The Mount Baker Secondary Wild Senior Boys basketball team came into this year’s Provincial tournament as the bottom-seeded team and left in last place.
Receiving an automatic entry into the BC High School 4A Championships due to the large size of the school in relation to the rest of the Kootenay zone, it was another tough go for the Baker boys.
Kicking off the tournament against the powerhouse Oak Bay High School Bays last Wednesday, the Wild fell 89-36 to quickly exit the championship side of the bracket. On Thursday, the team lost their first consolation game 95-42 to Surrey’s Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary and then were defeated again on Friday by Abbotsford’s W.J. Mouat Secondary 75-45.
Later that night, in the game to determine 15 and 16th place, the Wild lost to Fort St. John’s North Peace Secondary 78-58.
Mount Baker’s point leader in their first three games was Anders Damstrom, who average 8 points per game against Oak Bay, Tweedsmuir and W.J. Mouat.
The tournament was won by the Burnaby South Secondary Rebels, who defeated the Semiahmoo Secondary Totems 80-72, for their first banner in 39 years. Top-seed Oak Bay, meanwhile, had to settle for eighth place after stumbling following their opening game blowout over Baker.
The tournament marked the end of the 2017-18 MBSS basketball season, a year highlighted by the Junior Girls’ team’s bronze medal finish at their Provincial tournament.