Seeing double: South Kam celebrates rarity of two championship wins

Apr 12, 2018 | 6:23 PM

KAMLOOPS — The players, boys and girls, entered the South Kam gym to a standing ovation. 

Staff, students and parents showing their respect and appreciation for the teams’ tremendous accomplishments with both winning their respective provincial championships. 

“One would’ve been fantastic, but I guess  two is double fantastic,” said the South Kam girls’ coach Del Komarniski. “It was nice. The guys was a long-time coming. It was nice to finally achieve that. The girls, they finished what they started. Opened up the season No. 1 and finished No. 1.”

South Kam became the first school in 27 years to capture both girls and boys title. Thursday marked a celebration and banner-raisinng to relish in the amazing feat. 

“It’s so incredible,” said girls’ Grade 12 player Lauren Walkley, who’s committed to playing at TRU. “This is so rare that something like this happens. I’m so proud of the guys team and I’m proud of my team, too.”

While it was the girls’ third championship in the last seven years, the boys won for the first time. 

At Thursday’s historic celebration was former Kam High athletic director and basketball coach Jack Buckham, who coached the 1974 Red Devils team that became the first Kamloops boys team to make a final. They finished second, but Buckham is so proud the 2018 boys could finally bring home a banner to South Kam.  

“This was just astouding. Give full credit to [South Kam athletic director Corey Yamaoka] to staff. What they have done to create this is just absolutely amazing,” said Buckham. “Going down and watching those teams play was the highlight of my life. It just me feel so proud and so thrilled at what they were able to do.”

Thursday was a celebration for the 2018 titles, but they will be remembered forever in school lore. 

“I think it’s going to have to be remembered for a long, long time,” said Komarniski. “It’s such a rare occurrence, it doesn’t happen very often, and I know all the people that were stakeholders in this event, it’s going to be something they remember forever.”