8 THE VOICE, THURSDAY, NOV. 17, 2016 EDITOR REUBEN DONGALEN JR. Courtesy of SIMON DYKSTRA Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs senior boys basketball team roster poses for a team photo ahead of the 2016-2017 season. Bulldogs become underdogs Sir Winston Churchill senior boys basketball team falls out of top 10 66 We’re go- ing to be flying a little low, under the radar SIMON DYKSTRA HEAD COACH SENIOR BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM By JESSICA PURVER Ihe Sir Winston Churchill senior boys basketball team is entering the season in an unfamiliar posi- tion: coming from behind. The Bulldogs are known as heavy- weights in high school basketball throughout Vancouver. Although they have been in the top 10 of the BC High School Boys Basket- ball Association for years, the team has fallen off the radar after last season’s loss to the No. 1-ranked, Kelowna Owls at the provincials. Despite this, senior guard Syris Ap- dian believes the team is motivated to uphold Bulldog tradition. “We hope to show them that we can still run with all the big teams,” he said. “Just because we lost a bunch of big names and talents doesn’t mean we’re out of the running.” Apdian said that it puts pressure on the Bulldogs and makes them want to work harder. Some of these big names included star forwards Izaiah Ugoalah and Har- ry Liu, who both graduated last year. Another significant change came as Simon Dykstra, the Bulldogs’ junior boys coach for the past 10 years, began his first year coaching the senior team. “What’s up to us is that we maximize our development,” he said. Dykstra said that the upcoming sea- son is a new beginning for the pro- gram. “We're going to be flying a little low, under the radar,” he said. For Grade 12 forward, De’ Andre But- ler, he sees the new season as a chance to grow. “T want to see the whole team shine so we can go further,” he said. Grade 11 forward Aleksa Marinkovic has no problem being labelled the un- derdog. “T like it personally,” he said. “We can show up and show that we’re not that rank and we're better than that.” "SEAN HITREC photo Langara Falcons forward Jamie Madewan staves off hoards of VIU Mariners’ defenders for a shot. FALCONS schedule 1 Vs Douglas College Royals, Nov. 18 2 Vs Capilano Univer- sity Blues, Nov. 19 3 At Camosun Col- lege Chargers, Jan. 6 4 At Vancouver Island University Mariners, Jan. 7 5 At Quest University Kermodes, Jan. 12 Source: http://langara.ca/ athletics-intramurals er Game-winning shot sinks the Mariners 66 We were in a bad position and we managed to pull it out some- how PAUL EBERHARDT HEAD COACH MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM The men’s basketball team overcame a 12-point defi- cit for the victory By SEAN HITREC ball team earned a 95-94 comeback victory against the defending champions thanks to the heroics of guard, Harry Brar. It marked a four-game winning streak after beating Camosun College, 118-83, the night before their matchup with the Vancouver Island University Mariners. The Falcons have had a long-stand- ing rivalry with the VIU Mariners. Paul Eberhardt, head coach of the Falcons, said that in the last four years, each team has won two PacWest provincial- T: Langara Falcons men’s basket- championships and one national cham- pionship. Last season, VIU beat Langa- ra three times in a row. The Falcons came out of the first half ahead 41-40. However, as the second half pro- gressed, they began to show signs of fatigue and were down by as much as 12 points. In the final quarter, the Falcons made a late surge including a five-point swing to cut into the double-digit defi- cit after an off-the-ball foul, as forward, Jamie Madewan made a three-point shot. With the Falcons down 94-92 in the final moments, Brar was the hero of the evening, making a _ three-point jumper with 15 seconds left on the clock; eventually the game-winning play. “It was a much needed shot, but the two free throws I missed after will haunt me,” Brar said, unable to capital- ize on another five-point chance. Drake Downer, a forward for the Fal- cons, scored a team-high 26 points in their comeback win. “During the end it was like, we’re down, adrenaline took over and the game kind of came to us,” Downer said. “It’s a very good feeling right now.” After the game, coach Eberhardt was surprised at the win, crediting ex- cellent defence in the last part of the game in addition to the five-point play. “Tt was a pretty improbable win to be honest with you,” Eberhardt said. “We were in a bad position and we managed to pull it out somehow.” The Falcons are scheduled to play against Douglas College on Friday, Nov. 18, and then a key matchup against undefeated Capilano Universi- ty on Saturday, Nov. 19. Both games will be at Langara. SS poris Bonspiel slides into Marpole The Driftwood Brewery Sportsman Men’s Bonspiel returns to the Marpole Curling Club on Nov. 24 By BALA YOGESH bonspiels have been a way for Van- couver’s curling community to come together for a mix of fun and com- petition. The club has been hosting annual curling tournaments since 1958. This year’s Driftwood Brewery Sportsman Men’s Bonspiel will start on Nov. 24 and will go on for four days. The tourna- ment will offer cash prizes and various side activities apart from the curling. Kevin Blackmur, one of the regulars at the Marpole Curling Club, said that the organized bonspiels are about con- necting curlers from across Vancouver. “These curling bonspiels were kind of a way of creating a social get-togeth- er for other curling clubs to come to- gether and compete against each other in the sport of curling,” he said. The organizers have received en- tries from 24 teams as of Nov. 16. Last year, the tournament saw 31 teams competing, including one from Seattle. Ron Stedman, coordinator for this year’s bonspiel, said the tournament sees familiar faces every year. “There’s also a lot of returning teams, especially the Marpole teams. You tend to get the same 15 or 20 Mar- pole teams that play every year. The teams from other clubs change a little bit, but you get the same teams coming back,” he said. Dale Cameron, one of the organizers and players, said that most teams are participating simply for the fun. Cam- eron, on the other hand, also wants to be competitive. “Tm in the middle. I always want to do well, but we go in to have fun,” he said. Blackmur said that his team will be competitive, but won’t let the outcome dictate their overall experience. “To me now, whenever we go to the ice, we try to win. If we don’t win, it’s okay. We come up and have few drinks, and have fun. That’s what it’s about to me.” Te Marpole Curling Club’s annual » ) 1 #4POLE CURLING CLUB ee BALA YOGESH phot A curler delivers a stone as his teammates prepare to sweep. ® Falcons’ Tally i) WOMEN'S BASKETBALL MEN'S BASKETBALL W-L W-L 13 40 Ranked: 6th Ranked: Tied for 1st