Jordan Jacobs, Sports Editor
After a long week of highly competitive games for our basketball teams, WGSS has managed to secure not one, but two Fraser Valley Championship banners.
The grade 8 boys won their final game on Monday against Lord Tweedsmuir who was seeded #2 to Walnut Grove’s #1 ranking in the tournament. The 55-28 victory for the gators might not have been a close call, but proved to be a highly competitive and physical game to watch for WGSS fans as the final game was played at home. The gators had delivered three 70+ performances in the games leading up to the finals that proved they were meant to be #1. Point guard Kevin Kao earned Tournament MVP for the gators while his teammates Trevor Duffin and Callum Neily earned All-Star awards. The gators now set their sights on provincials, which will occur at Semiahmoo Secondary from March 1st-3rd
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The Junior girls were also Fraser Valley champions after a hard week of tough games out in Chilliwack. The girls were seeded 4th going into Fraser Valleys after a monumental win at a tournament in Victoria guaranteed the team a spot in provincials. The girls easily won their first three games by at least 30 points, but it was the semi-finals that proved to be the toughest challenge of them all. The gator girls were up against #2 seed Yale and needed an upset to advance to the final game. The game was intense from start to finish with both teams playing their hearts out leaving parents and spectators alike nervous on the sidelines. The game was too close to call even in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter with Yale up by a few points. However, Walnut Grove pulled through with a clutch three that put them in the lead, and fouls shots at the end of the quarter secured their victory 40-38.
Their final game was against #5 seed Brookswood, who the gator girls had played -and already beaten- in the Langley Championship Final. The girls proved themselves once more with a final score 55-30 earning them the Fraser Valley Banner and the #1 seed going into Provincials! Fania Taylor was named the MVP of the tournament whilst Juliana Jacobs and Anneke Cairnie were named Fraser Valley All-Stars. The girls now move on to provincials which will take place at Langley Events Centre from February 28th to March 3rd, so there’s no excuse not to come out and how some gator spirit for both of your Fraser Valley Champions!
