At the beginning of this basketball season, a team of dedicated athletes came together with a shared goal in mind - to work together as a team and emerge victorious. This team, fuelled by determination and grit, embarked on a truly memorable season. Even though they were clearly a talented group of athletes from the very beginning, few of them could have imagined that they were beginning an undefeated championship-winning season. Well, that is exactly what happened this season!

From game one to the final buzzer in the championship game, many things came together to lead this team to victory, but four truly stand out:

Excellent Teamwork - From the moment they stepped onto the court, it was evident that this team was different than most. Their synergy was obvious. Each player understood how to work within our offense and communicated well on defence. 

Thomas Wang and Terry He deserve special mention for their constant vocal presence on the court and on the bench. They used their deep knowledge of the game as true “coaches on the court,” working together to help organize their teammates. Thomas Wang led the way with truly skilled playmaking and timely scoring runs. Terry He was a dynamic presence in each game, setting up teammates with precision passing, setting strong screens and often defending the other team's best players. 

Hard Work in Practices - Behind every game lay hours of dedicated time on the practice court. The players pushed themselves to improve each session, honing their skills, refining their strategies and working on their weaknesses. Of particular note was the growth of Oliver Iemma and Karl Thiebaud. Karl quickly became one of the team's more reliable shooters. He has a fearless approach to athletics that is rare for someone his age. He will clearly play a huge role on the team in the future. Oliver improved steadily, peaking in our semi-final and championship victories as the leading scorer in both games and an imposing defensive presence. Despite some apprehension about basketball, his athleticism transferred seamlessly from the ice to the court. 

Strong Leadership - Central to the team's success was the presence of exceptional leaders, both on and off the court. As team co-captains, Max Lazakis and Terry He supported their teammates, doing their best to remain positive and upbeat, especially when the team faced challenges. They led by example, inspiring their teammates with their work ethic and unwavering commitment. Most importantly, they helped promote the team’s number one goal: to have fun. Along with Thomas, Terry, Oliver and Max, Lincoln Kwiatkowski rounded out the typical starting five for the season. Lincoln quickly stood out as a dynamic player, equally capable of accurate outside shooting and slashing drives into the paint. Lincoln is also a strong defender, particularly gifted at picking off passes and initiating fast breaks.

Depth of Talent on the Roster - This team could truly have had two starting line-ups and still have been competitive in both cases. Shaan Gill was often one of the first players off of the bench. He has an excellent sense of positioning on the court and found his way to the rim by shaking free from his defender for an open lay-up time and time again. Along with Kingsley Christ, Shaan is perhaps the best at boxing out for rebounds. Kingsley and Eric Liang were also extremely reliable players to bring into the game early. Both have the size and foot speed to play multiple positions and are capable of defending almost anyone. Louis Eberschlag and Oshio Obomighie could both be relied upon to enter the game at any time and take control of the game, which meant that our offence never faltered. Both Oshio and Louis are talented dribblers, able to shake free into open space for their own shots, as well as set up their teammates for open shots. Speaking of shots, nobody had a higher shooting percentage in practices and games than Shaan Hamilton. He always seemed to find open space and was ready to fire away when he received a pass.  

All in all, this season was one to remember. Two stats that help summarize just how strong this team is:

• Our point differential across 11 games was 270, for an average of 24.5 points.

• The boys played one game against the division above them and won 56-55.

Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication, Bears!

- By Mr. Joshuah Brown and Mr. Stefan Wilson, coaches