Athletics Review

Day 1

Just an amazing and unusual first day in Hamilton, Ontario.

After a smooth trip yesterday, we were back at Hillfield Strathallan College (HSC) first thing this morning for the opening ceremonies and then three pool games in the “Group of Death.”

Former SMUS teacher and now HSC Headmaster Tom Matthews was on hand to greet us, as were 500 Middle and Senior School HSC students, who had the gym rocking for the tournament opener between the top-seeded hosts and SMUS.

Little did anyone realize, certainly from SMUS, that they were to be part of just an incredibly exciting day of play.

HSC featured one superb post player, a rangy and athletic lefty, who caused no end of grief and ended up scoring over 80% of their points. SMUS struggled through a tense opening half. Down 4 points at half, the team was soon facing a 9-point deficit, after a sluggish start to the second frame. Only Kieran Large, who went on to score a team high of 11 points, looked comfortable on the ball.

Down 23-14 with five minutes to play, the SMUS defence really kicked into gear. Buckets by Graeme Hyde-Lay and Matty McColl, and some frantic teamwork saw the home lead evaporate, with some foul shot miscues also allowing the visitors second life.

At 25-24 down, SMUS gained one final possession, with 18 seconds left to play. The gym was at an absolute fever pitch, as both teams designed strategies in a last timeout. Needless to say, not one SMUS player then went to the planned spots! Amidst the chaos, a desperate back door pass from Jason Scully to Max Pollen misfired, before Owen Sudul rescued the game by scrambling after the loose ball. With five seconds to go, he found an open Graeme Hyde-Lay above the foul-line. To his credit, Graeme took his time, and was rewarded when his 20′ shot banked home with a second to play for a 26-25 win!

It felt as if the air had been sucked out of the gym, as all the energy and noise from the HSC fans dissipated immediately. A final HSC Hail Mary full length pass was intercepted, and SMUS had claimed a huge opening win.

Game 2 in pool play came two hours later, and was the anti-thesis of what had gone before. Still pumped from the opening win, and with some changes to the starting lineup, SMUS came out on fire against Holy Trinity School. Matty McColl opened with eight quick points, en route to a 15-0 quarter time lead. More of the same followed, and with the opposition reeling, the team added another 15 to close the half up 30-0. Yes, 30-0! All players hit the scoresheet, with Jack Sherrod, Jake Wilmott, Mike Edwards and Grant Nicholson all showing some smooth touches. If the second half was sloppy, it actually was something of a relief that the scoreline was only 11-10, making the final 41-10 in SMUS’ favour.

This second win set up a pool decider against Collingwood, with the game to be played at the impressive Mohawk College, next door to HSC. For whatever reason, SMUS’ opening ten minutes was weak ‒ it was impossible to believe it was the same crew that was 2-0! If there was little funny about Holy Trinity’s inability to register even a single point in the first half of the previous game, the scoreboard in this contest told an even more brutal tale. Indeed, not one single point was registered by either team in the first quarter. The game was tied 0-0, and things did not improve as the second frame got underway. Finally, at the 11-minute mark, Collingwood hit a free throw, then made several baskets to lead 9-0. Fortunately, with another quarter bagel looming, Graeme Hyde-Lay managed a layup before Kieran Large, in what was an eerie foreshadowing of things to come, dribbled the length of the floor to make a tough jumper and bring a hugely forgettable half of basketball to a close. 9-4 to Collingwood!

The second half, after a stern word or two at the break, was a distinct improvement, although Collingwood, behind their star guard, and thanks to some botched SMUS layup attempts, always seemed to be 3-4 points ahead. Then, after two Jack Sherrod baskets in close, an amazing full length drive by Max Pollen, with a free throw to boot, gave SMUS its first lead at 23-22.

Back came Collingwood. The ensuing SMUS defensive possession, up one point and with 45 seconds to play, was a complete disaster, as the opposition guard dribbled right down the middle of the lane for an uncontested layup.

And the fun was just beginning.

After a front court time out with 16 seconds to play, an careless turnover by SMUS gave the ball back to Collingwood. SMUS then were forced to take three deliberate fouls in order to put a Collingwood shooter on the foul line, and with 7.4 seconds to play, this player obligingly missed the front end of a one and one. Max Pollen, scrapping among the giants, got his hands on the ball, spun out of traffic, dribbled up the right side to half court and passed ahead to Kieran Large. Kieran caught the ball smoothly, and, as if he had been doing it his whole life, took one quick dribble and banked in a 17′ shot with .4 seconds left to play to win the game.

Two buzzer beaters on the same day. Just amazing!

With the win, (though, as Mike Edwards noted, the team was less than 2 seconds from finishing 1-2) SMUS went unbeaten and topped the Group of Death! The team now moves into a new pool of four teams for Friday’s action, with the top two from each then advancing to Saturday’s Final 4.

Game 1 against HSC was a wonderful sporting occasion, full of twists and turns, and with the noise so loud you barely could hear yourself think! Fingers crossed for tomorrow. SMUS may have used up already a large portion of its luck, but, if playing well, certainly has the potential to win all its Day 2 games. Yet each, in different ways, will present a significant challenge - just the way it should be!!

Day 2

With Day 1’s pyrotechnics over and done, the team regathered for another three games, with St. John’s (Vancouver), Upper Canada College and St. Andrews on the agenda in Group A of the Championship draw.

Already, after the team’s sterling defensive work on Day 1, grumblings were making the rounds, with SMUS accused of “playing a zone” and not following the tournament’s defensive help rules.

Undeterred, the team took the floor against St. John’s at 9am EST, and soon was involved in another nailbiter. A propensity to miss scoring opportunities, particularly layups, continued, and an 18-14 halftime lead was not necessarily a fair reflection of the action. St. John’s continued to stick around, and with four minutes to play the margin was only three. Happily, some good SMUS free-throw shooting kept the opponents at bay and a critical 33-25 win was in the books.

Again, while the offence sputtered, very good individual and team defence held sway. Graeme Hyde-Lay, with help from his teammates, held the Eagles’ star post player to only three points, while Max Pollen and Matty McColl controlled the perimeter.

Next up for SMUS was Upper Canada College, who had narrowly lost a very contentious and foul-filled opener to St. Andrews. Again, numerous missed SMUS layups and inside shots went awry, and it was not until the fourth quarter that three straight hoops ensured what became a 29-19 victory. Jason Scully, who led all scorers with 12 points, and Jack Sherrod managed honours even on the boards against UCC’s big posts, while Owen Scully, Mike Edwards, Jake Sudul and Grant Nicholson again chipped in with a number of little plays not shown on the boxscore.

However, there was still controversy, with UCC joining St. John’s in complaining to CAIS officials that the SMUS team defensive structure was illegal. That numerous other teams were guarding the same way seemed irrelevant; SMUS seemed to be the number one target.

With the UCC victory, SMUS gained a Final Four place, so even a loss to St. Andrews would not matter as fewest points allowed was the first tiebreaker in a potential three-way tie. Perhaps the team understood this, as it played a very subdued game against moderate opposition. Though up early 8-2, SMUS then lost its way during an awful scoring drought, falling behind 11-8 before recovering to 13 each at halftime. Yet again, missed layups kept the score low, while countless fouls were also eating up playing reserves. Fortunately, the “Blue Crew” of Owen Sudul, Grant Nicholson, Jake Wilmott and Mike Edwards kept things together in this second frame.

The return of most of the starting unit early in the third quarter produced a scoring bump to 22-17, and a SMUS breakout seemed on the cards. But it was not. More fouls, careless ballhandling and at least another four point blank misfires allowed St. Andrews to stay in touch, and, assisted by a healthy dose of free throws, the Saints came back into contention to lead 29-26, 29-28 and then 30-28 with 15 seconds to play. Fortunately, Graeme Hyde-Lay escaped his marker to tie the score on a tough baseline leaner with 5 seconds to go and force overtime.

In the two minute extra period, a basket by Owen Sudul was sandwiched by both Max Pollen and Graeme Hyde-Lay foulouts. Then Kieran Large joined the parade to the bench, acquiring his fifth foul (in pretty dubious circumstances, it must be admitted). More chaos ensued, complete with ballhandling gaffes, travel violations, errant inbound passes and the like. Somehow, Jason Scully managed two free throws for a 32-30 lead, which then became 32-31. Then, the star St. Andrews guard was fouled yet again, and managed one of two with 14 seconds left.

To SMUS’ credit, with very much a makeshift lineup on the court, the players held their nerve. Jason Scully grabbed the ball, drove the lane and came up smelling roses as his five footer rattled around before falling. St. Andrews managed a deep look at the buzzer to tie the game but it fell short. In the end, it was 34-32 OT win for SMUS.

Significantly, with Collingwood upsetting St. George’s 32-28 in the other pool, SMUS was the only team to go unbeaten through the first two days of play. Some close calls to be sure, but six straight wins nonetheless. Also, SMUS became the only school in the country to reach the Final Four in both CAIS soccer and CAIS basketball in the 2009-2010 school year.

Saturday’s semi-final action tips off with a huge and talented St. Georges team providing the opposition. SMUS will certainly have its work cut out for it. The winner of this game will almost certainly face Collingwood in the final, as the Cavaliers have a much easier route to the championship game.

All the boys on the team have done themselves and the school proud. At the tournament coaches meeting last Wednesday, there was much debate as to why a school with no history in the tournament should have been seeded 5th (as opposed to 15th or 16th). The boys, despite not yet firing on all offensive cylinders, have shown exactly why.

Day 3

SMUS gave a simply wonderful, gutty performance, recovering from a 12 point third quarter deficit to run St. Georges to overtime before finally falling 28-25 in front of a packed house.

A nervous, jittery start ensured that scoring was difficult, and indeed, with too many of the players giving the opposition too much respect, SMUS fell behind immediately. Relegated to long outside shots by a St. George’s defence that was big and packed the key, SMUS only scored four points in the first half. Only a scratching, clawing defence kept the game from being a blowout, but a 14-4 score at the break, and then an initial St. Georges bucket after intermission seemed to leave a mountain too high to climb.

But slowly, inexorably, SMUS came back into the game. Some fine defence by Max Pollen thoroughly frustrated the star St. Georges guard, who, after sallying about in the first half, suddenly looked very mortal. Kieran Large, Jack Sherrod and Graeme Hyde-Lay absorbed a real physical pounding from the two 5′10, 150 pound Saints posts, but refused to buckle.

Then, some shots started to drop, and drives to the hoop produced fouls and free throws. Graeme Hyde-Lay made six straight, Kieran Large also showed his mettle, and when Matty McColl, with the gym at a fever pitch, nailed a pair with 35 seconds to play, SMUS led 24-22.

One final stop and one rebound for a berth in the final!

As has been the case all tournament, the team executed well and forced an off balance St. Georges shot with 12 seconds to go. Unfortunately, one of the St. Georges posts, through sheer size advantage, corralled the miss and scored to tie the game.

The two minute overtime was always going to be a tricky proposition, with Graeme Hyde-Lay, a key part of the offence, out of the game on fouls. While a Matty McColl free throw edged SMUS in front, 25-24, four subsequent foul shots gave the lead back to St. Georges. A final Max Pollen drive produced a foul, but also a deep charley horse, necessitating Mike Edwards to come in and shoot from the line. To his credit, under huge pressure, Mike made one of two to cut the lead to 27-25. But one more make from the charity stripe was then enough for St. Georges to prevail 28-25.

Jason Scully, with 10 points, led the SMUS scoring.

Both coaches (Bob Newman and myself) told the players after the loss that we were more proud of them in defeat than we had been in the wins of the two previous days. A gallant comeback fell just short, but, in the process, the team won so many admirers.

Oh for the resiliency of youth! Not an hour later the team was back on court for the bronze medal game against St. John’s, who had been hammered out of sight by Collingwood in their semifinal.

With Max Pollen unavailable because of some knee swelling, a rejigged lineup took the floor for what became another thrilling encounter. Tied 16-16 at half, the game continued right to the death, with no more than a basket separating the two teams. Absolutely huge plays down the stretch, including a rebound and put back by Grant Nicholson and a tough driving layup by Jake Wilmott had SMUS in front 27-25 with 19 seconds to play. A steal then led to a loose ball foul on Graeme Hyde-Lay, who, while leading all scorers with 16 points, had uncharacteristically gone 0-6 from the line. He made his first shot to make the margin three points, and this should have been enough to secure the game, as the three point line was not in effect.

Not so fast. A defensive mixup allowed the St. John’s guard to penetrate too deep, and the subsequent “hoop and harm” allowed the opposition to tie the game 28-28.

Then, some quick thinking by Matty McColl got the ball down court quickly. With the St. John’s defence now in disarray, Owen Sudul got the ball up to the rim and then followed his miss to be fouled with less than a second to play. Just another dramatic finish on the cards, as, with the court clear, Owen stepped to the line.

The first shot crawled around the rim, hung on the edge, and fell out. One chance left, as overtime loomed. The second shot crawled around the rim, hung on the edge, and fell in! 29-28 to SMUS, and with that a 7-1 overall record and the bronze medal.

Amazingly, five of the eight games that SMUS played literally came down to the final second or were determined in overtime.

As this memo is being sent, Collingwood leads St. Georges 21-19 heading into the final quarter of the championship game. After closing ceremonies, SMUS heads for home, with many wonderful memories. Two seconds from being relegated to the consolation side of the draw on Day 1, the team was then one possession from being in the tournament final. There was so much excitement all along the way. The boys gave everything they had and can be so proud of their efforts.

Squash
Girls vs. Brentwood College: won 3-2

• Nicole Bunyan won 3-0
• Brynn Daniels won 3-0
• Deryn Ramsey won 3-0
• Lisa Evans lost 1-3
• Rachel Wong lost 0-3

Girls vs. Shawnigan Lake: won 5-0

• Nicole Bunyan won 3-0
• Brynn Daniels won 3-0
• Deryn Ramsey won 3-0
• Lisa Evans won 3-0
• Rachel Wong won 3-0

Girls vs. York House won 4-1

• Nicole Bunyan won 3-0
• Brynn Daniels won 3-0
• Deryn Ramsey won 3-0
• Rachel Wong won 3-0
• Lisa Evans lost 3-0 (default)

Girls win gold!

Senior boys vs. Brentwood College: won 3-2

• Tyler Olson won 3-0
• Moishe Steinbok won 3-0
• Lachlan Glen lost 1-3
• Justus Koenig won3-1
• Jordi Fowler lost 0-3

Senior boys vs. St. George’s won 3-2

• Tyler Olson won 3-0
• Moishe Steinbok won 3-1
• Lachlan Glen lost 0-3
• Justus Koenig won 3-2
• Jordi Fowler lost 0-3

Senior boys vs. Shawnigan Lake: lost 1-4

• Tyler Olson won 3-0
• Moishe Steinbok lost 0-3
• Lachlan Glen lost 0-3
• Justus Koenig lost 0-3
• Jordi Fowler lost 0-3

Senior boys vs. West Point Gray: won 5-0

• Tyler Olson won 3-0
• Moishe Steinbok won 3-0
• Lachlan Glen won 3-0
• Justus Koenig won 3-0
• Jordi Fowler won 3-0

Senior Boys win silver!

Junior boys vs. Brentwood College: won 3-2

• Jeremy Fairley won 3-2
• Adam Weech lost 0-3
• Cole Turner won 3-0
• Matt Ashton won 3-0
• Stephen Lam lost 0-3

Junior boys vs. Saint Georges: lost 2-3

• Jeremy Fairley lost 0-3
• Adam Weech lost 0-3
• Cole Turner won 3-2
• Matt Ashton won 3-2
• Stephen Lam lost 2-3

Junior boys vs. Shawnigan Lake: lost 1-4

• Jeremy Fairley lost 0-3
• Adam Weech lost 0-3
• Cole Turner lost 0-3
• Matt Ashton won 3-1
• Stephen Lam lost 0-3

Junior Boys won Bronze!

Overall, this is as well as we could have done. The girls winning gold was expected and the Senior boys winning silver was a very good result. Justus Koenig had two very good wins under pressure and Moishe Steinbok also pulled out a very good win against St Georges. The Junior boys did well to finish third, mainly because of a very gutsy performance by Jeremy Fairley to win 3-2 against his Brentwood College opponent.

Junior Boys Basketball
The Junior boys basketball squads logged a lot of important time on the practice court the past two weeks, as a gap in the schedule and provincial exams saw fewer league games on the cards. The provincially #7 ranked Jags did fit in two league tilts, running their record to 4-0 in advance of the early February showdowns vs. Lambrick Park and Mt. Douglas.

The first of these was a 38-16 win over Belmont, with all players sharing courtime. Derek Hyde-Lay, with 9 points, led a balanced scoring attack, with a stingy defence limiting the Bulldogs to no more than 6 points in any quarter.

Then, in front of an enthusiastic evening crowd, the team overturned archrivals Oak Bay 48-39. Dawit Workie, Mark Yorath, Joe Erlic and Liam Maclure each scored 10 points, while, off the bench, Johnny Sipos and Alex Davies provided good defence and energy.

The Blues were busier, and also remained unbeaten in league play, easily dispatching Dunsmuir and Edward Milne. After then downing both Lambrick Park and Oak Bay in exhibition matches, the team, at the Sutherland Tournament in North Vancouver, enjoyed a fantastic contest against provincial power Pitt Meadows, giving as good as it got before falling 74-68. Trenton Schulz-Franco, pressed into action at point guard, gave an assured performance, while Wayne Lin and Keiler Totz continued to shine. The other two games, against the hosts and then West Vancouver, resulted in victories and leaves the group well positioned for a run at the Island crown on February 19-20.

Finally, the Whites return to action February 2 with a home game vs GNS.

Senior Girls Basketball
The Senior girls basketball team has been struggling as of late with a record of 3-3, since their strong performance at the Victoria City Police Tournament. The team has had recent league wins over St. Andrews and GNS, but unfortunately, they dropped the league championship to Lambrick Park.

• SMUS 49 - St. Andrews 24 (Sydney Stockus: 13pts 8 Rebounds; Madison Hadfield: 10pts 4 Steals)
• SMUS 40 - LP 56 (Annie Pike: 13 pts 9 Reb 7 Steals; Abbey Piazza: 10pts 5 Steals; Ciara Glen: 9 pts)
• SMUS 46 - GNS 22

In recent tournament action, the team travelled to York House for the Big Kahuna Classic. With the return of the Grade 9 standout, Sophia Ducharme, the team was finally at full strength. In the opening round game, SMUS squared off against the #10-ranked Nechako Valley Vikings. SMUS had a 3 point half-time lead, but struggled to score in the second half, losing the game 45-60. Annie Pike had a strong performance with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Sydney Stockus also played well finishing with 13 points and 6 rebounds and Abbey Piazza chipped in with 10 points.

Now on consolation side of the draw, SMUS played Little Flower Academy in the second game of the day, defeating the Angels 61-46. Abbey Piazza led all scorers with 19 points and 7 steals, Stockus had another strong game with 12 points and 8 rebounds, Pike added 10 points and 6 rebounds and Ciara Glen finished with 5 points and 6 steals.

In the team’s final game of the tournament the Jags faced Crofton House. Looking for some revenge from last year’s crushing OT defeat at the hands of Crofton House in the final game of provincials, SMUS was hoping to turn things around. However, it was not to be, as the team continued to struggle from the perimeter and around the basket. SMUS dropped the game 40-60. Piazza finished with 21 points and Stockus added 12 points and 6 rebounds.

With one league game remaining, the team will refocus and prepare for the Island Championships on Feb. 11-13th at Carihi in Campbell River.

Grade 9 Girls Basketball
The Grade 9 girls basketball team (SMUS 2 team) has jumped out to an impressive 5-0 start in league. Last week, the girls took on the SMUS 1 team and it was a great match up. The game was tight throughout, the teams exchanging key baskets back and forth. At half, the score was 22-20 for the SMUS 2 team. In the second half, the SMUS 2 team starting pushing the ball up the floor and hitting some key shots. The final score was 50-32. The girls had some well-balanced scoring: Rachel Sibbaid led the charge with 14 points, Allie White added 12 points, and Erin Hope and Orla Glen contributed 9 points each.

On Monday, the girls travelled to Lambrick Park. The SMUS girls jumped out to a blazing start and never looked back winning 45-14. With ball pressure and pushing the ball up the court, Lambrick Park could not recover. Many steals resulted in easy baskets and it was to much for Lambrick to overcome. Leading the way was Hannah McElderry with 16 points. Erin Hope chipped in with 8 points. This was a real team effort and each girl contributed for this victory.

On Tuesday, the winning ways continued. With swarming full-court defense and Phoenix Sun fastbreak basketball, the girls took over the first 2 minutes of the game, jumping out to a 11-0 lead. By half, the girls built up a 40-10 halfcourt lead. The aggression and intensity carried over to the second half and the final score was 59-18 for SMUS. Hannah McElderry lead the scoring with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Allie White added 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Erin Hope chipped in with 10 points and 8 assists.

On Wednesday night, the Grade 9 team will try to go 6-0 in league by facing PCS. The game begins at 5:45pm.

Senior Badminton
The past two weeks for the Senior badminton team have been rigorous. Training intensity has reached new heights, with both fitness and technical training being the focus. A recent match versus rival Claremont saw the SMUS Team narrowly edge them by a score of 6-5. Although it was a win, it was too close for comfort. Thank goodness that Monica Lee, Robbie Thomas, and Michael Ip rose to the occasion.

The team now takes a bit of a rest this week before things really get going again in February. The first half of that month is filled with all kinds of badminton fixtures, and it also looks like a future tour to the Okanagan in mid-February has now been confirmed.

Coach Hunt is pleased with the team’s progress and he is confident that the team will peak at just the right time.

Senior Girls Basketball
The Senior girls basketball team had another busy week. In league play, the team travelled to Parklands to easily defeat the Panthers.

It was the Victoria City Police Tournament that was the focus for the week. The tournament featured some of the top Island teams, as well as some strong AA teams from the mainland.

In the team’s opening round game against Point Grey, the Blue Jags played to a packed gym. It wasn’t until the third quarter that the Jags begin to stretch their lead. Relying on their 2-3 zone to limit Point Grey shots, SMUS finished with a 69-54 victory. Abbey “Zeke” Piazza finished with 20 pts and 6 rebounds. Sydney “Spider” Stockus added 12 points and 7 rebounds and The Matrix (Annie Pike) garnered her first double-double of the season, with 14 points and 14 boards.

In the quarter-final game against local AAA team, Stellys, SMUS got off to a slow start. However, superior fitness and offensive execution led the Blue Jags to a 44-29 win. Off the bench, Emily “Mo” Mulroney and Montana “Cheeco” Sawyer contributed with solid minutes, playing hard-nosed defense. Again the scoring load was carried by Zeke (14 points), Spider (12 points) and Matrix (8 points, 10 boards).

This win, setup the semi-final match with AAA powerhouse, Oak Bay. Oak Bay had not been challenged in the tournament and SMUS was ready to give them all they could handle. The first half saw the Blue Jags down by just 8 points heading into the locker room. Unfortunately, in the second half, the Bays began to get hot from behind the arc, nailing four third-quarter three pointers to give them a comfortable lead heading in the final quarter. It was too much of a gap for the Jags and they lost 45 to 67. Matrix led the team with 14 points and 6 boards, Zeke chipped in with 13 points and Spider had another solid performance, finishing with 12 points and 7 boards.

In the team’s final game of the tournament for third place, SMUS faced Windsor of North Vancouver, a solid AA team and a sure bet to be at this year’s provincials. The opening quarter was pretty even with Windsor having a slight edge. However, in the second quarter, SMUS put on the full court press, which caused major problems for the visiting team. SMUS went in to the locker room with a five-point lead. Off the bench, Rebecca “Spike” Mulroney played some serious minutes taking care of the basketball and making several sweet hi-post passes. In the second half, short-staffed as five SMUS players were away on various other school functions, the Blue Jags began to tire. Some fourth quarter foul trouble also hurt the Jags. Windsor went on to win, 54-48. Though not the result the Blue Jags were hoping for, it was an excellent showing against a strong AA team. Zeke led all scorers with 15 points, Matrix chipped in with 12 points and Spider finished with 9 points and 11 boards. A bright light for the SMUS team, was the strong play by grade 10 standout, Madison “McGoo” Hadfield who finished with 10 points and 5 boards.

The team has big league games this week against St. Andrews and Lambrick Park.

Senior Boys Basketball
The Senior Boys/girls basketball teams hosted the Island police tournament this weekend which featured 32 boys and girls teams.

The boys were in a very competitive field featuring some of the top AA schools from around the province. After an easy 20-point victory over Mark Isfeld on Thursday in front of their home fans, the boys played a tough Brentwood College team in their second round game. Brentwood’s size was a problem for the SMUS boys, who played some of their worst basketball of the year in the first half. However, the boys battled all the way back, making it a 3 point game with 2 minutes remaining. This was as close as it got, and the boys dropped the contest 78-70.

In their final game of the tournament, the boys squared off against the number 1 ranked AA team in the province, South Okanagan. The boys came out firing in this game, and with neither team gaining much of an advantage throughout the game, this one came down to the wire. Free-throw shooting had been a problem for the boys throughout the tournament, but in the final minutes the boys made them when they counted to seal a win, and wrap up the tournament on a high note.

Tycho Mommsen-Smith was named to the tournament all-star team.

Grade 10 Girls Basketball
On Tuesday, January 12th, the girls faced St. Andrews in their first home game. It was a close game through the first three quarters, with both teams hitting shots. Ronnie Tsai slashed to the basket scoring 10 points, and Alice Wang chipped in 10 as well, scoring 2 from beind the 3-point line. In the 4th quarter, the Blue Jags couldn’t keep up with the fast paced game, and a limited bench, losing 49-39.

On Thursday, the Blue Jags rolled into Lambrick Park with depleted numbers. The five-player contingent fought hard, scoring inside and out. Sara Taylor had 16 points, scoring off post entries, and eating up the offensive rebounds. Ronnie Tsai and Alice Wang contribued 8 and 7 points respectively. With 2 minutes remaining, foul trouble caught up with the Jags, and they played out the final minutes shorthanded. They pulled together on defence, and came home with a 33-28 win.

Junior Boys Basketball
All three Junior Boys Basketball teams enjoyed busy and successful weeks, as the second half of the season got underway.

First, the Grade 10 Jags opened City “A” division league play with away victories over Claremont and Reynolds. Both proved to be sticky opponents, the former reversing almost all of an early 18-2 SMUS lead, while the latter jumped on top early before falling prey to pressure induced turnovers.

The Jags then moved onto the prestigious North Shore Invitational Tournament. In the first of four very competitive games, the team opened up by beating Charles Best 57-40, with Joe Erlic and Derek Hyde-Lay earning 38 points combined. The next day, against host Handsworth, some stellar play off the bench by David Pollen sparked a 57-44 victory.

This moved the squad into the semifinals, against perennial provincial contender Burnaby South (BC #4 in the most recent poll). Behind post Goran Kovac, the favourites used a 24-8 second quarter run to go into intermission up by 18 points. However, SMUS stuck to its guns, and, with Mark Yorath and Dawit Workie sparking some tenacious full court pressure, clawed its way back into the contest. Unfortunately, down by two with 10 seconds to play, a last shot opportunity to tie or win the game went abegging.

The Grade 9 Blues took part in the ISA Tournament at Shawnigan, and opened with wins over WPGA and St. John’s. The second of these games was a tight, tense affair, with some fine early shooting by Montgomery Fraser-Brown and then some aggressive full court defence from Keiler Totz and Georgios Ikonomou helping secure a 53-50 decision.

The tournament final, against an older, bigger St. George’s team (BC #2 at Grade 10 level), was never going to result in a win, but nonetheless, produced many positives. While the opposition’s size and pressure eventually took its toll, the entire SMUS team battled from start to finish, closing at one time to within five points midway through the second quarter.

The Whites also played in the ISA event, and, with a full roster for the first time all year, split two games, losing to Collingwood but defeating WPGA 41-34. Len Luo and Charles Yang led the scoring.

The week of January 18-24 is relatively quiet, with only a handful of league games on the card.

Senior Girls Basketball
The Senior girls kicked off the new year at the ISA tournament, hosted by Shawnigan Lake. The tournament was a good measure for the team, since it featured the provincially top-ranked AA team York House.

In the opening game of the tournament, SMUS played St. John’s of Vancouver. SMUS made quick work of the opposition, with some strong full court pressure and sound finishing around the basket. Madison “McGoo” Hadfield led all scorers with 16 points, Abbey “Zeke” Piazza finished with 15 points and Sydney “the Spider” Stockus chipped in with 11 points. There were several highlights in the game, including a circus-shot by Montana “Cheeko” Sawyer, who finished with 6 points. The defensive end was anchored by Annie “the Matrix” Pike, who finished with 10 rebounds and Ciara “Shooter” Glen finished with 5 steals.

The win setup the semi-final matchup with Collingwood. The Blue Jags were up to the task as they handed Collingwood a 57-49 loss. SMUS led throughout the game and had some great hi-lo action, featuring Rebecca “Spike” Mulroney dominating the low post (Rebecca finished with 10 points).
Sydney led all scorers with 16 points, Abbey was solid again adding another 15 points and Madison finished with 11 points.

In the final game, SMUS would face the York House Tigers of Vancouver. York House is a top-ranked AA team and will definitely be a provincial contender come the playoffs. SMUS started the game solidly, down 10-5 after the opening 7 minutes of play. However, the full court pressure proved to be too much for the Blue Jags to handle as the deficit widened. In spite of the 71-22 loss, there were some very positive signs. Abbey demonstrated poise under pressure in the second half, while fearlessly attacking the basket and Annie competed hard for the full 40 minutes with some of the top players in the province.

The second place finish at the ISA’s was a good result for SMUS and the lessons learned in the final game will prove to be invaluable as they continue with their season.

Next up for the Senior Girls is a league game on Tuesday night against Parklands and then SMUS hosts the Victoria City Police Tournament. SMUS plays on Thursday, January 14th at 12 pm and Friday, January 15, at 10:15 am in the single gym.

Junior Boys Basketball
The team looked to regain momentum from the successes of the first term by venturing north to compete in the January 8-9 GP Vanier Invitational Tournament. Though a bit rusty, the players had little difficulty defeating Lake Trail in first round action and then, thanks to a swarming full court press, beating Ballenas in the semi-final.

The final, against Steveston from the Lower Mainland, proved a trickier proposition, with the Packers 6′4″, 225 lb post player dominating proceedings down low. The opposition tactic of packing the lane and conceding outside jump shots ended up being successful, as normally reliable marksmen Joe Erlic and Derek Hyde-Lay misfired from outside.

In the last few minutes, a desperation comeback, fuelled by tournament All-Star Dawit Workie, was very nearly successful. With less than a minute to play and SMUS trailing by a single point, an odd “inadvertent whistle” negated a clean steal and go ahead layup by Mark Yorath. To Steveston’s credit, they capitalized on this good fortune, scoring a key hoop, and then, after one more SMUS miss from beyond the arc, two more free throws in the dying seconds to win 54-49.
Still, there were many positives for SMUS, with post Johnny Huang making a particularly successful return from the holiday break.

The team now faces a very busy week, with key league games January 11 and 13 before a trip to the Mainland to compete in the prestigious North Shore Junior Invitational.

Senior Boys Basketball
The team, and the school, hosted an extremely successful three day Tournament January 7-9. (A full recap of the event can be found here.)

Indeed, 12 teams, including five from out of province, contested 30 games over the three days. In the end, St. George’s emerged as champion, defeating Dover Bay of Nanaimo 80-74 in overtime, after a battle royale between two of BC’s best AAA teams.

SMUS performed with great credit, advancing to the quarterfinals before bowing out to St. Paul’s, the #4 AAA team in Manitoba, 73-61. Then, saving the best for last, the Blue Jags put in a tremendous performance to defeat Edmonton’s Harry Ainlay 85-69.

Jure Erlic was named to the All-Tournament team, while Tycho Mommsen-Smith and Jamie Yorath also performed extremely well. Likewise, Grade 11 guard Mitch Wiggins hit some key shots, forward Luke McCloskey battled effectively in the post against much larger opponents, and other reserves contributed some key plays.

Coach Reagan Daly and the squad now look forward to several days of practice before opening against Mark Isfeld from the North Island in the opening round of the Victoria City Police Tournament on January 14.

Senior Girls Basketball
The Senior girls basketball team got their season underway this week with two league games. The first league game was against Edward Milne of Sooke. Edward Milne opened the scoring to lead 2-0. However, this was only temporary, as the Blue Jags ignited on offense and put the shackles on, defensively. SMUS went on a 35-0 run after the opening basket and finished the half leading 45-4. SMUS’ hot outside shooting was too much for the inexperienced 2-3 zone of the Sooke squad. Cliona “the Qube” Quail-Bradley was particularly deadly from the perimeter. She finished with 14 points. The final score was 80-7. Strong defensive performances were had by Ciara Glen (7 steals) and Grade 9 phenom, Abbey Piazza (8 steals). Sydney Stockus led all scorers with 18 points and Annie Pike chipped in with 9 points and 8 rebounds.

The team’s second league game was against Esquimalt, another young and inexperienced squad. SMUS made quick work of the Dockers, finishing the game 81-6. Annie Pike led all scorers with 16 points, Grade 10 Madison Hadfield chipped in with 10 points and “the Qube” added another 11 points. Once again, Piazza had a nose for the ball, making 6 steals. Rebecca Mulroney pulled down 7 rebounds and Hadfield added 6 boards to her stat line.

The team is looking forward to some stronger competition next week as they take on PCS in league play and then they compete in the Santa Slam Invitational at Lambrick Park.

Grade 10 Girls Basketball
The Grade 10 girls basketball team hit the road this past weekend for the Christmas Classic tournament at Simon Fraser University. There was light snow falling outside the gym, but inside, it was raining three-pointers. Alice Wang, Lauren Laprise and Ronnie Tsai all contributed from behind the arc. SMUS played four physical games against Mission, Argyle, Delta and Heritage Park. They worked hard on defence. In a gym full of injuries, SMUS escaped with some bumps and bruises, but came out smiling. They are ready for a well deserved break over the holidays, and will be ready to compete in the league opener on January 6th.

Grade 9 Girls Basketball
The Grade 9 girls basketball team faced three challenging teams at the Yale Secondary School Junior tournament in Abbotsford on December 11-12 weekend. In their first game the team showed their defensive skills, and battled hard against a very fast Centennial Junior girls team. Hannah McElderry was the leading scorer for SMUS with 10 points. An early Saturday morning game against a very physical Yale team, on their home turf, proved too challenging to beat. The girls rallied and came out hard and strong in their final game against Chilliwack, but were not able to pull out a win. Orla Glen was awarded a tournament All-Star for her leadership qualities and smart game play throughout. The team of eight worked hard, and will have a good base to start their league play in the New Year.

Junior Boys Basketball
Some aggressive first half defence, along with balanced scoring, proved enough to propel SMUS to victory over Lord Tweedsmuir in the final of the December 10-12 Gary Taylor Invitational Junior Boys Basketball Tournament.

Tweedsmuir struggled to get untracked in the opening two quarters and trailed 27-11 at the break. While mounting a comeback of sorts, based on a flurry of deep three pointers, the Surrey based visitors could only get within seven points in what finished a 51-41 final margin in SMUS’ favour.

Coach Rich Primrose was pleased with the effort of the SMUS players. “We have been spending a lot of time on defence, and, in certain periods of each game, saw some positive results this weekend.”

SMUS had opened with a 37-23 first round win over Belmont before defeating Oak Bay 48-25 in the semifinals. Joe Erlic was named tournament MVP, while Liam MacLure and Mark Yorath were selected as All-Stars.

To close the term, the team then ran its record to 8-2 overall with a 61-32 victory over MEI. More aggressive defence, this time spearheaded by Derek Hyde-Lay and Dawit Workie, again paved the way, while Erlic’s 25 points and some timely contributions from David Pollen and Steve Whillams were also crucial.

In the New Year, the team will travel twice to the Mainland, to compete in the prestigious Vancouver College Emerald Tournament and then in the North Shore Invitational.

Ballroom Dance
At the Victoria Ballroom Dance Society’s Clubs Closed competition, twelve students from SMUS and five couples from Stelly’s High took to the dance floor to compete in the high school section of the event. Kun Yang Lee and his partner Emily Ready placed 2nd in jive. In Slow Waltz, Cameron Buckingham and Paige Stephens claimed second place and Richard Cunningham and Julia Rego place 3rd. Congratulations to all for an outstanding, fun-filled first competition. The team will compete again in 3rd term in another Clubs Closed competition as well as in Dance Pacifica, a DanceSport sanctioned event.

Senior Girls Volleyball
This week, the SMUS team hosted the Senior Girls AA Volleyball Provincial Championships. Throughout the round robin play and the playoffs, SMUS competed against some of the top teams throughout the province. Unfortunately, the youth and inexperience of the SMUS team resulted in them being out-competed throughout the tournament, but the girls did improve a tremendous amount and played some of their best volleyball of the season. The girls were also named the Most Sportsmanlike team of the tournament, an honour that was chosen by the officials of the tournament. All of the girls played fantastic and they all seemed to have a great time both playing and watching the high caliber volleyball. Everyone is thankful to the SMUS community for all of their hard work in making the tournament such a success!

Junior Boys Basketball
Following tryouts, 30 players were selected to three Junior Boys teams, with the Jags, Blues and Whites now set for challenging league and exhibition schedules.

The Jags, made up primarily of Grade 10 players, sport a 4-1 exhibition record to date, with wins over Dover Bay, Cowichan, Windsor and Lambrick Park balanced against a narrow three-point loss to Handsworth. As was the case last year, the trio of Joe Erlic, Liam Maclure and Derek Hyde-Lay have shouldered most of the scoring load, while two Grade 9 players, Mark Yorath and Dawit Workie, have impressed with both their ball handling and defensive play.

A busy schedule prior to the Christmas break includes an away exhibition to Oak Bay, the Oak Bay Christmas Tournament and a much anticipated December 18 encounter with Fraser Valley powerhouse MEI.

The Blues, made up entirely of Grade 9 players, opened their season with a 43-40 victory over Windsor, behind strong play from post Steve Whillams and forward Colton Stockus. Then, in a local Christmas Invitational tournament, the team, with newcomer Wayne Lin displaying some neat touches, split games against GP Vanier and Belmont.

League play starts December 9 with a home opener vs Esquimalt.

The Whites have yet to see action, but open their campaign December 10 at Stelly’s. Both the Jags and Blues will play through local and Island competition with an eye to qualifying for their respective BC Tournaments, which will be held March 4-6, 2010.

Senior Badminton
Tryouts were, once again, very competitive this year with only a few spots open for the taking. After the team was picked, the first practice finally took place over the weekend. Practice was intense, and the focus was on fitness and determination. The potential is big for this year’s team, and nothing short of a solid provincial run will achieve the initial expectations.

Exhibition games take place this week for the badminton team with a home game on Tuesday vs. Reynolds and an away game on Thursday vs. PCS.

Junior Girls Basketball
The Grade 10 girls basketball team kicked off pre-season competition this past weekend at the Victoria Tip-off Tournament. With each quarter of basketball, the girls gained experience, and started to come together on defense. Alice Wang shone in the first game against a tough Claremont team in their home gym after hitting a 3-pointer. On Saturday, the team was down in numbers, but not in spirit. A tough match against Sutherland dealt SMUS their second loss of the tournament. In their final game, SMUS faced Woodlands. Ronnie Tsai led the team in scoring, Laura Shaw provided great defense, and Claudia O’Neill had four blocked shots. After practices this coming week, the girls will travel to Simon Fraser University for their next tournament.

Senior Boys Basketball
The Senior boys basketball team kicked off their season with a very competitive tournament in Cowichan this weekend, which featured the top basketball talent on the Island. The boys played in four fast paced games in the span of three days.

In the opening game, SMUS squared off against perennial powerhouse Dover Bay. While the boys had some fight in them, their first-game jitters made for some poor perimeter shooting, and the boys dropped this one by 9 points.

In the first consolation match, the boys played cross-town rival Mt. Doug, who boasted a quick backcourt tandem which the Blue Jags had to slow down to be successful. Right from the tip the boys controlled this one, and eventually rolled to a 10-point victory. Jamie Yorath was named player of the game.

The third game SMUS played was against the always competitive Shawnigan Lake team, who had a huge size advantage. The SMUS boys guarded brilliantly, and in a defensive match up, they pulled out a big 9-point victory. Some huge shots by Tycho-Mommsen Smith sealed the deal in the fourth quarter.

In their final game, SMUS played Oak Bay, featuring some top-level talent at point guard. The boys knew they would have to earn this victory. Late in the third quarter, the boys found themselves up by 10, but were unable to hold onto the lead, and some lucky shooting from Oak Bay allowed their opponents to claw back to win the game by 6 points. Jure Erlic had his best game of the tournament registering 28 points.

Overall, a very good start to the season for the boys.

Senior Girls Volleyball
The Senior girls traveled up to Brentwood to compete in the Island championships this past weekend. Due to an upsetting loss to St. Andrews during the city championships, the team went in ranked 7th. Given a tough draw, the girls lost to the second-seated team in the province and host school, Brentwood College. The next match was against a well-known rival, Lambrick Park. Although we have always succumbed to Lambrick’s strength, the girls came out firing in the first set with just coming up short. Unfortunately, the second set was much easier for Lambrick, causing a loss in two sets.

Next the girls were up against St. Andrews, once again, but determined not to lose another game against them; the team served and passed consistently allowing for SMUS to dominate the match. Since the team finished 3rd in their pool, they had a start against Shawingan. Sophia Ducharme started the game off with a 10-point serving streak, leading SMUS to a first set win. The second set was equally exciting with great passing and aggressive attacks from both Annie Pike and Deryn Ramsey.

Unfortunately, the momentum switched near the end of the set and Shawingan won 25-23. The 3rd set would prove to be a mental challenge for each of the girls, as Shawnigan served aggressively and never let up until the end of the match. SMUS lost the third and tied for 5th at Islands. Fortunately, SMUS will be hosting provincials this year and the team is excited to play the top caliber AA teams in BC.

Junior Girls Volleyball
The Junior girls volleyball team played their best volleyball of the season in one of the most closely-matched city championships in history, winning silver and securing a berth at Island Championships. It is only the second time in SMUS history that our Junior girls team has made Island playoffs. The team played outstanding, gutsy volleyball the entire weekend, showing stamina and courage in consistently close matches.

In pool play on Friday, the competition was fierce. SMUS played Claremont, Reynolds, and Mt. Doug. SMUS split their first match with Claremont, but won on total points, in an impressive and hard-fought match. They also split with Reynolds, in which SMUS dominated with front court play but Reynolds came up strong with serving power. After the first four matches, all teams in pool play had split their matches, one game apiece. It came down to SMUS’s final match against Mount Doug to secure two wins and assure a first-place standing in the pool. SMUS won both games, placed first in the pool, and went on to play Lambrick Park.

Aggressive hitting by Gilly Maycock and Steph Marsh and rock-solid setting from Leah Hall and Abbey Piazza were the dominating forces behind the wins. Shade Souc’s overhand serve and consistent passing built the foundations for the plays. Ali Pollen also came on strong, with forceful serving and strong spiking. Hannah McElderry came off the bench to provide some star power in matches against Reynolds, decisively blocking four hits in a row, and then earning two kills herself. Kate Cluley also came in strong off the bench to provide consistent passing and some kills.

After beating Lambrick Park consistently in tournament play and league play, SMUS had a shaky start against them on Saturday morning, and had to go to three games. Thanks to tough serving and gutsy net play in the third game, along with heroic scrambles from the setters to save the passes, the girls came out ahead to advance to semi-finals against Belmont. That is when the real drama began. The girls lost the first game, then were down five points in the second. They rallied to come back to win the second game. Madi Hadfield came in off the bench to deliver solid serves and aggressive court play. Serving rallies by Gilly Maycock, Steph Marsh, Leah Hall, Shade Souc and Madi Hadfield kept the momentum going.

Then, in the third game, after some difficulty with serve receive, SMUS was down 14-8. A sideout gave Gilly Maycock the serve. Fearless, Gilly quickly put away two aces. The team rallied. In a hard-fought game, Abbey Piazza and Shade Souc hit the floor to dig up the balls. Gilly kept the serve as the whole team played phenomenal volleyball. In the last moments, SMUS pushed at the net and hit the floor to dig up everything. Steph Marsh was an indomitable force at the net, refusing to let anything get by her. The girls won 16-14 in an incredible victory that rocked the entire gymnasium — one of the most amazing comebacks coaches and spectators had ever seen.

SMUS moved on to the championship match against Oak Bay. SMUS played tough in the first game. The lead passed back and forth between the two teams, until Oak Bay made a push at the end and won 25-23. SMUS’s last game was not as strong (25-15), but they had an amazing tournament. Standouts were Gilly Maycock and Steph Marsh on hitting; setters Leah Hall and Abbey Piazza were fearless. Truly, though, the victory was a team effort, and it was the teamwork and the determination to get every ball that ensured the second-place finish. Every player on the team deserves commendation.

Island Championships will be held at Ballenas School in Parksville November 27 and 28th. Good luck to the team as they prepare for the tournament.

Fifty-four athletes and six coaches experienced another successful city championships this past weekend. Over two days and 16 hours of racing at the 25th City Championships Regatta, the team endured lots of rain, mud, wind and near freezing temperatures. SMUS entered 18 of the 22 events and competed against 15 other high schools, making 16 finals.

Senior Cross Country
With a heavy rainfall warning in the Lower Mainland for much of last week, the conditions were less than ideal for the SMUS team heading over for the provincial championships. Boys captain Leo Marchand would accompany the girls team of Laura Dale, Jocelyn Stedman, Hannah Nielsen, Laura Simandl and Alexis Thind. Key members Lisa Evans and Raquel Solmer were unable to join the team, making things even more difficult. However, their spirits weren’t dampened and all runners performed their very best.

At the race, it was evident from the warm-up that things were going to be slick. Grass, mud and water was the theme for much of the day. In the girls 4.4k event, the SMUS girls were bullied off the start line and most of the team found themselves in the middle of the 257 person pack. Elbows were flying, mud was everywhere, and girls were slipping. After the 1k turnaround, Jocelyn Stedman and Hannah Nielsen found themselves in the top 1/3 of the runners, with the remaining SMUS girls in or behind behind the main pack. Shortly thereafter, Hannah would twist her ankle and fall completely in the mud. Not wanting to give up, Hannah then picked herself up and limped on. Fortunately, no other SMUS runners would experience such a fall.

In the end, it was a solid outing for the SMUS girls. When you consider that all the runners at the provincial championships already qualified through zone events, and the fact that many are year-round club athletes, SMUS did very well indeed. Out of the 26 teams in the girls event, SMUS finished in 20th place. The individual standings were as follows (257 runners):

• Jocelyn Stedman 111st
• Hannah Nielsen 143rd
• Laura Dale 193rd
• Laura Simandl 206th
• Alexis Thind 234th

In the boys’ 6.6k event, Leo Marchand decided to wear his track spikes for added traction. The boys race would have a field of 249 runners, and most of them were club runners. Again, mud and puddles seemed to be the theme, as by this time, six major events had already taken place on the race course.
As the race began, Leo used his track expertise and hammered out to the front of the pack. In fact, by the 1k turn-around, Leo was actually in 10th place! However, maintaining this pace was near impossible and slowly Leo was caught by many other runners. However, there was little concern, as Leo looked to be in good form as the race went on. At the 2.2k mark, Leo, barely recognizable by the mud caked on him, rounded the course in 30th place. At the 4.4k mark, Leo looked to be around 70th place, with a large pack of runners right behind him. However, Leo turned the jets on in the final portion of the race, and finish a very strong race. In the end, it would be a 63rd place finish for Leo (top 25%).

In spite of the weather, it was quite a very special day to be at the provincial championships. A SMUS girls team had not achieved this qualification in well over a decade. And Leo Marchand culminated his high school cross country career by saving his best for last. It was definitely success all round.
Coaches Tobacco and Hunt would like to thank the team for an incredible season and such commitment and determination. Both the participation rate and the performance rate hit new heights this year. And with such strength and promise with some of our younger SMUS runners, the future is almost blinding with brightness. Thanks to the Grade 12 runners and we look forward to seeing the rest of the team back out in September, 2010.

Grade 8 Rugby
Grade 8 rugby rounded out their fall season last Tuesday by hosting a return match against Shawnigan Lake School. For the first time this season, and after a string of illnesses, all but one of the team’s 16 players were able to play. Because of this, a 13aside game was played, the team’s first 13aside game of the season.

The team got off to their best start of the season with an immediate try by #8 Levi Supowitz, converted by wing Alfredo Sanchez, who goal-kicked well all day. Shawnigan came back strongly and despite some brave defending by Grade 7 fullback Max Pollen, scored some tries. Not to be outdone, the Grade 8 players put together some strong patches of play, pressuring Shawnigan into some mistakes, and scoring another try before the half, due to some strong play by rookie player Michael Skoronski at lock, fellow lock Jason Wang, and centre Zach Khan.

The pattern of the second half was similar to the first, with Shawnigan’s main three players being a touch more physical on the day for the SMUS defence to handle, despite some valiant efforts, especially by Levi Supowitz, prop Jordan Lane, scrumhalf Jeremy Chan, and flyhalf/centre Jacob Wilson-Potter. Playing an all-inclusive team-oriented passing style, two excellent multi-phased SMUS team tries were scored, with prop Abrahim Kharagani barrelling over for one of them under the posts.
Although the result on the day favoured Shawnigan, the development and progression made by the SMUS team over the course of the season was clearly evident, with this being their best performance to date.

Grade 8 rugby will be back into practice in late winter, along with the Grade 6 and 7 players, prior to action in local Victoria area games in the spring.