With significant changes to high school girls basketball in B.C. on the horizon, the program at South Delta Secondary is looking to build on its momentum from a year ago.
A fourth place finish at the Grade 8 Provincial Championships was the best result by a girls team at the Tsawwassen school in 13 seasons. The next step for the talented Grade 9 group is enjoying some success at the junior level before a probable step up to senior for a three-year run, starting with the 2019-20 season.
By that time, B.C. School Sports’ new zoning structure will be in place.
The changes, that reflect significant growth in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley over the last few decades, will include Delta teams in a new zone with Richmond and Surrey schools to compete for provincial berths in all sports.
The other big development is girls basketball adding another classification size next season to be on par with what the boys have been doing for the last several years. That will create four provincial tournaments — 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A.
It should also provide some relief for what has turned into a log jam of senior teams in the current Fraser Valley Leagues opting to play tier two and not have to deal with some of the powerhouse programs in the province. Among the 44 “AAA” classified teams in the Valley this season, 26 are playing tier two including all three in the city — South Delta, Delta and Seaquam.
The awaiting new landscape and how it will impact the Sun Devils program moving forward is something to ponder another day for coaches Sharon Butler and Christine Young. The focus now is continuing to build on what was established a year ago.
Their 12-player roster features eight players from last year’s powerhouse Grade 8 team. Among the three Grade 10s is some talent in the post via the Delta Hockey Academy.
Six-foot-1 White Rock resident Grace Elliott plays for the DHA Girls Prep Team but looks right at home on the basketball court too. She plays at the club level in the spring for VK Basketball.
The Grade 9 core features two players involved with club teams — Andie Assaly (BC United) and Makena Rutledge (Split Second Cobras). Sophie Gower has been training with Basketball B.C.’s Centre of Performance Program.
It adds up to a Sun Devils team that is 8-1 overall with the lone loss being to No. 2 Kelowna at the Robert Bateman Tournament in Abbotsford that still resulted in a third place finish.
South Delta also captured the Eric Hamber Tournament in Vancouver last week with Rutledge earning MVP honours while Elena Zanuzzi was an all-star selection.
Teila Noble, Elliott and Rutledge also took home player-of-the game awards.
“We are building a culture of teamwork, intensity and a focus on basketball excellence,” said Butler. “The girls are playing a five-out offense with extra passes, cuts and screens. It is a team game and everyone needs to touch the ball.
“The two tournaments we have played so far have given us some different exposure. We play No. 4 (and Grade 8 champion) York House on Friday and that will also be interesting to see where we are. The pipeline of players is growing and by the time all these players are in Grades 11 and 12 we will have a strong tier one team that will compete against the best at the senior level.”
The future also looks promising at SDSS beyond this group with a talented Grade 8 team coached by Ron Arnold that came through the Steve Nash program and played at the club level last spring with Delta Force.
Kaija Rutledge is a Grade 7 standout destined for the school next September who currently plays club for the Surrey-based Athelite.
