By Chad Klassen

Westsyde senior boys learned from last year’s experience as top-ranked team

Dec 20, 2018 | 5:03 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Westsyde Whundas are the best senior boys team in Kamloops, at least coming into the Fulton Cup. But the team has its sights set on being the best in the province in AA basketball, currently ranked second going into the new season. 

“We’ve got a solid team, tons to improve on still, good mix of young and old, got a lot of athleticism, really good people,” said head coach Ryan Porter. “We have potential to have a really good season for sure.”

It may be tough to repeat what they did last year when they went 33-0 before losing in the semi-final and placing fourth at the provincial championships.

The returnees from last year’s team say they’ve learned a lot from the experience. 

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“It was a disappointing moment [losing in the semi-final], but we just moved on,” said Grade 12 point guard Carsen Day. “We just go to take that 33-0 as an accomplishment, not a disappointment. It was just a great experience for all of us.”

Day is back as the leader of the Whundas in the back court, and Porter has nothing but praise for his senior guard. 

“It would say, personally I think he’s the best player in town this year,” noted Porter. “He really controls the game from the point guard position, pushes the ball well. He’s an underrated defender.”

Day responded by saying “it’s a good compliment. He’s a really good coach. He’s taught me throughout my entire high school career and he just made me the player I am today.”

Joining this edition of the Whundas is Grade 10 player Tyrell Chadwick, a familiar face in the Kamloops sporting scene after playing for Team BC’s under-15 team this summer in Kamloops. 

Even playing against older boys, Porter says he’s fit right in. 

“Tyrell’s been a huge part of our team to start the season. He’s only in Grade 10 on our senior team, but he’s definitely one of our key guys,” he noted. “He’s of our go-to guys already. You’ll see, he brings it every night.”

Chadwick has been practicing with Westsyde for a few years now as he develops his game. 

“It’s really nice. It feels like a really big honour to be able to play up,” Chadwick noted. “I’ve been playing with these guys for three years now, so it’s nice to stay with a group of guys that I know really well and have fun playing the sport I love.”

Chadwick’s presence in the paint makes up for the size lost with the graduation of 6’7″ centre Spencer Ledoux, who’s in his first year with the UNBC Timberwolves in Prince George. 

The team is confidence it has a shot to win this year. 

“We just got to bring more effort every game,” said Day. “We’re really undersized this year and it just takes more effort and more want each and every game.” 

Porter added “that’s definitely our goal. There’s a lot of parity this year in AA, so I mean on any given night there’s probably 10-15 teams that can all beat each other. So with that, you have to have your best game at the end of the season, so with that said we definitely have a chance.”