A tight battle is set to get underway at Belmont secondary, as 10 junior boys basketball teams compete to earn one of four berths into the B.C. championships.
The host Bulldogs, who posted critical wins last weekend over Reynolds and Oak Bay to finish third in the city tournament and secure a spot in the Island tournament in Langford, are among the teams with a chance to advance, said Belmont ‘A’ coach Curt Spaven.
“I think probably seven or eight of the 10 teams have a legitimate shot at making the top four to represent the Island,” he said. The B.C. junior boys tournament happens Feb. 25 to 28 at the Langley Events Centre.
Belmont opens against the mid-Island number 1 seed (the winner between Cowichan and Brentwood College) in their first game at the Islands on Thursday Feb. 16).
With no automatic host berth into the Islands, the Bulldogs needed to win their way into this week’s draw on home court. Belmont beat Oak Bay 49-37 to open the city playoffs, but lost 53-39 to eventual champ Lambrick Park in the semifinals. The Bulldogs topped Reynolds by eight points in their next game then beat Oak Bay by seven (game scores unavailable at press time) to wind up third overall.
“There was some pressure on the boys, especially Friday morning in that early game against Reynolds,” Spaven said. The previous time the teams met, Belmont scored six points in the final 90 seconds to win by two.
Greater Victoria city league play was extremely competitive this season, with Lambrick (6-1) and Claremont (5-2) nailing down the top two spots, Mount Doug and Belmont tied at 4-3, and Oak Bay Reynolds and St. Michaels tied for fifth at 3-4.
The Bulldogs, with a huge roster of 15, have plenty of talent led by guards Danny Song, a city league all-star, and Daunte Nelson, who recently returned from injury. Spaven said he often has a hard time determining who to put in, with so many capable reserves.
“I’ve got kids coming off the bench who can put the ball in the hoop,” he said, noting the team has an almost even split of Grade 10 and 9 players. “I’m blessed with a lot of talented kids, and a lot of that is (due to) the work of community basketball … the future looks bright at Belmont.”
The tournament runs through Thursday and Friday and wraps up on Saturday.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
