As the high school basketball season begins, the Pitt Meadows Marauders has both its senior boys and senior girls teams ranked in the Top 10 in their class in provincial rankings.
B.C. School Sports ranked the Marauders boys ninth in B.C. at the triple A level, and the girls seventh.
“It’s a good time right now for Pitt Meadows basketball,” said Bruno Chu, who manages the hoops program at Pitt, and is the assistant coach of the boys team.
He noted both teams made it to the high school provincial championships last year, with the girls finishing 12th and the boys seventh. Both teams have a lot of returning veteran players for this season.
Both teams are led by community coaches who are alumni. The boys are coached by Ethan Versoza who has been with the program five years, but last year was his first at the helm of the senior team. He was a player not so long ago – a 2019 graduate.
“He relates really well with the players, and they respond well to his style of coaching,” said Chu. “Last year we made it to provincials and finished seventh, so we’re really trying to build on that.”
Three key returning players are:
• 6’5” small forward Brodie Magnusson, who is a great shooter.
• Taegan John, who has played senior ball for two seasons already, and is a classic playmaking point guard.
• Centre Shea Patten, a six-foot-eight big man who posts up and is a great rebounder.
Jason Boyes is in his fifth year coaching the girls, and Chu describes him as methodical, and tactical at courtside.
“He’s a real thinker,” said Chu.
Some key girls players include:
• Camila Rocca, an Italian exchange student with polished ball skills and sharp shooting.
• Forward Sienna Best, who has height at 5’11’, great athleticism, and leaping ability she developed as a volleyball star.
• Jocelyn Boyes, the coach’s kid, who plays point guard and was a game star at the provincials last season.
• Evelyn Perler – another talented guard who is capable of playing point or two guard.
Chu said the two standout guards are almost interchangeable: “Both of them hand the ball well, and they both finish well.”
The Pitt Meadows boys hosts Walnut Grove in exhibition play on Monday, Nov. 24, at 7 p.m.
At the single A level, the Maple Ridge Christian Hornets and Meadowridge Gryphons senior boys didn’t crack the top 10, but they did merit honourable mentions.