TransCanada Christmas Camp with Scott Allen

Haircut of the Week: Gary Mccrea

The "Doublehawk" - Gary Mccrea, one of the rookies on this year's edition of the Chilliwack Storm has made the decision to change up hairstyles in an attempt to intimidate opponents.  For his efforts, Gary has been given the dubious distinction of "Haircut of the Week".  Congratulations Gary.

Separated at birth from . . . . ?

 

Mayor from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

G.W. Graham 86 Hope 57

Well, the clash of the titans turned out to be more of a Sparta-Persia affair with G.W. Graham dominating Hope on Thursday night.  The preparation and lead-up to the game was tense and both teams came into the gym ready to do battle for AA Fraser Valley East division supremacy. 

The Grizzlies were a little more focused and prepared on this night (probably helped by their loss to Abbotsford Christian) and they jumped out to a quick lead and led after the first quarter 22-12.  Micah Cockrill led the Grizzlies with a hot hand and hit three three-pointers in the first period.  The second quarter was no different for the Mustangs as they continued to struggle to find opportunities on offense and contain Graham's shooters.  G.W. Graham led 47-27 at the half.

The Mustangs continued to expend effort but never got close as the Grizzlies moved to 3-1 in league with a 86-57 victory.  Micah Cockrill finished with 37 points helped by six three-pointers and Chris Thomson added 15 points and a solid 17 rebounds.  Ryan Temple contributed 5 points and Henry Derksen and Josiah Cockrill finished with 4 each.  However, the most exciting Graham basket of the night was Jesse Derksen's first basket of the year which brought the entire Graham bench off their feet and into a frenzy.  The Stat Sheet Stuffer of the night was Lucas Mannes who had a solid line with 13 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds.  G.W. Graham bench contributions and strong defensive rebounding helped lead them to the win on this night.

The lone bright spot for the Mustangs was the three-point shooting of Linden Willock who finished the game with 18 points (five three-pointers).  Wilson Willock was Hope's leading scorer with 26 points.  Hope will have to find more efficient ways to score and get the ball into the hands of their best players if they want to make noise beyond early February. 

Notes:

• Another factor in the Graham victory was the fact that assistant coach Mike Mannes decided to listen to voices of fashion wisdom and change from white to black socks before the game
• It should be noted that our Stat Sheet Stuffer of the night, Lucas Mannes, fell into some hard luck after the game as he allowed Scott Thomson to nail a game-winning three-pointer in a 2-on-2 pickup game in the small gym (Lucas is currently doing defensive closeout work)
• The Hope fans definitely outnumbered and out-yelled the G.W. Graham fans on this night

G.W. Graham 66 Abbotsford Christian 68

On Tuesday night, the squad from G.W. Graham braved subpar road conditions and travelled to Abbotsford Christian to face the Knights in their third league game of the year.  The Grizzlies were flying high coming off a solid weekend and were immediately caught off guard by the hungry Knights.  Abbotsford Christian used an effective fast break to build a 10-point lead at the half which left the Grizzlies and their fans across the Valley in shock.  Mark Vanderwal had a monster dunk for the Knights which only hurt the mental psyche of the Grizzlies.  G.W. Graham recovered in the second half and led by three with two minutes to play.  However, the game came down to the final seconds and Justin Thiessen hit a deep fadeaway three-pointer with the clock ticking away to put the Knights up permanently.  Micah Cockrill's last-second heave was an unanswered prayer and Abbotsford Christian handed G.W. Graham their first league loss 68-66.  The Grizzlies are now 10-3 overall and 2-1 in league.  The Knights were hungrier, tougher, and more focused on this night and they deserved their first league victory of the year. 

G.W. Graham 78 Sa-Hali 81

It was an all double-A battle on Saturday night in the final game of the Chilliwack Tournament as G.W. Graham took on the Sa-Hali Sabres from Kamloops.  The game started out with Graham taking an early lead and establishing themselves by taking the ball to the hoop early and often.  Chris Thomson had a solid first half by crashing the boards and taking high percentage shots.  However, the Sa-Hali point guard (#6) was keeping the Sabres in the game by getting to the key and making smart plays.   G.W. Graham led Sa-Hali by 10 after the first half. 

The third quarter is where the intensity of the game was dialed up and the battle was taken to a new level.  The Sabres went on a quick run and shrunk the Graham lead to two.  The Grizzlies were not helped by the fact that Lucas Mannes and Chris Thomson found themselves in foul trouble.  One of the best plays of the game was Micah Cockrill being baptized for the second time as his layup attempt was soundly rejected by Sa-Hali #15.  However, Micah responded with a deep three from the Chilliwack Middle School parking lot and the Grizzlies retook the lead and led 64 to 60 at the end of the third quarter.

The Grizzlies started the fourth quarter with a 9-6 run but then the Sabres went on an 11-2 run in a span of two minutes to take control of the game and a 77-75 lead.  However, led by Micah Cockrill’s hot hand, the Grizzlies managed to stay close but the hot shooting and tight defense of Sa-Hali proved to be too much for the local Grizzlies squad as the Sabres escaped a number of game-winning and game-tying attempts from G.W. Graham.  It did not help the Grizzlies that Lucas Mannes and Micah Cockrill combined to miss three free throws in the final minutes of the game.  Sa-Hali held on to win 81-78.

Chris Thomson was named a first-team all star as well as #12 and #6 from Sa-Hali.  Micah Cockrill, who scored 47 in the final game, averaged 38 points per game over the weekend and was named the tournament MVP.  He continues to show that he is the best player in Chilliwack and probably one of the top players in the Fraser Valley and the province.

Sa-Hali defeats Sardis, G.W. Graham tops G.P Vanier

On Friday, two local teams took on two teams from out of town in the semi-finals of the Chilliwack Tournament.  The mouths of many local basketball fans watered at the thought of another G.W. Graham-Sardis matchup (third weekend in a row) but others were experience Grizzly vs. Falcon fatigue and were hoping for some new matchups.  G.W. Graham had advanced to play G.P. Vanier from Vancouver Island and the Grizzlies had control for most of the game on the road to a 73-67 victory over the Towhees.  Micah Cockrill scored a ridiculous 44 points (6 three-pointers) to lead the Graham contingent.

Sardis played Sa-Hali (Kamloops) in the later semi-final and it was another physical battle for the Falcons.  The game really heated up when Colin Currie of the Falcons was ejected and then Coach Kyle Graves fell to the same fate midway through the fourth quarter.  The referees noted that Sardis had no other Sardis coach on the scoresheet and were about to call the game when the Sa-Hali coach walked over and convinced them to continue the game.  However, at this point the Falcons were out of it and the Sabres cruised to a double-digit victory.  This officially puts the ejection count of Coach Graves at 1, which leads all local coaches.  This is surprising as many suspected the Mouritzen-Wicker coaching combo of Graham to face early season ejection problems considering their history with referees (for those of you counting at home, the Graham bench has yet to receive a technical foul this season).

Sardis plays G.P. Vanier in third-place game at 4:45pm and Graham takes on Sa-Hali in the final at 6:30pm.  Both games should be entertaining and a great chance to watch local talent.

Sardis 85 Chilliwack 79

An old cross-town rivalry was renewed last night as the Sardis Falcons advanced to the round of 8 in the Chilliwack Senior Tournament to face the host Chilliwack Storm.  The game started out close but Sardis led 38-31 at half thanks to more hot shooting by Josiah Alleckna.  The third quarter was a different story as the Chilliwack Storm came out with a lot more aggressiveness and effort after halftime and the game was tied after the third quarter.  Andrew Kornelsen and Gary Mccrea were the major offensive contributors to the run but the entire Storm team showed a lot more heart on defense and focused on keeping the Sardis shooters cold.  However, Chilliwack wilted in the fourth quarter as they backed off offensively and decided not to shoot the high percentage shots they depend on.  The Falcons pounced on this opportunity and capitalized on their opportunities in the final quarter to take the game by a score of 85 to 79. 

Adam Halcrow (a clutch and-1 play as well as a three), Michael Covey (nice finishes under pressure), and Josiah Alleckna (three pointers) were the main Falcons who really led the fourth quarter charge.  It was a decently refereed game which was not helped by the fans and coaches complaining about nearly every single call.  Kyle Graves earned himself a technical foul in the second half but Chilliwack missed both of those free throws which served as a bad omen for the Storm.   It should also be noted that Colin Currie did not wear his sleeve for the second consecutive game and there was a tense moment in the game when he appeared to injure his shoulder.  The Falcons advance to play Sa-Hali in the semi-final game tonight at 6:30pm.  G.W. Graham and G.P. Vanier play in the other semi-final at 4:45pm.

G.W. Graham 71 MEI 57

The Grizzlies were anticipating their possible matchup with MEI for a number of weeks.  However, after dispatching North Peace early on Thursday, they could finally focus on MEI for their Thursday afternoon game at the Chilliwack Senior Tournament.  The game started with G.W. Graham opening up a 13-2 lead much to the surprise of most basketball pundits in attendance.  The first quarter ended with G.W. Graham leading 24-13 with only two Grizzlies contributing to the scoresheet (Micah Cockrill with 17 and Chris Thomson with 7).  The Eagles of MEI continued to struggle for the rest of the game and only got as close as 6 points before succumbing to the Grizzly onslaught.  Cockrill finished with 35 points and Geoffrey Slovick, probably Graham's most valuable player of the game, finished with 15 points in a solid performance from a grade 10 future star.

Sardis 88 Hope 71

Sardis defeated the Hope Mustangs in the first round of the Chilliwack Senior Tournament earlier today by a score of 88-71.  Hope started strong with a 17-7 to begin the game but did not have the depth to stay with the improving Falcons.  The Mustangs were also missing their starting point guard because of a school suspension.  Cody Field put in a solid rebounding effort for the Mustangs and Wilson Willock continues to impress with his aggressive and physical brand of basketball.  Also of note, Colin Currie of the Sardis Falcons was without his trademark compression sleeve on his left arm.  We can see three possibilities for this wardrobe absence; maybe his injury has been completely healed or maybe he's tired of getting trash talked or there is always the possibility that it was stolen by a Chilliwack Senior Secondary student.  Hopefully he finds the sleeve in time for tonight's matchup with Chilliwack.

G.W. Graham 88 North Peace 53

In the first game of the Chilliwack Storm Invitational Tournament, the G.W. Graham Grizzlies defeated the North Peace Oscars by a 35-point margin.  The Oscars are in the midst of a road trip and although they did not show signs of fatigue, they were no match for the stifling defense of the Grizzlies.  The Grizzlies continue to frustrate opponents with their tough perimeter defense and up-tempo offense.  Chris Thomson was the Grizzlies' best player against North Peace and Graham had strong contributions from Micah Cockrill, Lucas Mannes, and Francisco Armengual.  The Grizzlies advance into the 8-team draw to play MEI at 3pm later today.

Chilliwack Senior Secondary Invitational Tournament

Thursday December 10th -
Game 1 : [ 8am ] G.W. Graham 88 vs North Peace 53
Game 2 : [ 9:45am ] Point Grey 64 vs Valleyview 61
Game 3 : [ 11:30am ] Pentiction 67 vs Elgin Park 53
Game 4 : [ 1:15 pm ] Sardis 88 vs Hope 71
Game 5 : [ 3:00 pm ] MEI 57 vs G.W. Graham 71
Game 6 : [ 4:45 pm ] GP Vanier vs Point Grey
Game 7 : [ 6:30 pm ] Sa-Hali vs Penticton
Game 8 : [ 8:15 pm ] Chilliwack vs Sardis

Friday December 11th -
Game 9 : [ 9:45 am ] North Peace vs Valleyview
Game 10 : [ 11:30 am ] Elgin Park vs Hope
Game 11 : [ 1:15 pm ] MEI vs Loser of Game 6
Game 12 : [ 3:00 pm ] Loser of Game 7 vs Loser of Game 8
Game 13 : [ 4:45 pm ] G.W. Graham vs Winner of Game 6
Game 14 : [ 6: 30 pm ] Winner of Game 7 vs Winner of Game 8

Saturday December 12th -
Game 15 : [ 9:45 am ] Loser of Game 9 vs Loser of Game 10
Game 16 : [ 11:30 am ] Winner of Game 9 vs Winner of Game 10
Game 17 : [ 1:15 pm ] Loser of Game 11 vs Loser of Game 12
Game 18 : [3:30 pm ] Winner of Game 11 vs Winner of Game 12
Game 19 : [ 4:45 pm ] Loser of Game 13 vs Loser of Game 14
Game 20 : [ 6:30 pm ] FINAL: Winner of Game 13 vs Winner of Game 14

Graham 87 D.W. Poppy 58

In their first league matchup at home, the Grizzlies took on the Redhawks of D.W. Poppy.  The Grizzlies dominated the first quarter and took a 14-0 lead to start the game which included a two-handed dunk from Micah Cockrill on the fast break.  The Grizzlies led 29-15 after the first quarter and 53-33 at the half.  The Graham starters continued to play in the third quarter and increased the lead to 70-48 after three periods.  The Redhawks stuck around thanks to come key contributions from Garib (#25) and #13 but finally Grizzlies put away Poppy in the fourth and came away with an 87-58 victory.  Micah Cockrill finished with 32 points and Lucas Mannes chipped in with 19.

On a fashion note, all three members of the G.W. Graham coaching staff donned sweater vests to mark the first home game of the year.  Mike Mannes' argyle-patterned rendition of the sweater vest inspired one member of the team in particular, Phoenix Lipinski, who put in a strong rebounding effort along with a number of buckets.

This Week: Dec. 7, 2009 - Dec. 12, 2009

Monday, December 7

• Chilliwack visited Walnut Grove for an exhibition matchup and suffered a tough loss.
  
• G.W. Graham played their first league game in Aldergrove against the Totems and won by a score of 80-57.  The Grizzlies dominated the weak Aldergrove backcourt.  Micah Cockrill led the way with 27 points, Chris Thomson chipped in with 21, and Zack Braddick put in an impressive performance and added 6 points to the Grizzlies total.
• Highroad Academy played the Agassiz Chieftans and suffered a 54-41 loss, which is their first loss to the Chieftains in recent memory.  The Knights will need some players to establish themselves as threats if they want to succeed in league play.
  
• Unity Christian also went up against the Credo Kodiaks.
  

Tuesday, December 8

• G.W. Graham is the only local Chilliwack team in action tonight as they host D.W. Poppy at 8:15PM.  Come out and support the Grizzlies at their home league game of the year.
• Hope also hosts Abbotsford Christian in another AA Fraser Valley East league matchup. 
  

Wednesday, December 9

• No local teams in action tonight

Thursday, December 10 - Saturday, December 12

• Highroad Academy goes to battle with St. John Brebeuf.
• The Chilliwack Storm Classic hosted by Chilliwack Secondary School gets underway.  G.W. Graham, Sardis, Chilliwack, and Hope are all taking part in this year's edition of the tournament.  G.W. Graham plays North Peace in the morning game at 8AM and Sardis starts against Hope at 1:15PM.  The Storm do not play until 8:15PM where they will face the winner of the Sardis/Hope game (sure to be a good matchup whoever Chilliwack plays).
  

This Weekend: Grizzlies Invitational Tournament (RECAP)

It was another exciting weekend of high school basketball in Chilliwack, this time at G.W. Graham.  The feature game was the semi-final which saw G.W. Graham host rival Sardis (read the full recap here) but there other exciting games from Thursday to Saturday.

Thursday saw four games, none of which were close.  Abbotsford Traditional and Kwantlen Park had an exciting overtime game on Friday which was decided by free throws in the extra frame.  Sardis versus Graham was well . . . what everyone expected it to be . . . close.  Mission dispatched Guildford Park in the other semi-final.

On Saturday, Abbotsford Traditional experienced their second overtime game of the weekend as they fell to the Highroad Academy Knights who were backed by Yenuel Westeringh's 37-point performance.  G.W. Graham rebounded from Friday's loss and survived a scare from Guildford Park to take 3rd place in their home tournament.  Chris Thomson had a strong double-double and Micah Cockrill provided more timely shooting.  Sardis and Mission had final fit for the ages as it came down to the wire.  With nine seconds left, Josiah Alleckna hit a deep three-pointer to cut the Sardis deficit to two (71-69) but Mission scored again and took the final game 73-69.  Congratulations to the Mission Roadrunners.   

Our MVP and All-Star selections:

MVP - Josiah Alleckna, Sardis

All-Stars
Tanner Pierce, Mission
Micah Cockrill, G.W. Graham
Milode Khwaja, Guildford Park
Yenuel Westeringh, Highroad Academy
Michael Covey, Sardis


Thursday, Dec. 3
9:45am (GAME 1) - G.W. Graham 83 vs. Abbotsford Traditional 63
1:15pm (GAME 2) - Kwantlen Park 70 vs. Sardis 85
4:45pm (GAME 3) - Aldergrove 45 vs. Guildford Park 85
8:15pm (GAME 4) - Highroad Academy 47 vs. Mission 67

Friday, Dec. 4
9:45am (GAME 5) - Abbotsford Traditional 56 vs. Kwantlen Park 57 OT
1:15pm (GAME 6) - Aldergrove 49 vs. Highroad Academy 44
4:45pm (GAME 7) - G.W. Graham 63 vs. Sardis 71
8:15pm (GAME 8) - Guildford Park vs. Mission

Saturday, Dec. 5
9:00am - Abbotsford Traditional 77 vs. Highroad Academy 81
10:45am - Kwantlen Park 63 vs. Aldergrove 57
2:15pm (3rd PLACE) - G.W. Graham 73 vs. Guildford Park 63
5:45pm (FINAL) - Sardis 69 vs. Mission 73

Sardis 71 G.W. Graham 63

The second battle of the "War on the Southside" was as many expected, a physical, close, and exciting battle.  There was increased hype and rhetoric leading up to the second matchup between the Grizzlies and the Falcons and there was another big crowd on Friday night, this time at G.W. Graham on Thomas Road.

The game started out with the Grizzlies playing their new trademark 3-2 zone defense and looking to push the ball whenever they could.  Both teams traded opening shots in the first quarter and Graham led 14-10 after the first period.  It should be noted that the Grizzlies were 2 for 6 (33%) from the free throw line in the first, not the greatest way to start an important game.

As usual, the Falcons were overloading defensively on whichever side Micah Cockrill was on and successful contained him in the first half and held him to 6 first-half points.  Max Chadsey and Colton Vandop were the Falcons that were counted on most for the defensive front against Cockrill.  However, Cockrill was doing a good job of finding his teammates in the right spots and Chris Thomson and Lucas Mannes were converting their scoring opportunities.  Elyas Forstbauer had another strong showing, finishing with 22 points, and this was helped by the fact that Michael Covey and Josiah Alleckna for the Falcons were getting into the paint a lot more than they were able to in the first matchup of these two teams.  The first half ended with an interesting situation as Coach Kyle Graves, of the Sardis Falcons, felt that Covey had been fouled on a last-second shot that he had missed.  Graves walked on the floor within a couple of feet of the referees and berated them for nearly a minute.  After Graves left the floor to cool down, Sardis Athletic Director Ken Heise also let the officials know where he stood but to no avail.

The Falcons started the second half with a bang and outscored the Grizzlies 22-14 in the third quarter.  The Grizzlies were not shooting well during the third and lost themselves mentally for stretches of the quarter.  However, the real hand-to-hand combat began in the fourth quarter as Micah Cockrill turned his game around with 13 points in the final period.  His three three-pointers in the fourth came in exciting fashion.  Once, he fooled Colton Vandop with a behind-the-back dribble proceeded to hit a beautiful three pointer.  Not to be outdueled, Josiah Alleckna also had 13 points in the final frame and helped the Falcons hold off the final charge from the Grizzlies.  The Grizzlies came within five in the final minutes but the Falcons prevailed 71 to 63.

NOTES:

• Only 11 players from both teams scored in the entire game, 6 from the Falcons and 5 from the Grizzlies
• Jordan Lam of the Falcons had a strong performance off the bench, finishing with six points and an offensive rebound
• Elyas Forstbauer has had a strong season so far but will need to get better at creating his own opportunities for his performances to translate into a tough Fraser Valley East AAA league
• The younger players on the Grizzlies will need to get better at dealing with pressure in high-intensity games (this should come with further experience and game time)
• The Grizzlies badly need bench contributions to help out their starting five
• Jake Mouritzen's sweater vest is no longer a winning factor for the Grizzlies.  On Saturday he switched to a sweater with a zipper on the shoulder and found more success with this wardrobe choice.
• James Rendall did shave his facial hair and looked like a stud sitting on the bench, we anticipate his return in January
• Colin Currie for the Falcons is still wearing a sleeve on his arm to protect himself from worsening a previous injury.  This blog plans to find out more about this young man and his courageous story.
• Josiah Cockrill did not make it onto the floor on Friday but he spent much of Saturday morning practicing shooting from a chair so he can continue to hit three-pointers while sitting on the bench.  He might be the best in Chilliwack at doing so.
  

Watch the highlight package here.

WAR ON THE SOUTHSIDE, ROUND TWO: G.W. Graham vs. Sardis

Friday evening at 4:45pm will be this year's second battle in the relatively new G.W. Graham-Sardis rivalry.  The atmosphere is sure to be one of excitement and intrigue as Chilliwack basketball fans will be interested to see if the Falcons can avenge their close loss to the Grizzlies in last weekend's Sardis Invitational Tournament final.

Here are some other burning questions about Friday's match-up?

1. Who will ref the game?  (Please not Andre!)
   
2. How will Sardis make life tough for Micah Cockrill?
3. What has Sardis changed since last week?
4. Can the young Grizzlies backcourt repeat last weekend's outstanding performance?
5. Will Covey show up offensively for the Falcons? 
6. Will Coach Mouritzen continue to wear a sweater vest on the bench?  (The Grizzlies are undefeated when he does)
7. Has James Rendall shaved off his facial hair and moved on from November to December?
8. Will Chris Thomson play defense?
9. Which school will be better represented in the bleachers?
   
10. And which Josiah will have the higher 3-point field goal percentage?  Cockrill for the Grizzlies or Alleckna for the Falcons?

Leave your predictions and thoughts in the comments area and make sure you're there on Friday for a great game!

Chilliwack 76 Guildford Park 67

The game started off slowly (and late, as Guildford Park's best players got lost in the buzzing metropolis of Chilliwack) but the Storm jumped out to an early lead.  The first half was a sloppy one as field goal percentage of the Storm was dismally low.  Often times, Chilliwack goes through stretches where their shot selection goes out the door and they shoot nearly anything inside the three-point line.  The Chilliwack backcourt also had a rough first half with numerous turnovers but the Storm ended the half up by six points (36-30).  The second half featured a higher level of basketball and fewer mistakes by the home team.  Chilliwack won the game 76-67.  The Storm did defend reasonably well and controlled the defensive glass eliminating many second chance opportunities for Guildford Park.  Andrew Kornelsen had 18 first-half points and Gary McRae also had a good outing by rebounding well for a young grade ten player playing at the senior level

TONIGHT: Chilliwack hosts Guildford Park

Chilliwack Senior hosts Guildford Park tonight at 6:30PM in the J.Y. Halcrow Gymnasium.  Get out and support the Storm!

Fraser Heights edges out Hope

On Monday night, in an exhibition game (without official referees), the Fraser Heights Firehawks defeated the Hope Mustangs 81-78.  Hope guard Wilson Willock described the game as an "intense battle" which is not unusual for a game with the gritty Mustangs team.

Sardis Invitational Tournament Recap

What an exciting weekend for basketball in the city of Chilliwack!  For a few years now, most teams out of Chilliwack have been associated with lazy basketball and weak fundamentals.  However, this year's edition of the Sardis Invitational Tournament showed that the overall level of basketball in Chilliwack is increasing.

Chilliwack Senior, Sardis, and G.W. Graham were the three favoured teams coming into the tournament.  The Storm of Chilliwack Senior and the Sardis Falcons both brought back a number of starters from last year while G.W. Graham was a relative unknown quantity as the two returning starters (Micah Cockrill and Chris Thomson) are combining with a young group of grade ten players whose experience has been questioned by most. 

The Chilliwack Storm are led by seniors Andrew Kornelsen and Andrew Wyatt who are largely supported by a pair of Kyles (Lorteau and Rollheiser).  Lorteau was hampered this weekend by a nagging knee injury but the slack was picked up by Rollheiser, Wyatt, Kornelsen, as well as a number of younger contributors.  It should be noted that Andrew Kornelsen is looking stronger defensively and made life a lot harder for Micah Cockrill in the Friday night semi-final.  However, the Storm just could not pull together a victory on Friday against Graham and were relegated to the 3rd/4th place game against the Hope Mustangs.  Kornelsen was also a major contributor against Hope and hit the game-winning shot to dash the hopes of the Mustangs.

The Mustangs also pushed Sardis to the limit in their Friday night semi-final by building a large first-quarter lead and forcing the formidable Sardis backcourt to finish the game strong.  Hope has a strong group in Linden Willock, Wilson Willock, Cody Field, and a transfer from Toronto, Ontario, who will play point guard and balance the offense.  Their major concern will be the lack of strong and contributing bench which will hurt the Mustangs if the starting lineup faces any significant foul trouble.  However, what the Mustangs lack in bench strength is completely compensated by their heart and effort.  Because of their School District #73 elementary education, these boys never learned the meaning of the word "quit" (among other words) and they come to play every game.  Their opponents better be ready to play as Chilliwack (Hope recovered from a 24-12 deficit after the first quarter) and Sardis found out this weekend. 

After the Hope scare, Sardis moved on to the final to face the G.W. Graham Grizzlies who had steamrolled Unity 75-33 and held off Chilliwack to advance to the final game.

The buzz on Saturday snowballed and finally, at 8:45pm, the Sardis Secondary gymnasium was filled and the final began.  Micah Cockrill had scored 38 points against Unity and 25 against Chilliwack and the Falcons were ready for him.  The Falcons, like the Storm, collapsed on Cockrill everytime he put the ball on the floor and made every shot for Cockrill tough.  Chris Thomson made up for Cockrill in terms of field goal attempts but had a tough time putting the ball in the hoop, which reminded us all of BYU quarterback Max Hall's struggles this season of putting the ball into the hands of his receivers (and instead, into the hands of the opposing secondary).  On the Sardis side of the ball, Elyas Forstbauer had a strong showing and made the most of his opportunities underneath the hoop and was Sardis' primary offensive weapon on Saturday night. The game was tight and Falcons held a narrow lead for most of the game.  However, towards the end of the game, the Grizzlies younger players (Lucas Mannes, Francisco Armengual, Phoenix Lipinski, and Hank Derksen) stepped up by hitting clutch shots and pulling down key rebounds.  This younger contingent for the Grizzlies, combined with a Micah Cockrill floater from the left side in the final two minutes put the Grizzlies ahead for good as they captured their first-ever Sardis Invitational Tournament championship.

December 1 was officially named "Green Shirt Tuesday" at G.W. Graham Middle-Secondary School and all team members wore their green tournament champions shirts to commemorate the team's victory. 

Also participating in the tournament were the Highroad Academy Knights, Agassiz Chieftans, and Abbotsford Christian.  Because there was no post-game ceremony, Fraser Valley Basketball has taken upon itself to name a tournament MVP and All-Star team.

MVP:  Micah Cockrill, G.W. Graham

All-Stars:
Michael Covey, Sardis
Lucas Mannes, G.W. Graham
Andrew Kornelsen, Chilliwack
Wilson Willock, Hope
Linden Willock, Hope