Not since the late 90′s has the Langara Falcons Men’s Basketball Team sat atop the CCAA rankings  This week, the Falcons, with a unblemished 6-0 record, officially took over top spot from Red Deer College Kings in the standings.  

With a convincing 89-78 victory over the Douglas College Royals, Langara has kicked off Coach Paul Eberhardt‘s first year as Falcons bench boss without fault.  Installing his traditional run and gun style, one which has brought success in his previous coaching stints with the Capilano Blues, Palmer Griffins and McNair Marlins, Eberhardr has the young birds offense soaring.  Yet, despite their ability to put the ball in the basket, Eberhardt knows that they can improve their work on the defensive end of the court.

After starting the 2012-13 year with three losses in their exhibition season (UBC-O, UFV and Portland Bible College) the Falcons opened their regular season with a 32 point home court victory over the the Royals and have not looked back since.

While Elliot Mason and Jesse Jeffers are often the team’s leading scorers, the Falcons offense does not skip a beat if either of those two happen to have an off night.  With Brody Greig and Matt Madewan stepping up to fill the void on the scoresheet as part of the starting five.

Remove any of the above names from the lineup and the Falcons hardly miss a beat with Jeff Chu and Glen Ruby filling in the backcourt spots, while Devin McMurty, Ranjodh Hare, Jitinder Lohcham and Garrett Ling-Lee take turns rotating between a starting role and second unit big men.

Starting the season ranked fourth overall and quickly progressing up the ranks as the weeks pass by, the Falcons on court talent has the ability to carry the team deep into the playoff season, but it is the off court bond that will be the key to helping get the team over the hump and hoist the banner at the end of the season.  With only one freshman on the roster, the Falcons have a deep and experienced roster, one which extends past their time on the West 49th campus.  Six players grew up together in Richmond, with Greig andChu running courts together almost forever, while three come from Eberhardt’s successful Palmer program.  Nine of the fourteen players on the roster have put in two years of work in order to see the success that the team has currently achieved.

While a first place ranking at the end of November is an honor, rest assured that the Falcons are not content and you can bet the house that Eberhardt will not let them relax.  If they do, there is a good chance that no matter where you are, you will hear the exuberant coach reminding them of what they are capable of.

The rematch has been set for Grey Cup weekend, one that only Hollywood could write, as the top ranked Marauders will defend their Vanier Cup against the same opponent they defeated in Vancouver in a 41-38 thriller a year ago.  For the first time since 1976-77, the Vanier Cup will feature two returning teams, both of which dominated their semi-final opponents.  In the Mitchell Bowl, the Marauders crushed the Calgary Dinos 45-6, while a day earlier, the Rouge et Or dominated the Acadia Axemen 42-7.

With a 21 game winning streak, dating back to the third week of the 2011 season, the Marauders hope to be the fifth team in CIS history and the first since Laval (2003-04) to repeat as champions.

Will the two teams be able to match the effort that was put forth a year ago in what was labelled the “best game ever”?  Hopes are high that on the weekend of the 100th Grey Cup that the 47th Annual Vanier Cup will match the epic porportions of last year.  Regardless of the outcome, fans will be treated to something special as the victor will find a place in the record books.

Should McMaster walk away with the Cup, they will as said be the first repeat team since Laval, and also hold the honor of being the first team to run an undefeated season to a championship since, you guessed it, Laval did it in 2010.

A victory by the Rouge et Or will give Laval a record setting seventh championship in eight attempts.  Already entering the record books by playing in a third straight CIS Championship, the Rouge et Or will have to battle a Marauder fan heavy crowd to walk away with the title and set up a potential best of three type Hollywood dream in 2013.

He has his name embedded on a number of basketball awards throughout his career, however the one honor that has eluded University of Fraser Valley Cascades forward Kyle Grewal, is the CIS Championship.  A fifth year Kinesology major, the 6’6 forward from Surrey has been the heart and soul of the Cascades since stepping on the floor five years ago.  After a torn ACL disrupted his career two years ago, Grewal returned to the game like a man possessed in his fourth season and was rightfully rewarded for his individual and team efforts.  Posting a fourth place finish in the CIS Championships last year, one which took many outside of the Cascades roster by surprise, Grewal led his squad to the team’s best finish in school history, while at the same time being honored with a spot on the Tournament All-Star Team averaging 21 points and 7.3 rebounds.  Even away from the gym and his Cascade teammates, Grewal was putting in work, as evident by being named the Dolphin Basketball Classic MVP and capturing his first DBC Championship.

Starting the season sitting 4th in the CIS rankings, the Cascades began the year on the road with a pair of victories over the Mount Royal Cougars before dropping two close losses to the Victoria Vikes. In the four early games, Grewal has averaged 21.5 points and 7 rebounds, including three out of four games tallying over 20 points. While tasting early personal success, the two losses to Victoria dropped UFV to 8th in the country, something that doesn’t sit well with Grewal’s plans of returning to the final eight in March.

They may have lost their long time head coach, as after thirteen years at the helm, Paul Chiarenza stepped away from his leadership role, turning the position over to Ramin Sadaghiani.  Playing by the mantra “Hold The Rope” a team metaphor for strength by bonnding and not letting a teammate slip, the Blues have not missed a beat to start the season kicking off the year with a 3-0 record out of the gates.  The result has led to the Blue leaping four spots in the CCAA rankings from 9th to 5th, the highest ranked PacWest team.

Holding off the Quest Kermodes in a two point squeaker on opening night 62-60, the Blues then captured a 59-50 “W” in their home opener last Friday night against the Kwantlen Eagles before dropping a 29 point beating on the Columbia Bible College Bearcats the following evening.

The Blues look to defend their home court at the Capilano Sportsplex against two Island teams this weekend as the Camosun Chargers and the VIU Mariners travel across the water in attempt to knock off the only undefeated PacWest team.

Led by Hailey Bouiler‘s 15ppg and 9rebs (both currently ranking second in the CCAA leader board), the Blues feature a team which sees the majority of their roster on the floor for at least ten minutes per game.  This kind of depth will only serve to help Sadaghiani’s club maintain their place among the best in the country.  The same depth will also prove to be important as on Saturday evening, Bouiler fell to the hardwood with a severe knee injury, one that could see the Blues leader miss a good chunk, if not the remainder of the season.

Playing off the emtion from the loss of their floor leader, the Blues will look to veterans Jennifer Palma and Jenn Bodnar along with sharpshooters Charan Randhawa and Danica Mitchell to help pick up the scoring slack and keep the rope taught.

Taking a page from the NHL Winter Classic and Heritage Classic, the Hamilton Bulldogs and Ontario University Athletics have teamed up with Molsen Canadian and Boston Pizza to take the game back to a grassroots level by presenting the inagural OUA Outdoor Classic this week and weekend at Iver Wynne Stadium.

On Thursday afternoon, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) Ridgebacks will play host to the Brock Badgers as the ladies kick off the festivities at 3pm  Although both teams have struggled to find a winning record this season, they are still in a battle for a playoff seed, with Brock sitting in the seventh seed, while UOIT is in a three way tie with the Western Mustangs and Waterloo Warriors for the eight and final spot.  Holding a 10-4 advantage over the Ridgebacks in head to head matchups, a victory by the Badgers on Thursday will continue their dominance over UOIT, as the Ridgebacks have also failed to win a season series between the two schools.

For the first time prior to World War 1, and the first time that a regular season game is played outdoors, Sunday welcomes the men’s action as the puck drops between the Warriors and Badgers at 1pm.  Currently holding down the third seed in the OUA West, the Warriors have struggled to post a “W” in 2012 after an impressive 11-2-3 start.  Sitting closely behind in fourth, the Badgers have played slightly better than.500 hockey this season with a 10-9-1 record.  ULed by sophomore Thomas Stajan and freshman Sean Jones, the Badgers enter Sunday’s game with a 5-2 victory over the Warriors from earlier this season.  Looking to tie the season series, the Warriors are paced by Kirt Hill and Chris Ray, two players that rank within the OUA top 10 point leaders.

For most of his basketball career on the Point Grey campus, Nathan Yu has come off the bench to give the Thunderbirds a spark as part of the second unit. In fact, even last year, the team’s second leading scorer only started two of thirty-four games, while averaging 12.8 ppg in just over twenty minutes of action. Entering his fifth and final season in the blue and white, Yu will find himself with a whole new role and responsibility for his team.

After years of filling the wing and off guard spot with the task of filling the bucket, Yu will be given the task of piloting the squad as they look to return to the CIS Final 8. For three years, the goal of bringing home the CIS gold has slipped through UBC’s hands, falling in the final twice and dropping out in the semi finals last year. This year, with a number of rookies and transfers on the roster, the coaching staff will be looking to the six seniors, especially Yu to help punch a ticket to Halifax in March.

While playing the point full time, is going to be a new experience for Yu on the War Memorial floor, the position itself is not, as he ran the show during his high school career at Vancouver College and Duchess Park. Should Nathan need any advice in times of need, it is just a phone call away as older brother Jordan (currently the head coach at Capilano University) filled the point guard position for the T-Birds from 2003-06.

In preparation for his final season, Nathan spent the summer as part of Team Canadian at the FISU tournament in Shenzhen China , setting up the offence for a club which captured the silver medal. After taking a short break off once returning home, Yu quickly got familiar with his new and returning teammates as they hosted the Santa Clara Broncos for a pair of exhibition games. With a career high 38 points, Yu and the Birds defeated (or upset, depending how you look at it) the Broncos 98-95 in an overtime classic. Although they dropped the second game 68-63, Yu once again proved to be the focal point of the Thunderbird offence with a team high 21 points.

Four years after Nathan Yu walked onto the War Memorial court as a fresh faced rookie who was ready to take over the world, the patience and growth has proved to serve both him and the team well as good things do in fact come to those who wait.

Just over a month ago, Softball City welcomed the Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship to South Surrey, BC.  What was once known as the “Canada Cup” for many years, the Championship committee worked overtime this year to expand the field of competition to include the Futures (U19) and Selects (U16) as part of the nine day event.  Whereas the tournament originally showcased the top women’s softball players from around the world, including one of the most well known softball stars, Jennie Finch, young hopefuls from throughout Western Canada got the opportunity to see local greats, Danielle Lawrie and Melanie Matthews don the red and white uniform to showcase their talents.  One of those young hopefuls, Katie Reyes from Burnaby, BC has taken up the opportunity and is running the bases with it.

As a member of the Burnaby Oakeys, Reyes and her teammates competed in the Future Showcase Gold Division, the first and definitely not the last time Canadian softball fans will see the shortstop from Templeton High School participate on softball’s grande stages.  However for Katie Reyes, grande stages and spotlights are nothing new, as it was only two years ago that she found herself staring down the fast balls from German pitchers in the Little League World Series.  While participating in the LLWS was a feat on its own, considering that only fifteen girls have participated in the hardball championship since 1984, Reyes marked her place in the history books by being the first female to record a game winning hit in a World Series game (a two run single to be exact).

While the atmosphere in South Surrey was not quite that of Williamsport PA, the focus and approach to the game was no different for Reyes and her Oakeys teammates.  Arriving at Softball City to meet and greet with Katie prior to the Opening Ceremonies of the Canadian Championship, I found her to be very humble and friendly and while the future of Canadian softball may be within her, one couldn’t see any pressures in her attitude and approach to the game.  In only her second year with the team, which captured the Bantam B Provincial Championship last season (a series in which Reyes launched three grand slam home runs, including one in the title clinching game), Reyes is already showing her poise and leadership far beyond her age.  Trading the hardball for the softball in 2010, Reyes hardly looks out of place, be it at the bat or in the field as I watched her make some of the more difficult defensive plays look routine.

Towards the end of the round robin schedule for the Canadian Championship, the Thursday morning games encountered the same wet weather that impacted many of the local softball club’s games this season…RAIN!  While this put a damper on the on field action, it gave me an opportunity to speak with the Oakeys Coach Quentin about his club and how Reyes fits in.  Describing Katie as the same person I met, down to earth and absent of celebrity attitude, Quentin gave the compliment that sets apart only select players from their teammates.  Despite her young age and short time playing softball, the bench boss describes Reyes as an extension of coaching staff on the field and in the dugout as she is often a step ahead of what the coaches ask, seeing plays one step ahead and grasping concepts immediately.

When the rain ceased and the field crew cleared the diamond of excess water, the Oakeys took to the field to complete their round robin schedule, giving me a chance to see Reyes in action.  As described by the Oakeys coaching staff, Reyes did not disappoint as whether she was at the plate or in the field, a command of the game could be seen and felt.  Throughout the course of the Oakeys 4-0 victory over the Abbotsford Outlaws, whether it was a routine grounder or a more complex line drive up the middle that resulted in a diving base tag to get the runner at second, the demeanor on Reyes face never changed as a comfortable smile could be seen at all times.

At the end of their inaugural trip to the Canadian Open Championship, the Oakeys finished their schedule with a respectable 4-5 record over the course of the six days of action. While she will always be known for her historic achievement as part of the Little League World Series, Reyes has bigger goals in mind as she looks to help bring home the gold medal for Canada. Whether it be hardball with the boys, or softball with her Oakeys teammates, the future of diamond belongs to Katie Reyes.

As the softball season was “officially” declared open at the start of the month, Miranda Cardinal and the Thunder ’93 team were already well into their schedule.  Taking part in an early pre-season tournament in Las Vegas in February, the Thunder ’93 battled every American opponent to the end and highlighted the trip by capturing a victory against an “A” division team from BC.  While the record sheet from the tournament did not show positive results in the win/loss column, the growth within the team and competitive juices were kick started.  As games progressed Cardinal noticed that every pitch, hit and out made, helped prepare her teammates for the battles they would be sure to come across in their drive for a spot in the provincial tournament.

Born in Calgary AB, Miranda found herself “hanging out” at the diamond early and often in her young years as while her parents coached, she would watch the game from the dugout in her jumper.  Relocating to the White Rock / South Surrey area when she was three years old, she joined a YMCA softball program and has not put down the bat and ball ever since.  Just over a decade later and Miranda has been firmly entrenched in the SSWR (South Surrey/White Rock) Thunder program since starting with the team in grade six.  After a handful of years with the Thunder 94 program and a quick cup of coffee with the Guildford Xtreme, Cardinal has returned to the Thunder system, this time moving up to play with the Thunder 93 club.

Entering her grade eleven year, Miranda has had her sights set on her softball future since her early days in the dugout jumper, starting with earning a softball scholarship in the States and then capping it off with a spot in the Canadian National program.  Despite playing with an older age bracket, Cardinal believes that the unity on the team is just as tight as any other club she has been a part of, which is a huge part of their early season success as they aim towards a spot in the BC’s  and then the Western Championships in Medicine Hat.

A well rounded player defensively, playing behind the plate, on either of the corner bags or out in left field, Miranda also provides her team with an offensive threat.  As Ichiro is to the Seattle Mariners, Cardinal is to the Thunder 93 team as she combines a high batting average with crafty base movement.  After years of dedicated practice honing her craft, often to the point in which Miranda feels as though her body takes over and her mind echoes silence, it comes as little surprise that while she may be on the younger side of the team’s age bracket, her experience and knowledge places her amongst the leaders of the club.

After taking in an early season tournament game at Softball City (located in South Surrey, BC) and sitting down with Miranda in mid April, I found that not only was she dedicated to enhancing her game on the field, but also off of it for when she finishes her playing career.  As an assistant coach to her mom’s house division squirt team in 2009 and with the 96/97 Thunder last year, the Cardinal family has found that the apple as not fallen far from the tree.  When asked who her sports idol was, preparing for a response of Jennie Finch, Miranda goes away from the norm as she tabs her aunt as the person she looks up to the most, wanting to soak up all her knowledge and experiences of the game, being that she was another branch on the family coaching tree.

With plenty of playing opportunities presented and many more down the road, like many great athletes, Miranda does not look past where she came from and how she got to where she is, as she often is looking for ways to help promote her sport.  When asked about how she visions her sport growing, she notes that continued growth of the Canada Cup, which takes place at Softball City, is a great place to start attracting the youngsters, many of which she helps mentor on Friday evenings.   There is no doubt that after spending time with Miranda Cardinal that her future with the game is bright be it on the field or in the dugout as she continues to put her all into the game and will one day be able to sit back and say that no matter what, she has left her absolute mind, body and soul on the ball diamond.

One name comes to mind when you think of ‘the main man’ in university basketball and that honor goes to Coach Steve Konchalski, the head coach of the St. Francis Xavier X-Men.

‘Coach K’ as he’s known throughout the halls of StFX, has created some of the most electrifying teams in Canadian basketball history. Whether you’re talking about Wade Smith, Randy Nohr, Jordan Croucher or Christian Upshaw, the list never stops. Knochalski has brought in talent every year of his tenure.

Now with a rebuilding team, he’ll look to make magic happen again.

After losing six great players to graduation, you’d expect any team to have a rough time rebuilding and developing into a contender again. Regardless of what school you talk about, that transition happens at one point.

The X-Men have lost their backcourt of Christian “T-Bear” Upshaw and William Silver, both AUS all-stars for the past two seasons.

Upshaw, a fifth-year senior out of Nova Scotia who was a two time All-Canadian will look to play overseas next year while Silver will try and pursue the same dream.

Along with the two heralded stars, the X-Men lose big men Alberto Rodriguez and Dwayne Johnson, along with the sharp shooting Charlie Spurr and Chad Warren.

Thankfully for the X-Men, things may be brighter than expected.

Coming in at the point guard position is transfer student Tyrell Vernon. Vernon, a solid guard out of McMaster University will be looked at to make an immediate impact at the point guard position and handle the role of distributer. With a young supporting cast around him, his job only gets easier.

“I’m excited, Im coming into a new school, and ill be away from home for the first time,” said Vernon. “I loved the campus and loved the atmosphere in Antigonish. Everyone there is very passionate about their sports programs. Coach K gave StFX a great reputation Nation wide and I am honored that I will be apart of his legacy.”

Vernon was a member of the 2008 OUA All-Rookie team, along with being a member of the Canadian Jr. National program and an Adidas All-Canadian in 2007.

Alongside Vernon will be freshman guard Marquis Carvery out of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

After spending the past few months tearing it up in Ontario, Carvery decided to follow his family – Upshaw – and set his path towards StFX. Marquis is a great guard who’s been on a winning program everywhere he’s attended. Given high praise by Coach K, the sky’s the limit for the kid with huge potential.

Perhaps the biggest addition to the team will be the acquisition of Bol Kong, a former member of Gonzaga and NAIT out of Alberta.

Kong’s been on the X-radar for a long time now and has given a commitment to pull on the blue and white for September. At 6’7 Kong would be seen as a big man in the CIS, yet he’s an athletic wing who can score at will and match up with any guard on the floor.

Finally rounding out the list of recruits to date will be Jacob Simmons of PEI. The developing big man has a knack for attacking the rim and has proved that he can bang with anyone in the country. His ability to battle down low will be crucial for the X-Men as they’ll need a collective effort next season to pick up from their recent success.

While there’s still four months until the next school year and anything can happen, one thing’s for sure, come September first, there’ll be quite the team on the floor of the StFX Oland Centre.

-MM

The Pitt Meadows Marauders home ^

Since the program’s launch in 1979, Goulet has been tirelessly putting in work, morphing the program into one of the finest AAA programs in the province. However, it hasn’t been a cakewalk; according to Goulet, “the program started inauspiciously in 1979. It was not a slam dunk. After running two suicides at the first practice, players headed for the doors. They were done. The 8 who came back formed the team and they did not win a game until Christmas.”Goulet wouldn’t give up, though and “1 year later we were on the doorstep of the A BC [provincial championships] (only A and AA back then) and then in year 3 we [were] 4th place at the BC’s and then winning it in 1983.”

Rich Goulet >

Pitt would continue to take baby steps, getting closer to that “slam dunk” until 1989, when, in their first ever AAA Provincial championship tournament appearance, they finished first. Not bad for a team who ten years ago would not have even rung a bell. Interestingly enough, Goulet’s work was enough to win a Provincial championship with a team severely undersized. As Goulet would own, they “were a small team by standards, with no one over 6’3.” How can a team desperately lacking height manage to win a provincial championship? Defence. Goulet admits that much of “Pitt’s success is also owed to one of the best and most consistent defences in the province, especially the last 12 years.” I can attest to this from my own playing days with Goulet: if you cannot stop your man on a consistent basis, you sit. Sure we’ve heard it all before, and maybe it’s a little cliché, but it works well enough for him to become the first coach with both an AA and AAA provincial title. In fact, it’s good enough for two AAA provincial titles (thus far), one in 1989 against cross town rivals Maple Ridge Ramblers, and another in 2000 against yet another Fraser Valley rival, the Terry Fox Ravens. Pitt has made its presence felt at many Provincial championships, making eleven AAA appearances (including five straight from 2004-2008), and six AA appearances.

Ironically, although Goulet’s first (AA) provincial title boasted no player over 6’3”, Pitt Meadows has since had a rich tradition of height throughout the 90s, and stretching into today. Some of the most memorable big men to come out of Pitt Meadows include Curtis Mempham, Scott Walton, Aaron Christenson, Bryson Kool, Gary Pelton and Mike Lewandowski – all 6’7” or taller. Pitt Meadows has also had an equally impressive amount of perimeter players to have come out of the program. Dylan Gatner, one of Pitt Meadow’s greatest players, can also concur with Goulet’s drive: “I’d say he’s a very dedicated man who puts in tons of work into the Pitt Meadows Program. Since helping out with the grade 8 team this year, I can only further emphasize this point. He gives Canadian high school kids a unique athletic experience which is full of hard work and excellent opportunities.”

2007′s Dylan Gatner trains with Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns at UBC’s War Memorial Gymnasium ^

I can also add to Goulet’s dedication: when I was in grade ten, I returned to Pitt Meadows from a year played in Minnesota. While playing Junior boys basketball for one of Pitt’s greatest, Scott Walton, I was living only minutes from Goulet. Goulet would show up at my door every morning at 7 A.M. to drive me to school on his way so I could train early before school. He didn’t have to do that. He also doesn’t have to stay from 7:30 A.M. until 10 P.M. every day, or to open up the gym in the summer for kids to work at their game, or to help kids on his own time to develop, or even help his players deliver phonebooks and fundraise. He doesn’t have to, but he wants to. Winning isn’t for everyone.

My brother, Doug, who attended Pitt in grades 8 and 9, never even played for Coach Goulet, but even he, long removed from Pitt Meadows, acknowledges Goulet’s work ethic and dedication to the program. He admits: “I’ve been to the States, and I’ve never seen dedication like that. Not even down there, not like that.” Doug played for Hastings High School (Minnesota) from grades 10 through 12, and completing a year playing a high level of division 2 basketball for Minnesota State University-Mankato, currently in the elite eight for division 2, before returning home to play for the UFV Cascades, and eventually and presently, the UBC Thunderbirds.

Doug Plumb, UBC Thunderbirds (2011) ^

Goulet is always emailing, fundraising, organizing and improving his program, acquiring invites to trips such as the BRIT, held in Saskatoon, the Maui Winter Classic, held at the Lahaina Civic Center, home to the annual NCAA Division 1 pre-season tournament. Players who have played for Goulet and the Pitt Meadows program are as fortunate as they come, going on annual trips to hot spot tropical destinations such as Hawaii, Florida or California. Players also receive a letterman jacket once reaching senior boys basketball, with their name, graduation year, jersey number and position, including the well known “PITT” scrolling across the back. Pitt players also receive team shoes annually and new uniforms every two years – talk about lucky. Goulet also hosts his well known “shooter’s camp” – a camp centered around building and mastering good shooting form and correcting bad habits – his “team camp” and he is also an active member of Basketball BC.

2011′s Malcolm Williams >

Say what you will about Rich Goulet: that he’s grumpy, too serious, and the flex is outdated. However, you have to respect the man and the program he has built over the last quarter century through no secret formula, except pure hard work, dedication and passion. Goulet demands the best out of his players not only on the court, but off the court as well, as he aids their development into fine young men and student-athletes.

2010′s Mike Lewandowski >

So go ahead, hate the Pitt Meadows Marauders program, just know that they’re loved for the exact same reasons. Hate and jealousy go hand in hand.