The Grade 10 boys' basketball team has a very busy week. They have already played two West Van rivals and will be travelling today to Burnaby South for a three-day tournament. In local action, the Cavs easily defeated Rockridge on Monday, but fell yesterday to a very strong West Van High team. Here is a report from Coach Yoon:
After finishing up several exhibition and tournament games, the Junior Boys Basketball team played their first league game of the season against Rockridge Secondary on Monday December 12.
Once the game started, it was clear the Cavs were the more experienced and superior team. The starters were quickly able to build a 25-6 lead, and all players were able to register a point on the scoresheet by the end of the contest. The final score of the game was 69-37 Cavs. Although the game was fairly one-sided for Collingwood, Coach Ditson was able to rotate different line combinations into the game as the team continued to work on their set plays and team defense in preparation for their next game against West Vancouver.
The next day, Collingwood hosted a very strong junior boys team from West Vancouver. In the first quarter, West Vancouver was able to convert on a lot of easy points in the paint while the Cavs relied on strong perimeter shooting to keep the contest close. Grade 9 standout, Nathan Holm hit a 3-pointer at the end of the first quarter to keep the score tied at 14-14.
The score remained close throughout the second and third quarters. During that stretch, the Cavs played strong team defense, sending four players to rebound the ball and pressuring West Vancouver on almost every possession. In the fourth quarter, West Vancouver was able to build a 10-point lead, using their size advantage to wear out the Cavs. Although the Cavs cut the lead down to 5 points, the team committed several turnovers down the stretch and struggled to defend the taller West Van players. The final score of the game was 46-34 West Vancouver.
Despite the loss, the coaches see a lot of potential for this year's junior boys team. The team will continue to make adjustments during practice, and the coaches feel very confident the boys can compete with the strongest teams in the province. The junior Cavs will now play in the Burnaby South Rod Thomson tournament from Dec 14-16.
Nate Holm drives for a basket in the Cav Classic. Nate played with great energy yesterday as Coach Ditson constantly turned to him for his tough approach to defence and rebounding.