The boys Senior Gryphons have put basketball opponents this season on notice – we will fight you to the last point.
The BCHS team displayed battling qualities to gladden the soul of any coach during the Wolves annual tournament in Grande Prairie last Friday and Saturday.
They gave themselves a chance of winning a bronze medal, but just lost out 64-57 to the home team Grande Prairie.
Coach Alix deBeaudrap praised the strength, skill and determination shown by all her players.
“Some real basketball chemistry came alive among the team,” she said. “It was a close finish with Grande Prairie sneaking out on top.”
In their first game of the tournament on Friday afternoon, the Gryphons took on North Peace High School.
Despite getting off to a quick start, they wound up trailing by the half. A strong rally was needed – and the Gryphons delivered.
In the third quarter through to the fourth they gained sufficient momentum to finish with a 56-44 victory and advance with a bye into the semifinals on the A side of the draw.
Saturday morning saw them pitted against Beaverlodge, a tough side who had won both Friday games.
A slow start to their first half left the Gryphons trailing 34-16, with only a handful of points coming out of the second quarter.
The team came alive during the third quarter, with points drawn by all the players.
It was a back-and-forth finish, with Barrhead coming up just short in a 52-47 loss. The bronze medal game was next.
DeBeaudrap saw the tournament as a promising platform from which the Gryphons could construct their season.
“It was a weekend filled with strong competition, skill building and success,” she said.
She added the Gryphons would get a couple of weeks to work on lessons learned in Grande Prairie, before heading off to Whitecourt on Dec. 16 and 17 with the lady Gryphons to compete in the next tournament.
