A number of sporting events took place in the weeks before Spring Break, as the winter athletic season ended and spring sport began.
Basketball
Hopes were high that the Senior Boys Basketball team could continue their fine Island playoff form with a similarly successful BC AAA run. Alas it was not to be, as a strong defensive effort from Pitt Meadows was too much to overcome in an opening 58-51 defeat. The same issues surfaced in the Blue Jags' three consolation side games, with a narrow win over Mark Isfeld sandwiched by losses to A.R. MacNeill and Ladysmith. Ben Beattie enjoyed three double-doubles in the four games, and will be a key member among the seven players set to return for their senior seasons. Congratulations to the Senior Boys on a great season.
Rugby
There was considerable anticipation of the March 12 matches versus Oak Bay, with both the Robinson Cup (Girls sevens) and Rees Boot (Senior Boys) up for grabs. In addition, the Junior Boys also took on the Oak Bay Barbarians earlier in the afternoon, setting the tone for the day with a fine 48-12 win. Flanker Philip Doerfler and fly half Ty Driscoll produced very strong performances.
In the Girls sevens game, the Blue Jags exploded for five unanswered tries and a 29-0 halftime lead. Chloé Hill-Huse's restart kicks were spot on, with the subsequent mountain of possession leading to tries for Dasha Tosova (2), Sophia Tafel, Kenzi Farish and Skye Farish. While Oak Bay stabilized after the break to tally three times, the result was never in doubt, as Emily Salomon Wong, Fernanda Osio and Charlotte Kessler added scores in the 48-15 final to hold on to the Robinson Cup for the second year.
Watch the game below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_oNM903ido
With a gritty defensive effort and some opportunistic attacks, the Senior Boys Rugby team then ensured a clean sweep of Oak Bay with a 34-0 victory. SMUS notched five tries, three conversions and a penalty goal in regaining the coveted Rees Boot. Luka Djurickovic (2), John Hernandez-Gillespie (2) and Ben Shaw crossed the whitewash, while Will Kinahan added nine points with the boot. The tackling of the entire team was of a high standard, with the back row of Matt Klimchuk, Taiga Kitao and Duke Curran particularly prominent. Likewise, centres Max Nishima and Matthew Le Roux were rock solid in the midfield.
Watch the game below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIaNGa8RsZQ
Soccer
The Senior Girls Soccer team, playing this season in a strong Tier 1 competition, split a pair of league games. The Blue Jags, despite several outstanding saves by goalkeeper Claudia Murr, fell 2-0 away to Stelly's before rebounding to defeat Mount Douglas by the same score. Claire Pontefract and Lauren Withers registered goals, with Anna Brinham, Marina Fabris, Julia McDermott, Paloma De Icaza and Jocelyn Zhao performing well in the back line.
In the Junior Girls competition, SMUS moved smartly to 2-0 in league play following comfortable victories versus Spectrum and Edward Milne. Brianne McLeish and Talia Pike paced the attack in both games.
Squash
At the BC Junior Closed Provincial Championships, held in Vancouver, SMUS produced some excellent finishes in very challenging fields. Christian Yuen claimed a silver medal in the Boys U17 Division, while Alex Brown finished third in the Girls U17. Jay Herring, in the Boys U19 semi-final, up 2-1 and 9 points to 8 in a potentially deciding game, unfortunately then strained his hamstring and had to withdraw.
Other notable performers included Oliver Kerr, Stuart K., Alden Weymar, Lucas Q. and Anderson B.
Vivat!
