteveen, went on a solid run to take a seven-point lead with under a minute to play.  Glenlyon hit two late threes to pull the game within one but then missed a last-second heave from halfcourt giving Unity the 66-65 victory.

Unity now advances to play the number one seed, St. Patricks, on Thursday at 1:00pm.

Separated at Birth, Volume 4 (AA Provincials Edition)

In honour of the G.W. Graham Grizzlies finish at this year's AA Provincial Championships, we take some time out of our schedules to reunite some of the Grizzlies with their long-lost family members.

 G.W. Graham coach Sean Wicker

 

Singing sensation and gay rights advocate Clay Aiken

 

Grizzlies center Jesse Derksen

The Simpsons character Cletus Delroy Spuckler

AA Provincials Recap: G.W. Graham finishes 4th

The first entry for G.W. Graham in the AA Provincial Championships was a memorable one.

Their first match-up, L.V. Rogers, turned out to be a little less challenging than originally expected and the Grizzlies marched to a 68-53 victory despite game-long foul troubles for Chris Thomson.  On Thursday, in what was supposed to be a dynamite matchup against Brentwood College, the Grizzlies completely dominated defensively and held Brentwood to only 11 second-half points as they cruised to a 51-27 victory.

However, things get a little tougher on Friday at any Provincial Championships and this year was no exception.  The Friday semi-final matchup against the Britannia Bruins presented the Grizzlies with probably their toughest opponent of the season thus far.  Adding to the adversity was an injury to Micah Cockrill sustained on Wednesday afternoon as he woke up Thursday morning unable to shoot a basketball because of soreness in his wrist.  X-rays taken less than two hours before gametime showed no broken bones so Cockrill taped up and took to the floor on Friday night.

The Grizzlies played Britannia tough at the beginning of the game but started to fall behind in the second quarter and trailed by eight points at halftime.  They managed to have a strong third quarter but the Bruins were too much for Graham on this night as they came away with a 70-52 victory.  The story of the game was the 46-34 rebounding margin in favour of Britannia as well as the fact that Graham only took 54 shots compared to Britannia's 67.  It was a tough loss to swallow for the Grizzlies as it marked the end of their chances at a provincial championship (Britannia went on to defeat R.C. Palmer on Saturday to win their second provincial championship in three years).

On Saturday, the Grizzlies were still emotionally damaged after their semi-final loss but showed up to TRU with a desire to beat the Maroons from Clarence Fulton for the bronze medal.  The Grizzlies started out very strong and led 42-27 at halftime.  However, the Maroons came out much more aggressively in the second half and their press caused numerous Graham turnovers.  The Maroons also rebounded much better in the second half and capitalized on endless second-chance opportunities.  The Grizzlies closed the gap in the fourth quarter and nearly gave themselves a chance to win (because of many Fulton misses at the free throw line) but came up short and lost 83-75.  Micah Cockrill had 37 points and Chris Thomson contributed 21 in their final high school games.  Josiah Cockrill also had his strongest game of the tournament by adding 7 points for the Grizzlies. 

Although finishing fourth would be disappointing by most standards, the Grizzlies exceeded everyone's expectations (probably even their own) by not only winning 2009-2010 AA Fraser Valleys but also having a strong showing at Provincials.  Micah Cockrill was named to the First All-Star Team and Chris Thomson was given Honourable Mention status.  Cockrill and Thomson both hope to play post-secondary basketball next year although their destinations are still up in the air.  Meanwhile, the younger Grizzlies will start preparing for next year which could be a tough year as the Grizzlies lose their two best players and top scorers (Thomson and Cockrill combined for 73% of Graham's field goal attempts and 69% of the team's points at Provincials).

AAA Fraser Valley Playoffs Preview

Although Chilliwack and Sardis both had regrettable finishes to league play, they both qualified for the opening elimination round of the AAA Fraser Valley Championships, which start on Friday night.  However, both teams enter the tournament in the position of David as they face Goliath-like teams.

Sardis, the 31st seed, will play White Rock Christian on Friday at 8pm (at White Rock Christian).  The Falcons are an extreme longshot and will hope to contain Eli Mara, who recently committed to Trinity Western for next season, as much as possible.

Chilliwack will travel to Pitt Meadows to play the venerable Marauders in their first-round matchup (also at 8pm).  The Marauders are led by Mike Lewandowski, also known as "Big Mike" because of his height, and Spencer Evans.  Chilliwack, like Sardis, are underdogs and will face a tough team supported by a loud homecourt crowd at Pitt Meadows.

All this being said, its playoff time and anything can happen...

G.W. Graham 51 Brentwood College 27

What was supposed to be a dynamite matchup on Thursday afternoon turned out to be a complete domination of Brentwood College by the G.W. Graham Grizzlies.  The game started out very slow and there were more fouls than points on the scoreboard for most of the first quarter which ended 6-5 in favour of Brentwood.

Finally both teams decided that they wanted to score and things were a little more productive in the second quarter with Graham finding their stride on some fast break opportunities.  Graham led 22-16 at halftime.  Brentwood started the second half by hitting a three-pointer on the first possession but the momentum swung back to the Grizzlies and they stretched their lead to a 13-point margin heading into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter turned out to be one of the more dominant defensive showings this author has ever seen with Graham allowing 0 (yes, that's a zero) Brentwood points on their way to a 51-27 victory.  Brentwood shot an abysmal 13.8% in the second half while the Grizzlies controlled both ends of the floor.

Micah Cockrill scored 20 points and added 12 rebounds while Lucas Mannes had another strong showing by scoring 14 points on 3 for 5 shooting from three-point range and adding 3 assists.  And although Cockrill was given Player of the Game honours, it was obvious that one of the most important contributions for the Grizzlies on Thursday came from Chris Thomson who pulled down 19 rebounds and added 12 points and 6 steals.

G.W. Graham advances to play the Britannia Bruins in the semi-final on Friday night at 5:45pm.  Britannia is not a particularly tall team but they are extremely athletic and are led by the Ibrahim brothers who are aggressive and smooth basketball players.  The Grizzlies will need to have another stingy defensive performance and will need increased offensive contributions from their bench (only 5 Grizzlies players actually took a shot on Thursday).

G.W. Graham 68 L.V. Rogers 53

On Wednesday morning, G.W. Graham took the floor in their first ever Provincial Championship Tournament appearance against the L.V. Rogers Bombers from Nelson.  G.W. Graham led nearly the entire game but it was a sloppy performance by the Grizzlies against a weak Bombers team.  The Grizzlies now advance to face Brentwood College on Thursday (at 1pm) which in a quarterfinal matchup.  Thursday's game should be full of tension and intrigue as there is bad blood between the two teams (they have split their season series).  Stay here for the latest from Kamloops.

Separated at Birth, Volume 3

Henry Derksen, G.W. Graham Grizzlies forward

Separated at birth from . . . ?

 

Forrest Gump

G.W. Graham: 2009-2010 AA Fraser Valley Champions

Saturday night was one of this season's most exciting nights for high school basketball in Chilliwack.  In front of a packed gym, the #5 G.W. Graham Grizzlies battled the #4 Southridge Storm in the for the AA Fraser Valley Championship with the Grizzlies prevailing 70-59.

The game started late (due to a nailbiting girls championship game - Mission beat Holy Cross) and the younger Grizzlies showed some nerves early compared to the Storm, most of whom are well versed in playoff play (thanks to being Fraser Valley Champions and the Provincial Runner-Up last year).  Although Jacob Andreou was in early foul trouble for the Storm, their star point guard Jordan Yee picked up the slack and picked apart the G.W. Graham zone at times with precision passes.  The Grizzlies, on the other hand, were absolutely dismal from the floor in the first half and struggled to find easy scoring opportunities.  Southridge went into halftime with an 11-point lead and many in the Graham gym were wondering if the Grizzlies knew what they had got themselves into.

However, judging by numerous performances this year, it should be common knowledge that betting against the Grizzlies in the second half is a futile enterprise.  Saturday night was no different as the Grizzlies had an enormous third-quarter with three-pointer after three-pointer coming from multiple G.W. Graham players.  Leading the charge, as usual, was Micah Cockrill and Chris Thomson who showed leadership down the stretch to lead their team.  Micah Cockrill tickled the twine from nearly everywhere on the floor and Chris Thomson played outstanding defense and drew two offensive fouls which changed the landscape of the game.  It should be noted that after allowing the Storm to score 26 points in the first quarter, the Grizzlies tightened their belts and only allowed a total of 33 points in the subsequent three quarters. 

With five minutes to play there was some slight tension as Lucas Mannes committed his fifth and disqualifying foul but Josiah Cockrill and Francisco Armengual stepped up to fill the hole on the roster and help ensure a G.W. Graham victory.  As the final buzzer sounded, the decibel level in the gym reached its peak and the Grizzlies raucously celebrated their first ever Fraser Valley Championship.  Chris Thomson and Francisco Armengual were named to the First All-Star Team and Micah Cockrill was named the tournament's MVP after pouring in 40 points in the semi-final and 39 in the final game on Saturday night. 

The AA Fraser Valley Championship is quite an accomplishment for the G.W. Graham program, which only a few years ago was the butt of many basketball jokes in the Fraser Valley.  The Grizzlies now advance to the Provincial Championships (February 24-27 in Kamloops) where they will play L.V. Rogers in the opening round.  G.W. Graham has exceeded many expectations this season by winning the Fraser Valley but the appetite of the Grizzlies is insatiable and they are looking for bigger and better in Kamloops.

AA Fraser Valley Championship Update: Saturday

Saturday night will see G.W. Graham step onto their home court and try to win their first ever Fraser Valley Championship.  Who stands in their way?  None other than the fourth-ranked Southridge Storm, who have been a perennial powerhouse in the AA Fraser Valley league.

Don't miss this game which tips off at 8:15pm over at G.W. Graham tonight and support the Grizzlies!

G.W. Graham vs. Southridge
February 13, 8:15 pm (at G.W. Graham)

Chilliwack Times Column: February 12

Check out this week's column here.

AA Fraser Valley Championship Update: Thursday

For one local team, Thursday was do-or-die while for another team, it was a chance to achieve a season-long goal.

The Hope Mustangs faced elimination against Abbotsford Christian on Thursday afternoon but they rose to the occasion and won 61-57.  They advance to play Thomas Haney on Friday night (at 6:30pm at G.W. Graham) in another do-or-die game.  The Mustangs must win Friday and Saturday in order to qualify for Provincials.

The G.W. Graham Grizzlies, on the other hand, were looking to secure their first-ever Provincial Championship berth with a win on Thursday night against Thomas Haney.  On this night, there was no fooling around or early deficit for the Grizzlies and they came away with a 71-54 win.  Micah Cockrill contributed 40 points on Thursday night and Francisco Armengual dropped a season-high five 3-pointers but the Grizzlies will need more help in the championship game on Saturday night against Southridge.  Two starters for the Grizzlies, Lucas Mannes and Chris Thomson, are currently playing through sickness and will be using Friday as a rest and recovery day.

Southridge defeated Mission 63-54 in the other semi-final.  The G.W. Graham-Southridge final will tipoff on Saturday night at 8:15pm at G.W. Graham.  This should be a great game and one not to be missed.

AA Fraser Valley Championship Update: Wednesday

The first round of the AA Fraser Valleys on Wednesday, went much as everyone expected it to with both Southridge and G.W. Graham advancing.  However, both teams received slight scares from their opponents.  Southridge started well against Hope before earning a double-digit lead late in the first half.  However, the never-say-die Hope Mustangs mounted a late comeback but ended up on the losing end of a 66-60 score.

G.W. Graham faced Archbishop Carney on Wednesday in the late game and found themselves suffering from a 23-7 deficit early in the second quarter.  However, Micah Cockrill started to find the hoop and soon the Grizzlies were back on top and in control.  Cockrill finished with 28 points as G.W. Graham cruised to a 72-56 victory.

Hope continues their run

Monday night saw Hope defeat Burnsview 90-70 to advance into the eight-team draw of the AA Fraser Valleys.  They will play Southridge at 3:15pm on Wednesday (at Sardis).

The Week Ahead: February 8-13

This week promises to be one of the most exciting yet in the 2009-2010 high school basketball season as the AA Fraser Valley Championships come to town for the first time ever (or maybe just a long time, depending on when you were born).

Co-hosted by Sardis and G.W. Graham, this year's tournament should see G.W. Graham do very well on the boys side as they enter the tournament seeded second only behind Southridge.  G.W. Graham plays their first game on Wednesday night at Sardis at 8:15pm against Archbishop Carney (boys are at Sardis on Wednesday, girls at Sardis on Thursday, boys and girls at G.W. Graham on Friday and Saturday).  Hope is hoping to make it into the draw but will need a win against Burnsview on Monday night to qualify and play Southridge on Wednesday afternoon.


Chilliwack and Sardis are both in action this week as they finish up their league schedules.  On Tuesday night, Chilliwack travels to Abbotsford to take on Abbotsford Collegiate.  Chilliwack has essentially already clinched a playoff spot but a win on Tuesday would help their seeding situation heading into AAA Fraser Valleys.  Thursday night will see Sardis play Robert Bateman (at Robert Bateman) and Chilliwack host Yale at 6:30pm.

AA Fraser Valley Championship Draw

Regionals - Monday, February 8, 2010

R3 @ Hope	6:30pm	GIRLS - North Delta vs GW Graham (E3) (Winner advances)
R4 @ Hope	8:15pm	BOYS -Burnsview vs Hope (Winner advances)

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

1 @ Sardis	3:00pm	Southridge (SW1) v North 3 or East 3
2 @ Sardis	4:45pm	Abbotsford Christian (E2) v Mission (N2)
3 @ Sardis	6:30pm	Thomas Haney (N1) v Holy Cross (S2)
3 @ Sardis	8:15pm	GW Graham (E1) v Archbishop Carney (N3)

Thursday, February 11, 2010

5 @ GW Graham	3:00pm	Loser Game 3 v Loser Game 4
6 @ GW Graham	4:45pm	Loser Game 1 v Loser Game 2
7 @ GW Graham	6:30pm	Winner Game 3 v Winner Game 4
8 @ GW Graham	8:15pm	Winner Game 1 v Winner Game 2

Friday, February 12, 2010 @ GW Graham

Girls Game #9	3:00pm	Loser Game 9 v Winner Game 6
Girls Game #10	4:45pm	Loser Game 8 v Winner Game 5
Boys Game #9	6:30pm	Loser Game 9 v Winner Game 6
Boys Game #10	8:15pm	Loser Game 8 v Winner Game 5

Championship Finals - Saturday, February 13, 2008 @ GW Graham

Girls Game #11	3:00pm	Loser Game 9 v Loser Game 10
Boys Game #11	4:45pm	Loser Game 9 v Loser Game 10 - 3rd / 4th
Girls Game #12	6:30pm	Winner Game 9 v Winner Game 10
Boys Game #12	8:15pm	Winner Game 9 v Winner Game 10 - 1st / 2nd

Weekend Roundup

As most teams prepare for the final leg of their season or the opening round of playoffs only a few local teams were in action over the weekend.

The Hope Mustangs made the six-hour trek up to Quesnel this weekend to take part in the Correlieu Clan Tournament.  The Mustangs started the tournament by trouncing D.P. Todd and College Heights, and scored 201 points over their first two games.  Next was the tournament final against the eighth-ranked Columneetza Cougars from Williams Lake.  The Cougars proved to be too much for Hope as they walked over the Mustangs by a thirty-point margin to win the tournament.  Hope hosts Burnsview on Monday night in their first playoff game.  A win means a spot in the AA Fraser Valley Championships draw, a loss would end the Mustangs' season.

The first weekend in February marks the annual Island Showdown, one of the top A tournaments in the province, hosted by Glenlyon-Norfolk.  This year saw both Highroad Academy and Unity Christian make the trip to Victoria to see how they matched up against other A competition from around the province.  In the first round, Unity Christian snuck by Ucluelet 60-55 while Highroad succumed to second-ranked Bodwell 85-62.  Unity fell to West Point Grey 61-41 in the semi-final before taking third place by beating Immaculata.  Highroad ended up losing to Langley Christian and Ucluelet to end their weekend.  Unity Christian is looking like one of the favourites heading into A Fraser Valleys and should be a team that will show strong at Provincials (their school record is 7th). 

Chilliwack, Sardis, and G.W. Graham all had the weekend off.

Weekly Column in Chilliwack Times

Sometimes the demands of being a student outweigh the demands of being a high school basketball fan and this last week was a good example of that.  In case you missed it, I am now writing a weekly column in the Friday edition of the Chilliwack Times.  This is another great chance to promote local high school basketball to people in the community.  Thank you to Ken Goudswaard for giving me this opportunity.  Here are the links to the first two columns:

Playoffs loom for local teams (Jan. 29)
Adversity making Kornelsen stronger (Feb. 5)

Keep following the blog and weekly column in the Chilliwack Times for the latest high school basketball updates.

G.W. Graham 63 Mt. Douglas 64 OT

On Saturday night, the G.W. Graham Grizzlies took the floor for the fourth time this weekend to face the Mt. Douglas Rams in the finals of the Countdown to the Playoffs tournament, hosted by Brentwood College.  It was the third tournament final this season for the Grizzlies and it was as dramatic as the first two (at the Sardis and Chilliwack tournaments). 

In the first half, Mt. Douglas played at a pace which made life tough for G.W. Graham and the Rams went into the break with a 32-27 lead.  The Grizzlies, who are showing themselves to be more of a second-half team, fought back and tied the game at 43-43 at the conclusion of the third quarter.  It was a see-saw fourth quarter with both teams taking and losing leads.  However, nothing was resolved in the final quarter of play so overtime was necessary for this game (58-58 at the end of regulation). 

It was a low-scoring overtime period as both teams stepped up their defensive games but the Rams proved to be just a little too much for the Grizzlies as they won by one point in overtime despite a last-second three-pointer by Micah Cockrill.

Micah Cockrill averaged 34 points over the weekend and was named tournament MVP for his efforts.  Chris Thomson also had a very strong weekend, with numerous clutch blocks and three-pointers, and was named to the tournament all-star team.  Look for the Grizzlies to jump to the top five in the next edition of the AA Provincial Rankings.

G.W. Graham 49 St. Michael's University School 42

Yes, G.W. Graham won this morning and will advance to the tournament final, but it was not without some adversity.  It was a low-scoring battle on Saturday morning and the Grizzlies found themselves down 26-18 at half time thanks to stifling full-court pressure from St. Michael's. 

The Grizzlies started the second half with a 9-0 run but St. Michael's did not wilt away and retook the lead until the final minutes of the game.  Micah Cockrill found himself in early foul trouble but managed to stay in the game.  This was fortunate for the Grizzlies as they retook the lead with about a minute to play and held on for the victory. 

G.W. Graham advances to play either Spectrum or Mt. Douglas in tonight's final at 6pm at Brentwood College.

G.W. Graham 65 Brentwood College 59

Another trip to Vancouver Island and another win over a higher-ranked team for the G.W. Graham Grizzlies.  This weekend's victim was Brentwood College as they fell to the Grizzlies 65-59 on Friday night in the semi-final of their own Countdown to the Playoffs tournament. 

In front of a gym packed with Brentwood College fans, the home team exploded to a 19-12 lead after the first quarter.  The November or December edition of the Grizzlies might have wilted under the circumstances of a quick deficit, but these are the Grizzlies who have improved and become mentally tougher as the season has progressed.  G.W. Graham kept it close but Brentwood College kept their lead and the score was 47-42 for BCS after three quarters.

G.W. Graham tied the game at 55 with five minutes to play and then took a 58-55 lead with three minutes to play in the final frame.  The Grizzlies held on, thanks to a clutch three-pointer by Lucas Mannes with 30 seconds to play, for the victory.  Chris Thomson, despite foul trouble, had a solid game and Micah Cockrill had another strong game with excellent second-half contributions.

The Grizzlies play St. Michael's this morning in the tournament semi-final, check back here later for the result.

G.W. Graham 80 Alberni District 67

This weekend G.W. Graham took the ferry to Vancouver Island to participate in the Countdown in the Playoffs Tournament hosted by Brentwood College.  Their first game on Friday morning was against the Alberni District Armada, a AAA school.  G.W. Graham started out slow and found themselves down 24-21 after the first quarter.  However, soon the Grizzlies found their stride and cruised to a 80-67 victory led by Micah Cockrill's 44 points.  Lucas Mannes, Chris Thomson, and Hank Derksen added 14, 10, and 10, respectively.  Now the Grizzlies advance to play either Shawnigan Lake or Brentwood College later tonight, two teams who will give the G.W. Graham a difficult game.

Chilliwack tops Abbotsford Collegiate

On Thursday night, the Chilliwack Storm edged out Abbotsford Collegiate in a tight battle at the J.Y. Halcrow Gymnasium on Yale Road.  Andrew Kornelsen and Kyle Lorteau each chipped in 20 points and Kyle Rollheiser was dominant on the boards for the Storm.  This victory puts Chilliwack in a solid position for the playoffs and almost certainly seals the fate of Abbotsford Collegiate, who will probably miss the playoffs.

Looking Ahead to the Fraser Valley Playoffs

Last week, G.W. Graham all but clinched first place in the AA Fraser Valley East division with a 72-61 win over Hope on Thursday.  The win moves the Grizzlies to 8-1, they just need to take care of business on February 2, when they face Abbotsford Traditional in their final league matchup.

Hope, on the other hand, has fallen to 5-3 and will likely finish third in the division barring the combination of an Abbotsford Christian loss and Hope victory in the next two weeks.  Hope would fail to qualify for Fraser Valleys if they lose one of their final two games and D.W. Poppy wins two of their next three.

Sardis and Chilliwack have a few league games left and will both need to consistently beat Robert Bateman and Abbotsford Collegiate - forget about beating Yale - to ensure they finish in the top 4 (out of 5) in their division and advance to the first round of the AAA Fraser Valley tournament.

The format for the A Fraser Valley tournament is still unconfirmed but is likely that we will both Agassiz and Unity Christian taking part while Highroad Academy will be stuck on the outside looking in.  This is the first time that Highroad will miss the Fraser Valley Tournament since they returned to A competition a number of years ago.

Adding to the excitement of playoff time is the fact that the AA Fraser Valley ournament (boys and girls) will be hosted in our own backward at G.W. Graham and Sardis Secondary, February 10-13.  Stay here for the schedule and all the latest updates.

The Week Ahead: Jan. 25-30

All local teams were not in action this weekend which gave them an opportunity to rest any bumps and bruises and start preparing for the final weeks of league play and the lead-up to the Fraser Valley Championships.

Highroad Academy hosts Unity Christian at 7pm in the only local game on Monday night.

On Tuesday, Hope plays host to D.W. Poppy at 8:15pm in a game with important playoff implications.  Chilliwack and Unity Christian will also go to battle in an exhibition game (7pm at Unity).

Abbotsford Collegiate comes to town on Thursday to play the Chilliwack Storm at 8:15pm.  The last time these two teams played, Chilliwack eked out an overtime win so this should be a good game.

Next weekend sees G.W. Graham travel back to Vancouver Island to play in the Countdown to the Playoffs Tournament (hosted by Brentwood College).  Hope will be participating in the 2nd Annual Titan Invitational at Samuel Robertson Technical in Maple Ridge.

TWU Spartans action this weekend at the LEC!

Jan. 21 Rankings

Here are the latest rankings coming out of Basketball BC:

AAA
The usual suspects (Yale, WRCA, Burnaby South, etc.) are still at the top.  Will we see a lower team beat one of these guys in the next two or three weeks before playoffs kick off?

AA
G.W. Graham sits tied for 10th, a ranking they are probably a little disappointed with, considering their wins over Shawnigan Lake and Southern Okanagan (the previous #1) last weekend, but their loss to Brentwood probably prevented a larger step up the ladder.


A
Unity Christian continues to climb up the ranking board (their recent win over Langley Christian is proof what these guys are capable of) and they should be a team to watch out for in A as we get closer to the postseason.

Who has the best nickname in Chilliwack?

At Fraser Valley Basketball we like to report the facts but we also like to do some fun things (like Separated at Birth) that keep people laughing and entertained.  Our newest venture is into the world of nicknames.  Simply put, we are looking for the best nickname of any local basketball player and we need your help!

Whether it is a nickname that has been around for a few years or a nickname that you've been privately keeping in your mind (and laughing to yourself about), we would like you to submit it along with a short explanation.  After the nomination process, we will have a public poll as well as a specially-appointed "Nickname Jury" to select the most fitting and entertaining nickname.

Please shoot me an email at jeremycockrill@gmail.com to submit your nomination.

Chilliwack 77 Sardis 71

Tuesday marked the second time that these two crosstown rivals have met this season and it was yet another close Chilliwack-Sardis game.  Coach Kyle Graves of Sardis shook things up early by electing not to start Josiah Alleckna or Michael Covey, arguably his two best players.  The reasoning for this decision is unknown at this time although reports suggest that Alleckna has recently been suffering from shin splints.

The lineup shakeup did not seem to faze Sardis as they controlled most of the first half and led 45-41 at halftime.  The second half started with two enormous blocks (one by Max Chadsey of Sardis and the other coming courtesy of Andrew Kornelsen) and a 7-2 Chilliwack run.  The referees chose to keep their whistles in their pockets which turned the game into a physical battle (nothing wrong with that) and by the end of the third quarter, Chilliwack was leading 55-51.  It should also be noted that Josiah Alleckna did not play most of the third quarter.

The fourth quarter was marked by continued Chilliwack control as they continued to hold a 5-6 point lead on the Falcons.  Halfway through the fourth, Sardis managed to make it a one-point game but soon after that, the Storm went on a 9-0 which all but sealed the win.  It was a high-scoring final frame but Sardis struggled to score when it counted and Chilliwack pounced on opportunities to ensure that they were the best team on this night.  Andrew Kornelsen led the way for the Storm with 22 points.  For the Falcons, Michael Covey and Josiah Alleckna had 20 and 15, respectively, to set the pace for Sardis.

Chilliwack is seeing much-improved guard play from Kyle Lorteau, Andrew Wyatt, and Cody Parray.  Together, the three guards are taking (and hitting) better shots and making smarter passes.  Chilliwack now seems to understand that, in order to win, the ball needs to be in the hands of their best natural scorer, Andrew Kornelsen.  Kornelsen showed flashes of brilliance Tuesday night and may have an opportunity to play post-secondary basketball if he continues to improve his basketball sense which complements his extraordinary athleticism.

Sardis, on the other hand, seems to have trouble creating scoring opportunities for their best players.  Much of their offensive possessions are spent dribbling the ball around the perimeter or doing handoffs (as if they played football at Boise State) instead of attacking the hoop or setting off-ball screens for their best players.  They are a tough and quick team who usually defend well but they will need to work on the offensive side of their game if they want to win basketball games in the AAA Fraser Valley East division.

Chilliwack visits Yale on Thursday night while Sardis is inactive until next Tuesday, when they travel to Abbotsford to face Abbotsford Collegiate.

The Chilliwack-Sardis rematch will be on Tuesday, February 16 at 6:30pm at Sardis Secondary. 

G.W. Graham 77 Abbotsford Christian 60

At the start of the game, it looked as if it would be another close battle between G.W. Graham and Abbotsford Christian.  G.W. Graham would come down the court and score and then allow ACS to do the same on the other end of the court.  The first half ended with the Grizzlies leading 46-34, after Justin Thiessen of the Knights hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of the first half.

In the second half, it was all Grizzlies as they played excellent defense and scored numerous fast break points allowing them to lead by as much as 30 points.  They closed out the game and posted a 17-point win, a margin that could help determine divisional placing.  If G.W. Graham loses to Hope on Thursday, it is possible that there could be a three-way tie at the top of the East division (depending on a couple of games next week) leaving placing for Fraser Valleys in the hands of a tiebreaking process.

In other AA news, Hope defeated Abbotsford Traditional by 12 points last night.  The G.W. Graham-Hope matchup on Thursday night is sure to be an important one for both teams.

Also on Tuesday, Unity Christian crushed Agassiz by 40 points.

The Week Ahead: Jan. 18-23

Well, now that January 18, supposedly the most depressing day of the year (according to a British researcher) is behind us, its time to look forward to a great week of basketball in Chilliwack.

On Monday, Unity Christian defeated Highroad Academy by a score of 57-43.  Unity is now 3-2 in the A Fraser Valley West/East division and Highroad falls to 0-4.  A bright spot for Highroad on Monday night was Axel Steegstra (grade 10 guard) who finished with 23 points on 7 three-pointers. 

Tuesday night, the Sardis Falcons and Chilliwack Storm renew their crosstown rivalry in their first league matchup of the year.  Chilliwack has been improving lately and although they suffered losses to Kitsilano and Walnut Grove on the weekend, they beat Abbotsford Collegiate 93-89 in a game that went to overtime.   Sardis will be looking to use their physical play and deadly three-point shooting to outmatch the Storm.  That game goes at 8:15pm at Chilliwack Senior.

Tuesday also marks G.W. Graham's much-anticipated rematch with the Abbotsford Christian Knights who narrowly defeated the Grizzlies in their first league matchup.  The Grizzlies swear this game will be different and that they are more than ready for this one.  According to their captain, Micah Cockrill, the Grizzlies are "hungry and determined" to beat the Knights at home.  That game also starts at 8:15pm at G.W. Graham.

Also on Tuesday is the Unity Christian-Agassiz matchup which tips off at 8:15pm out in Agassiz.

What a conundrum for basketball fans in Chilliwack!  Which game should one go to?

Later this week:

• Chilliwack Senior plays Yale Secondary on Thursday night at 8:15pm at Yale
  
• G.W. Graham makes the trek out to Hope for another highly-anticipated rematch (8:15pm start)
• Hope will be the only team in action on the weekend as they participate in the 2nd annual Titan Invitational at Samuel Robertson Technical out in Maple Ridge

If you are hungry for some basketball action this weekend, I would suggest going to see the Trinity Western Spartans play at the Langley Events Centre (200th St. and 80th Ave. in Langley).  They play the Manitoba Bisons on Friday (women at 6pm, men at 8pm) and the Winnipeg Wesmen (women at 5pm, men at 7pm).

Weekend Roundup

• The Hope Mustangs hosted the annual Mustangs Hoopfest this last weekend and finished second after losing to Elphinstone in the tournament final.
• Highroad went 2-1 at the Hope Tournament by beating D.W. Poppy and Agassiz after dropping their first
• Chilliwack Senior was participating in the Snowball Tournament at Abbotsford Collegiate.  They lost 106-77 to Kitsilano and 86-72 to Walnut Grove before winning an overtime thriller against Abbotsford Collegiate 93-89.  Andrew Kornelsen (pictured to the right, #7 blue) averaged 23 points and nearly 17 rebounds over the weekend and Chilliwack had a strong offensive weekend helped by the contributions of Andrew Wyatt, Gary McCrea, and Kyle Lorteau (who chipped in 21 points in their overtime victory).
• G.W. Graham finished 4th in the Victoria Police Tournament.  They managed to beat the top AA team in the province, Southern Okanagan, before falling to the #7 team, Brentwood College, in the semi-finals.  They lost 75-62 to Spectrum in the bronze medal game.  The Grizzlies nearly overcame Brentwood College in the semi-final by outscoring them 19-3 in the fourth quarter (led by Chris Thomson) but could not find the tying basket in the dying seconds.  It also did not help that Micah Cockrill had fouled out early in the third quarter.  Chris Thomson had an excellent weekend and was named to the tournament all-star team but the Grizzlies were most excited by the contributions from some key grade 10 players.  Lucas Mannes had a excellent tournament shooting-wise, Hank Derksen played with confidence, and Josiah Cockrill played his best basketball of the season. 
  

G.W. Graham 57 Brentwood College 60

Game details to follow.

G.W. Graham moves to the 3rd/4th place game against Spectrum at 3:30pm on Saturday.

G.W. Graham 74 Southern Okanagan 66

On Friday afternoon, a giant was slayed in the Victoria Police Tournament at St. Michael's University School.  The G.W. Graham Grizzlies defeated the #1 AA team in the province, the Southern Okangan Hornets by a score of 74 to 66.  The Hornets started the game on a small run but after that it was all Grizzlies as G.W. Graham was led by Micah Cockrill as well as a strong performance from Lucas Mannes to beat the top team in the province. 

The Hornets tied it up with four minutes to play and then again at two minutes but then Josiah Cockrill entered the game (cue the TSN Turning Point).  The junior Cockrill drew a huge offensive foul, hit a free throw (although he did miss 3), and grabbed two rebounds to seal the victory for the Grizzlies.  The Grizzlies are also seeing improved play from Hank Derksen and Geoffrey Slovick (new nickname here . . . "Slovo" . . . you heard it here first). 

One must know that the Hornets were without one of their starters (#23) for most of the second half as he left the game after rolling his ankle.  The Hornets are a strong team who pushes the ball well, hits a lot of outside shots, and defends aggressively but they were probably overrated at the #1 spot.  It should not be expected that the Grizzlies will take the top spot in the next rankings but they will definitely be given a numbered spot by the committee of coaches.

G.W. Graham advances to the semi-finals tonight where they will take on Brentwood College (the #7 AA team) at 8:45pm.  Stay here for the latest results.

G.W. Graham 64 Shawnigan Lake 60

The Grizzlies took their show to Vancouver Island on Thursday and managed to squeak out a four-point victory over the Shawnigan Lake Stags in their first-round matchup in the Victoria Police Athletic Association Tournament.  Micah Cockrill struggled nearly the entire game and the Grizzlies missed numerous free throws in the final minutes, but Chris Thomson picked up the slack and ensured the Grizzlies a second-round date with the top AA team in the province, the Southern Okanagan Hornets from Oliver.  That game goes at 1:45pm on Friday afternoon.  Stay here for the latest.

Abbotsford Christian slays Hope, G.W. Graham mauls D.W. Poppy

It is often said that some things never change and that statement rang true on Tuesday in the AA Fraser Valley East division.  Abbotsford Christian, once again the underdog, defeated the reinvigorated (thanks to the return of guard Jay Dongen) Hope Mustangs 62-55.  This is the second time that Abbotsford Christian has surprised a division powerhouse after their win over G.W. Graham back in December.  One can only guess it was a quiet 84.2-kilometre ride back to Hope in the team van.

There were no surprises in Langley on this night as the G.W. Graham Grizzlies pounded on D.W. Poppy 96-54.  The game started out in back-and-forth fashion, but there was to be no miracle victory in the Greg Leino Gymnasium tonight as the Grizzlies exploded midway through the first quarter and never looked back.  Micah Cockrill had another dominant performance by scoring 32 points from almost everywhere on the floor before fouling out.  Also making the Cockrill family proud was Josiah (#20) by scoring a season-high 7 points.  Francisco Armengual also found his stroke and nailed three-pointers on three consecutive possessions.

G.W. Graham now stands at 6-1 while Hope falls to 3-2.

FV Basketball EXCLUSIVE: Codie Hindle

If you've been to the Cheam Centre, if you go to G.W. Graham, or if you play basketball in Chilliwack, you've probably met him.  He is known for ridiculous half-court shots, athletic clothing, and the patriotic tattoo on his right calf.  He is Codie Hindle.

Codie Hindle played his high school basketball at what is now known as Northern Secondary School in Toronto (pictured below).  Under the influence of his high school coach, Codie became a deadly three-point shooter and earned himself a spot on the 2000-2001 edition of the Brock University Badgers.  After finishing his Bachelor of Sport Management degree, Hindle returned to Chilliwack and became heavily involved in youth sports. 

Hindle is currently the head coach of the grade eight boys team at G.W. Graham but his influence goes well beyond his team and has permeated all levels of basketball in Chilliwack.  Micah Cockrill of G.W. Graham's varsity team calls Codie a "fun and entertaining guy who is always in a gym somewhere having fun".  Cockrill and Hindle are currently involved in a heated one-on-one series with Hindle leading five games to one.

Codie's squad is known as the most fun-loving team in the Fraser Valley East league and they are reaping rewards while maintaining fun as their first goal.  One recent gag occurred when Kam Meldrum, a backup guard on the team, donned a Kobe Bryant jersey while preparing to sub into the game (pictured below).  After the game, Hindle shrugged off the joke's possible effect on his player management and noted that his team is "just a fun group of kids who just has a blast playing basketball".

This author recently had the opportunity to take in one of Codie's games against the Hope Mustangs.  Although Codie's timeout material is about as thin as Tyson Knight's hair, he commands respect and attention from his players as if he had been coaching for decades.  Hindle is one of the most well-known coaches in the local grade eight league and has great rapport with the referees (Codie often officiates games himself and understands the hazards of reffing middle school basketball). 

However, during one recent game against A.D. Rundle, Codie's commitment to high standards apparently slipped as he was hit with a technical foul and nearly ejected early in the first half.  Fraser Valley Basketball, through interviewing multiple eyewitnesses, discovered the words that Hindle uttered to the official but they are unrepeatable on this blog. To make amends for this slight embarrassment, Hindle went through conflict resolution and counselling sessions with the individual referee to remedy the situation.

The coaching future is bright for Hindle because he approaches coaching with an overwhelming commitment to the game and a focus on the player development.  Anybody watching a game where Codie is involved will see that he is passionate about basketball and that he has a lot of fun coaching (and occasionally playing) the game.

Separated at Birth, Volume 2

Ryan Temple, G.W. Graham Grizzlies guard

Separated at birth from . . . ?

Steve Blake, Portland Trailblazers guard