Gophers claim junior varsity crown

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This article was published 14/03/2012 (5156 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

They were loud and they were proud in the packed new gym at Garden City Collegiate, as their beloved Fighting Gophers won the school’s first junior varsity boys’ basketball championship.

The Gophers broke the game open early in the fourth quarter and maintained their lead until the end in a 90-82 win over the Kelvin Clippers in the championship game on March 10.

Students, parents and supporters mobbed the court as the final buzzer sounded, and joyous players cut down the nets (one of the perks of playing at home).

“It was just a real smooth year for us,” said head coach Iggy Grinevsky of the team’s 34-2 season that included six tournament wins and a third-straight KPAC championship. “This is very big for our program. In 52 years we’ve never had anything like this.”

Many of the Gophers were at a loss for words, like Grade 10 point guard Arel Cansino, the MVP of the provincial tournament. The 5-foot-3 speed demon from Tyndall Park, whose shiny copper shoes and high blue socks looked like a blur when he ran the court, said he felt “blessed” to be part of such a successful team.

“I’m thankful for my team, my coaches, and all the support we’ve had,” said Cansino, who scored 28 points in the final. “We worked really hard for this, and we’re all really close friends.”

Cansino said playing in front of so many fans gave Garden City a big boost in the final.

“It was an amazing crowd,” he said. “Hearing them going crazy every time you score was great. We definitely got up from the crowd every time they cheered.”

The Gophers won with a balanced lineup and a team game. They did it without a single provincial team member, and with only one big man.

Jowel Shuffler, a 6-foot-2 Garden City resident, provided the team’s inside presence. He scored 17 of his 22 points in the second half.

“I asked for the ball (at halftime), my coach gave it to me,” he said, “and we executed well. We were running basically the same play.”

Byron Oduca added 19 points for Garden City, and was named a tournament all-star, along with Liam Haime and Justin Miranda of Kelvin, Josh Sleva of St. Paul’s, and Derek McKnight of Mennonite Brethren.

Shuffler said the team was motivated all year to prove that the provincial team could use a few Gophers on its roster.

“We just work our butts off, hustle all the time,” he said. “I think this will help us for sure to get on the map.”

Grinevsky envisions the win being just another step in turning Garden City into one of the province’s elite basketball schools (if it isn’t already). The school has had plenty of varsity success in recent years, and now with an established junior-varsity program he’s hoping top players from throughout the area will want to be Gophers.

avi.saper@canstarnews.com