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Cowichan’s T-Birds go out battling at Island tournament

After a lopsided loss in their first game at the AAAA Island boys basketball championships on the weekend, the Cowichan Secondary Thunderbirds were able to end the tournament on a more positive note.
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Cowichan Secondary’s Clayton Bergstrom is surrounded by Belmont players as he drives through the middle during the teams’ opening game at the Island championships in Oak Bay. (Jesse Laufer/Black Press)

After a lopsided loss in their first game at the AAAA Island boys basketball championships on the weekend, the Cowichan Secondary Thunderbirds were able to end the tournament on a more positive note.

Cowichan lost 93-28 to the highly regarded Belmont Bulldogs last Thursday in their first game at the Island tournament hosted by Oak Bay.

“They’re a strong team that is very organized on both ends of the floor,” T-Birds coach Casey Parsons acknowledged. “Unfortunately, we didn’t play with any guts on the defensive end, and really struggled to create quality scoring opportunities.”

Clayton Bergstrom was named Cowichan’s player of the game against Belmont.

The T-Birds lost their next game as well, but by a much closer score as the Mount Douglas Rams prevailed 74-60 on Friday.

“It was competitive until the end,” Parsons noted. “But we just couldn’t seem to take advantage offensively when we got some momentum, and down the stretch didn’t get the stops we needed.”

Starting seniors Aaron Lattanzi, Clayton Reymerink and Jesse Peddle ended their high school careers with solid performances, and Bergstrom was again named Cowichan’s player of the game.

The T-Birds finished the tournament tied for seventh, while Oak Bay beat Belmont to finish first. Both finalists qualified for the provincial championships, but third-place Claremont can challenge Belmont for their berth.

Regardless of the finish, Parsons was proud of his players.

“Although our record at Islands wasn’t what we had hoped, it was a treat working with these guys this year,” he said. “All season they were cooperative with one an other, and didn’t ever quit. I respect that a lot.”

Bergstrom is one of three players from this year’s team are eligible to return to the senior squad next year, along with Noah Murdoch and Evan Menzel.

“Hopefully we can continue to build interest over the spring and summer and come back strong next season,” Parsons said.