The Nanaimo District Islanders are a new-look team. That’s because the senior AAA boys’ basketball team debuted new uniforms this month.
Team captains Max Reed and Callum Gemma had a hand in the design, which features a topographical map of Vancouver Island and prominent NDSS letters that vertically span the jersey and shorts.
“Everyone loves them,” Reed said. “Much better than the old ones.”
The old Islanders jerseys were peeling and faded; with new threads, players will look good, feel good, play good.
“That’s the plan,” said Gemma. “We’re looking good, so I think it will help us play better, hopefully.”
The team defeated the Ballenas Whalers 49-28 on Tuesday night in league play in Parksville, following a 70-59 exhibition win against the Pitt Meadows Marauders on Saturday at the NDSS gym. Reed scored 22 points in that one, with Anders Cederberg scoring 16 and Gemma adding 14.
The Islanders feel good about how their game is headed as they prepare for playoffs later this month.
“It’s pretty good,” Reed said. “We’re getting ready for North Islands and Islands coming up; those are big tournaments and we’ve made some good improvements over practice the last few weeks.”
The Islanders close out the regular season on Thursday (Feb. 11) with a league game against the Wellington Wildcats at 7 p.m. at the NDSS gymnasium.
Girls tip off North Islands
North Islands are going to be up in the air, with every team feeling like it’s got a chance to advance.
The senior AA girls’ district championships will begin this week at Kwalikum Secondary School. The top three will advance to Islands and the fourth-place team will have a chance to challenge a South Island team for the final berth at Islands.
Nicole McRae, coach of the Wellington Wildcats senior girls, handicapped the field.
“Ballenas has been ahead most of the year, but Kwalikum gave Ballenas a game, Isfeld should be in the top two, and we lost to Isfeld by two … and Kwalikum, we lost to them by three. And ND has arrived into the mix,” McRae said. “It’s going to be anybody’s game; it’s going to be a really competitive North Islands.”
The Dover Bay Dolphins senior AAA girls, meanwhile, also begin playoffs this week as their North Island championship tournament starts Friday (Feb. 12) at Courtenay’s G.P. Vanier.
Woodlands hosts its last hoops
There will be some history at the Woodlands Secondary School gym this week. The Eagles senior AAA boys’ basketball team will take the court for the last times in its home gym.
Woodlands hosts its final senior boys’ basketball league game on Thursday (Feb. 11), a 7 p.m. matchup against the Ballenas Whalers.
The next day, the Eagles are anticipating a capacity crowd in their gym for an alumni game at 1 p.m.
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