As we move into the spring and all the spring sports, it is hard to believe that we are approaching the final months of another sports year. The Winter Season, which is coming to a close, saw some great basketball played by all four Mount Douglas teams with great participation by dedicated, positive athletes. Once again these teams continued to provide excitement and energy for a fantastic year in Athletics. None of this is possible without the hard work, dedication, and commitment from students, parents, and coaches. Thank you all for what you have done for the Winter Sports season so far.
Junior Boys’ Basketball – This year started with a sense of excitement with a record number, 28 boys, coming to tryouts for the team. The final roster had five grade 10 boys and nine grade 9 boys, meaning that this was a young, inexperienced squad. Team and individual growth was superb as the season progressed, with the team moving from being dominated by teams in the pre-season and start of league play, to finishing with some incredibly exciting and close games by the end of the season. The boys discovered that they were very good defensively when introduced to zone defense, something that most junior teams do not master. With the nine returning players and an increasing interest in junior basketball, the next few years look promising for boys’ basketball. In fact, the basketball program for Mount Douglas has begun in earnest and should pay off for years to come.
Junior Girls’ Basketball –This season started with a small group of 10 girls, who had a variety of experience in basketball ranging from years of playing basketball to those just starting out, joining the team. The girls had some very competitive games during league play and ended up finishing 4th in the league overall. The “A” City playoffs began February 10, with the top three teams moving on to the Island Championships at Wellington Secondary in Nanaimo. Mt. Douglas began the City Championships by defeating the 5th ranked Stellys’ Stingers in their first playoff game. Good luck to the girls during the rest of the playoffs and thank you for your positive attitude and dedication to this year’s team.
Senior Boys’ Basketball – The Sr. Boys found themselves facing a season with a young squad as the vast majority of the grade 12 boys graduated in 2014. With a new head coach, Chris Ball, and a significant number of grade 11 boys, the Sr. Boys have done very well so far this season. They are currently ranked 2nd in league play and are ranked 5th for the entire Island. The big event this year will be hosting the 65th Annual AAAA Island Championships at Mount Doug from February 26-28 with the top two teams from the Island moving on to play at the BC Championships. This is a fantastic event with music, concession, and announcers for each of the four daily games. The boys will be looking for a little home court advantage so come support your RAMS during some of the best high school basketball the Island has to offer.
Senior Girls’ Basketball – This year saw considerable changes to the Sr. Girls as Coach Rick Griffin retired and Coach Carmen Lapthorne became the new head coach. With the graduation of the majority of last year’s team, this year looked to be a reloading year but, instead, proved to provide many surprises. With a squad of 10 players, one in grade 9, this year’s team truly exemplified the concept of team play. Highlights of the season included coming second in the Belmont Tournament while playing only five players in the tournament final, and beating by five points the 9th Provincially ranked Claremont Spartans in league play. The girls finished tied for 3rd in the league and now move onto the City Championships starting February 12.
SPRING SPORTS 2015
We are now getting underway with our Spring Sports Season and wish our track and field, cycling, tennis, golf, badminton, girls’ soccer, boys’ rugby, and girls’ rugby teams all the best for their upcoming season. Make sure you listen to the announcements for the date and time of upcoming meetings for theses sports. For a complete list of all of Mount Doug’s Winter Sports, please refer to the Athletics section of the website at https://mountdoug.sd61.bc.ca/activities-clubs/athletics/
Finally, I wish to thank our fantastic students, parents, coaches, managers, teachers and sponsors. It is because of you that Mount Doug continues to be one of the top sports schools in all of B.C.
Mr. Meldrum, Athletic Director