Gallery • 3 Photos

Liano Liu

Will Sauder inbounding the ball.

It is November and the Varsity basketball season is coming up! The boys who were selected for the St. George’s squad have had all of November to get ready for the season ahead.

November is a vital month for the team as the players need to get into top physical condition, and get used to the style of play they will be using for the season. The players have to be mentally tough and prepared to get going. Playing on the Saints Varsity basketball team is a large commitment. Varsity basketball is arguably the biggest commitment a student athlete has to be prepared to fulfill at St. George’s.

Varsity player, Mark Epshtien (11), had this to say about the commitment, “Playing on the Varsity Team, especially as a rookie 11th grader, requires a copious amount of commitment to practices and games, as playing time is not always guaranteed. Effectively managing your time in order to maximize your rest and make sure your on-court performance is optimal, is key to playing Varsity basketball. In the end, however, your commitment is best shown by your effort and work ethic on the court.”

This year’s team has a lot of potential. Going into this season they have been ranked 6^th in the province, behind some powerhouses like, The Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs and the Walnut Grove Gators. The team has many players that were a part of last years St. George’s junior varsity squad who went into the BC championships last year ranked 3^rd. There are only four returning members of last years Varsity squad. They will be important leaders for this team as experience plays a large part in success.

This year’s captain, Wesley Graham (12), will be a primary offensive threat. Last year, Wesley had a breakout season, which was highlighted by his 30+ point performance against Vancouver College on February 5, 2015. We got the chance to ask Wesley about the team’s goal this year. “The Varsity basketball team has high hopes for this season, striving to improve every day and make a deep run at provincials. With a talented and energetic group we hope to challenge each other to be the best we can be and take our best shot at winning it all.”

Here are a few big home games the Saints Varsity team will play this year:

–           December 2, 2015 vs. Semiahmoo Secondary School

–           December 9, 2015 vs. Burnaby South Secondary School

–           December 14, 2015 vs. Kilarney Secondary School

–           January 11, 2016 vs. Holy Cross Secondary School

–           January 20, 2016 vs. Vancouver College

–           February 1, 2016 vs. Walnut Grove Secondary School