It's time once again for basketball nirvana on the North Shore as four levels of senior boys Howe Sound championships are now underway, culminating in final showdowns this week.
The tightest race may be at the top AAAA level where crosstown rivals West Vancouver and Sentinel seem to be on a collision course with only one winner able to earn the North Shore banner as well as a trip to the provincial championships.
The West Vancouver Highlanders have won the Howe Sound title two years in a row and appear to be in the driver's seat again coming off an 8-0 season in North Shore league play. But the 6-2 Spartans have played the Highlanders extremely tough, including a Feb. 12 meeting in which the Highlanders eked out a 63-62 win.
The North Shore News contacted West Vancouver head coach Greg Meldrum to break down the AAAA Howe Sound championships and, in an email message, he stated that Sentinel "could be the team to beat."
"They have arguably the most talented player on the North Shore in Grade 12 Triston Matthews. They have depth at every position and are peaking at the right time. They have an excellent coach in Ransford Brempong and he has them playing with energy and passion. They will be very difficult to beat twice in the tough double knockout format of the Howe Sound tournament."
Sentinel got their tournament started Thursday by knocking off third-ranked Handsworth 80-59, while West Vancouver defeated fourth-ranked Argyle 63-41. That sets up a showdown between the Highlanders and Spartans Tuesday starting at 7:30 p.m. at West Vancouver secondary with the winner advancing straight to the championship final. On the lower half of the bracket Handsworth and Argyle will play Tuesday with only the winner earning the right to play another day.
The lower-ranked teams, however, can't be taken lightly, said Meldrum. Two years ago West Vancouver won the title after finishing third in league play, while Argyle made a spirited run all the way to the final last year after finishing fourth in league play.
"Argyle and Handsworth could potentially pull off some upsets," said Meldrum. "They are both dangerous squads that are capable of beating better teams on their day. Argyle is a defensiveminded team lead by Grade 12s Troy Townsend and Max Whitworth. Handsworth have excellent leadership in Bryce McLean and Michael Gajdics. They also have a strong Grade 11 post in Amir Hajisafar and a smooth shooting swingman in Copeland Jandrisch who can pose problems for the opposition."
Meldrum also pinpointed some players to watch in the tournament, led by Matthews who filled up the stat sheet for the Spartans with averages of 23.9 points, 13 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. He's a "smooth shooting Grade 12 guard that has NBA three-point range," said Meldrum, adding that teammate Andrew Davis provides the muscle for Sentinel as "a strong power forward, who can rebound, defend and score from the post or the perimeter."
Argyle's Townsend led the league in scoring with an average of 25.5 points per game, a "great point guard and leader who can finish in traffic and shoot from beyond the arc," said Meldrum. Whitworth, meanwhile, works down low for the Pipers with averages of 13.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
Handsworth's McLean was one of four players to average more than 20 points per game in league play, pouring in 22.7 per game. "(He's) an athletic swingman who attacks the basket well in transition and can shoot from beyond the three-point arc," said Meldrum. Gajdics quarterbacks the offence from the point guard position.
As for the Highlanders, their balanced attack is led by a trio of Grade 12s.
"Josh Pinton is our point guard and emotional leader," said Meldrum. "He really gets after it on the defensive end and covers the court from baseline to baseline as fast as anyone in the province. Nick Broady is a 6-6 post that can dominate the game on the glass, can score the ball in the low post or from the perimeter, and can alter a lot of shots with his length. Grady Huskisson is a tough-nosed shooting guard that plays with incredible energy. He often provides a spark with his athleticism."
Pinton led the team with an average of 16.6 points per game and was tops in the league with 6.4 assists per game, while Broady was right behind Pinton dropping 16 points per contest.
Only four Highlanders are back from the team that won the Howe Sound title last season and went on to finish 13th at the provincial championships.
"We have lost a few key guys, but we've worked incredibly hard to fill their void," said Meldrum. "Other guys have stepped up in their place and have put us in a good position leading up to the playoffs. ... Our goal from Day 1 has been to defend our North Shore Championship. Our strong play in the regular season has put us in a good position to achieve this. We know that playoffs are completely different and that other teams will up their game."
* * *
Howe Sound Championship action will be scorching at four gyms this week. At the AAA level Windsor will be the host site with Sutherland taking on Howe Sound secondary Monday starting at 6 p.m. followed by the host Dukes taking on the topranked Bodwell Bruins in a showdown for a spot in the final.
At the AA level the tournament will be hosted by Collingwood, a team that went undefeated against North Shore competition this season, including exhibition wins over AAAA schools Handsworth and West Vancouver. The Cavaliers are led by Grade 12 swingman Jaden Narwal who was the MVP of last year's Howe Sound AA tournament. Narwal kept up his stellar play this season, averaging 27.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 7.2 assists in league play.
The Howe Sound A-level playoffs, featuring North Shore schools Mulgrave and Lions Gate Christian Academy along with Mount Currie and Pemberton, culminates in the final Friday starting at 3:30 p.m. at Mulgrave.
For more information on the visit www.howesoundbball.ca. For updated results and schedules click here.
