Charles in charge of Cowichan champions
Josh Charles is the ringleader, but the supporting cast is also putting on a show for the Cowichan junior Thunderbirds boys' basketball team.
Another series of extraordinary performances by the T-Birds landed them the championship of the North Shore Junior Invitational Tournament.
Cowichan played West Vancouver in the final and won handily 53-37. Charles was the player of the game with 27 points while Travis McDonald netted a dozen.
"West Vancouver was ranked ahead of us going into the tournament, two spots ahead of us,'' said Charles.
The No. 9 slot held by Cowichan and West Vancouver's No. 7 ranking are sure to change after the result.
Charles was named the tournament MVP while Jordy Frost and McDonald were first-team all-stars.
"If I have a scoring opportunity, I'll take it,'' said Charles. "I'll look for my teammates if I don't.''
Cowichan played stellar basketball throughout all four of its tournament games.
"Our defence was really strong,'' said Charles. "We held quite a few teams to under 25 points which is key for us.''
There's always more work to be done, though, Charles conceded.
"We're trying to move the ball more on offense.''
In the round of 16, the T-Birds hammered Notre Dame 50-31, with Charles scoring 16 points and earning player of the game status.
Cowichan handcuffed St. Thomas More Collegiate 42-22 in the quarterfinals. Charles and Frost led the charge in the scoring, rebounding and playmaking departments.
Saturday's semifinal action brought a 49-25 victory for Cowichan over Carson Graham.
Charles knocked down another 21 points. Frost scored 12 and won player of the game honours while Tyler Hudson created a lot of space for his teammates by cutting hard against a zone defence.
Carson Graham knocked off No. 5 Pitt Meadows the previous day on the strength of its various zone defences.
Cowichan was not to be denied in the final, completing a run of wins through Lower Mainland competition.
Charles said if the players continue to push themselves, they'll be a provincial title contender.
COMMENTS
Let's keep comments:
We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters.
We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.