Senior Boys Basketball – ISA Champions

18 March 2016Ozgur T, Whittall ‘16, Captain; Photo by Robbie K, Whittall '19

In Grade 8 I thought I had put aside basketball for good. Little did I know that I would be, as a Grade 12, writing this bittersweet article. This article gets its bittersweetness from the fact that for a portion of the basketball team, including me, this season was our last year playing basketball on a team competitively. It is with this emotional range that I set out to briefly recount to you the exploits of the Brentwood Senior Boys Basketball team of 2015-16. The season started with Mr. Gage facing the challenge of gathering the roster and sharing them with different sports like soccer and rugby, but soon enough all of the senior basketball boys heeded their true calling and were united on the court. It was on the hardwood that Coach Gage molded and carved the boys into shape, using coaching techniques such as yelling, encouraging, and uphill sprinting that left us on the brink of vomiting. Coach Gage also made sure that Ferdinand S sweated out of his system all the traditional German delicacies he’d had over the summer. No one was spared. Fast forward the training montage and we were facing Shawnigan, our mortal enemies, at the ISAs finals. With the roar of Brentwood students pushing us, we managed to bring the Cup home with us that fated night. It was a game of legends with clutch three pointers by Joe Small. It was with this uplifting beginning to the season that the boys enthusiastically rushed into the competition. At Islands, unfortunately, we lost against Shawnigan. This would be our last game of the year and our best game yet. That final buzzer reminded me just how much I cared for my teammates and the sport. We lost the game, but we gained respect for each other. I think it I am speaking for all the graduating members of the basketball team when I say that we are deeply honoured to be hanging up our jerseys after a wonderful season alongside such a talented and relentless group under the caring wings of Coach Gage. I would not have it any other way, boys. Ozgur T, Whittall ‘16, Captain

Where Students Choose To Be