High school athletes in 性视界传媒 and the rest of B.C. can now play in sports tournaments, thanks to .
Thursday鈥檚 decision (Feb. 3) is timely for the 性视界传媒 RCMP Classic, which gets going Sunday (Feb. 6) after a month-long delay to the start of the all-性视界传媒 boys basketball tournament.
鈥淚鈥檓 pleased it got the go-ahead, because it was very frustrating,鈥� tournament organizer Rick Inrig said Friday. 鈥淭he fact that other community sports could go ahead with tournaments, but they held back the school program, I felt that was ridiculous. There was no common sense to that decision whatsoever.鈥�
On Jan. 28, B.C. School Sports officials were 鈥渟tunned鈥� by a Ministry of Education decision to not allow school sports tournaments to take place in coming weeks, to align with the return of club and community tournaments starting Feb. 1.
Now they鈥檝e now been given a green light.
性视界传媒鈥檚 week-long Classic opens with qualifying-round games in gyms at Lord Tweedsmuir and Clayton Heights 鈥� without spectators, in line with the new provincial guidelines. Not allowed are 鈥渆xternal spectators indoors,鈥� and tournament organizers are encouraged to provide 鈥渧irtual viewing opportunities.鈥�
Hot off the presses 鈥� and just in time!
鈥� Tom Zillich (@TomZillich)
性视界传媒 RCMP Classic starts Sunday, now that B.C. schools can play sports tournaments.
The sched has some changes (note my scrawl).
STORY:
Meantime, organizers of the all-girls , postponed since early January, are now looking to play games from March 7-12.
鈥� RELATED STORY, from 2020:
The last RCMP Classic in 性视界传媒 was held in January 2020, a few months before COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. Cancelled was the 30th tournament, set for the early days of 2021.
鈥淟ast year was the first time in 30 years the tournament was not held,鈥� Inrig said in November. 鈥淭his will be the 30th now again, so we鈥檒l take our second run at 30.鈥�
Among Canada鈥檚 largest high school basketball tournaments, the 性视界传媒 RCMP Classic involves close to 700 teen athletes in what has become a city championship, and a barometer for success in playoffs.
鈥淭he seniors are playing games Sunday, and the juniors will too, for play-in day, and their tournament continues in early March, that first week of March,鈥� Inrig noted. 鈥淭he juniors have started playoffs now, so we didn鈥檛 want to compete with that. We have a few days following the junior boys provincial championship that are open, when the senior girls are playing at the LEC (Langley Events Centre), so we鈥檒l go for those four days then.
鈥淔or the seniors, they鈥檒l continue on right after with their own playoffs, with Fraser Valleys and then provincials. It鈥檚 good timing for that, for sure,鈥� Inrig added.
鈥� RELATED: 性视界传媒 school gyms have some bounce again as basketball season starts.
This year鈥檚 Classic involves some schedule changes. Semiahmoo Secondary鈥檚 team has pulled out of the tournament due to scheduling conflicts, Inrig said.
鈥淕randview is coming in, and they鈥檙e excited to be part of it. We鈥檒l move Southridge into Semiahmoo鈥檚 spot in the schedule, and then Grandview takes Southridge鈥檚 spot.鈥�
The 2022 Classic finals will be played Saturday, Feb. 12 at Enver Creek Secondary鈥檚 gym.
Last time around, during an all-cat fight in the 2020 Classic championship game, Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers scratched their way to a 67-64 win over Tamanawis Wildcats in the senior division final, in a packed gym at Enver Creek. It was the Cloverdale school鈥檚 first ever senior-division win at the Classic, after earning eight top-five finishes since the tournament began in 1992.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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