Bittersweet. That’s how Bodwell High School senior boys basketball coach Johnson Chiu sums up his team’s third place win at the provincials on the weekend.
“I’ve heard a lot of people say congratulations to me this morning but as I’ve told everybody who has said that to me: I don’t like that word right now,” said Chiu on Monday.
Bodwell had set the bar high heading into the Langley Events Centre, where the B.C. high school boys AAA basketball championships were held last week. First the Bruins went head to head with the Maple Ridge Ramblers.
“We thought that it was going to be an easier game,” said Chiu.
Turns out it wasn’t.
“And that was good because it woke up some of our boys,” recalled Chiu, adding the hardworking Maple Ridge team “made our lives tough and miserable for the first game.”
Bodwell beat Maple Ridge 69-58 and moved on to hook the Steveston-London Sharks and their colossal 6-10 centre Fardaws Aimaq.
The Bruins had been bitten off by the Sharks two times prior to this meeting, last year at the provincials and at another tournament.
“But we felt we could beat them,” said Chiu.
The Bruins got the advantage when Aimaq fouled out, in what Chiu described as a really, really tight game. Bodwell’s Seckin Topac was the one who stepped up.
“He (Topac) did a great job of guarding Fardaws and he was also chosen as first-team all-star for the provincials,” said Chiu, adding Topac averaged a double-double in points and rebounds.
Bodwell also had some good energy guys in the game, including forward Canberk Gungor, who ended both the Maple Ridge and Steveston games with dunks.
“So it was a very emphatic end, very poetic,” said Chiu of the 68-61 decision.
Then came the stormy weather in the semifinals. Bodwell thought they would be able to weather the storm this time, after narrowly losing to the Rick Hansen Hurricanes prior to the provincials.
“We thought we had a good chance against them . . . and they just basically outplayed us,” said Chiu. “They out-hustled us. They beat us in every aspect. I think it’s partially because of the fact they (the Hurricane players) are all Grade 12s.”
All but one of Bodwell’s starting five players are in Grade 11.
“They didn’t have the same fight,” said Chiu. “Basically, Hansen just wanted to win it more.”
Bodwell fell 50-59 to the Hurricanes, who went on to win the AAA title.
“So that’s kind of consolation for us, but not really,” said Chiu.
Still feeling the sting, Bodwell was back at the events centre the next morning to play Burnaby’s Byrne Creek.
“And that was a good test because I don’t think our boys really cared, to be quite honest, because we had kind of set our goals on winning the provincials, so it was kind of like a kick to the gut,” said Chiu. “But to my surprise and to their acknowledgement they actually played quite well. Everybody got into the game.”
One Bodwell player powered through with nerve damage to his hand, for a split second, just to be able to say he played in the provincials, an accomplishment in itself. Chiu was told only 10 per cent of B.C. student athletes make it to provincials.
Bodwell beat Byrne Creek 73-69 to cap off their season with a third place finish. Bodwell has earned a berth at the provincials the last eight of 10 years, starting out at the single A level and then bumping up to AAA after the school’s population grew two years ago.
“It’s bittersweet because I really thought we should have beaten Hansen,” said Chiu. “I think that if we had shot our free throws like we normally did and followed the game plan I think we would have won. But that’s sports, right? So we’ll have to wait until next year to see if we can make another run at it.”
