Yale, WRCA set to tip off hoops season
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Updated: November 20, 2009 12:35 PM
The Yale Lions and the White Rock Christian Academy Warriors will open the B.C. AAA high school boys basketball season in style next week.
On Wednesday at 7 p.m., the two perennial powerhouse squads will meet in an exhibition game on a neutral court at the University of the Fraser Valley. Billed as the first annual "Valley Battle," the UFV athletic department is hoping that the game eventually grows into a season-opening tournament featuring the top teams in the region.
"White Rock and Yale are perennially near the top of the B.C. high school standings, and it's a fantastic game to have in our gym," Cascades men's basketball coach Barnaby Craddock noted.
The Lions and Warriors are considered two of the top contenders for the AAA provincial title, and between the two squads, five former provincial team players will hit the floor on Wednesday: Yale's Marek Klassen, Matt Letkeman and Nakai Luyken, and White Rock's Riley Barker and Eli Mara.
The game will serve as a precursor to Yale's home tournament, which runs next Thursday through Saturday. The eight-team draw includes the Abbotsford Collegiate Panthers, along with the Belmont Bulldogs of Victoria and the Sir Charles Tupper Tigers of Vancouver.
Tip-off times range from 3 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. each day, with the final set for 8:15 p.m. on Saturday.
