Basketball players swarmed Terrace last weekend, Feb. 19-20, as three zone championships were played at Caledonia and Thornhill Secondary.
Caledonia senior girls beat Charles Hayes from Prince Rupert in a three-game series zone final, beating them in two games 53-27 and 55-37.
The Caledonia girls are competing in provincials next week, March 2-5, in Langley B.C.
Coach Arnie Pelletier said this is the school’s fourth year in a row at provincials, but it took this year’s team a while at the beginning of the season to come together. It was some “heart felt and inspiring messages” from past players which sparked the team to come together and play as one, Pelletier said.
The junior boys from Centennial Christian also won first in the ‘B’ zone tournament in Thornhill Secondary against nine other teams from Houston to Haida Gwaii. Centennial narrowly beat Hazelton in the semi-final 40-39, and coach Tim Block said Levi Ewald’s three point shots were what pulled the team ahead.
Centennial faced Queen Charlottes in the final and it was a back and forth game, with both teams taking the lead for a stretch.
At the end of the fourth quarter, Centennial was down by three with 25 seconds left. They missed a three-point attempt but then rebound the ball and passed it out to Ewald in the corner, who swooshed a three-pointer to tie up the game 32-32 last second. In overtime Centennial earned a four-point lead through foul shots, and kept the lead to end the game 38-34.
Caledonia junior boys got third in their zones in Smithers after a narrow loss to New Aiyansh in the semi-finals.
Caledonia junior girls also played zones at Caledonia Feb. 19-20, and finished second, losing in finals to Smithers Secondary.
Grade eight boys basketball teams competed in their zones Feb. 20 in Prince Rupert with Prince Rupert winning first, Skeena second and Centennial Christian third.
Caledonia senior boys are playing their zones at Caledonia this weekend.