EMERALD TOURNAMENT HISTORY

The 57th Annual Vancouver College Varsity Emerald Basketball Tournament is a beloved and storied event in the history of BC high school basketball. The tournament, which has been held annually since 1965, has attracted top teams from across the province and international competition from the US and Australia. Many talented athletes who have competed in the Emerald Tournament have gone on to play at the university, international, and professional levels.

The first Emerald Tournament was held in December 1964, featuring four teams: Lord Byng, Magee, and Winston Churchill. Vancouver College emerged victorious, defeating Lord Byng 45-44 in the final game. Joe Kainer of Byng was named the tournament's first MVP, and was joined on the all-star team by Gary Smallenberg (VC '65), Derek Sankey of Byng, Jim Mullen (VC '65), and Gary Field of Churchill. Sankey later represented Canada as a member of the 1976 Olympic basketball team in Montreal.

In 1966, Vancouver College faced Lord Byng again in the final game, which was one of the most memorable in Emerald history. VC won 61-58 in an epic battle that lasted four overtimes, setting a tournament record. Derek Sankey of Lord Byng was named MVP, and was joined on the all-star team by John Beaton (VC '67), Murphy Costello (VC '66), Larry Donaldson of Charles Tupper, and Don Sweet of Byng.

The Fighting Irish continued their winning streak in 1967 and 1968, defeating Lord Byng in both years. The 1967 team, led by MVP John Beaton and featuring Bob Beaupre (VC '67), Robert Noble (VC '68), and Dave Hislop (VC '67), is considered one of the best in Irish history and won the Provincial Championship that year. In 1968, twins Richard (VC '68) and Robert Noble led the Irish to victory, with Robert being named MVP.

In 1969, Point Grey made it to the finals against Vancouver College, but VC managed to hold on to their title, winning 58-37. The Irish almost lost the tournament in 1970, narrowly defeating the O'Dea High School Fighting Irish from Seattle 40-37 in the final game. However, the tournament's most exciting game was VC's 46-44 double-overtime win over Winston Churchill, with Churchill's Doug Kinnear being named MVP.

The Burnaby Central Wildcats entered the tournament in 1971, losing to the Fighting Irish 72-59 in their first game, but making a comeback to defeat VC 44-50 in the finals. Paul Spelliscy (VC '71) was named MVP for his performance.

In the following years, the North Delta Huskies won the Emerald Tournament three years in a row, with Vancouver College finishing as runners-up each time. However, the Huskies' streak was broken in 1975, when the Fighting Irish won 45-43 in a thrilling championship game, reclaiming the title. The all-star team included Glen Garvie (VC '75), and the MVP was Brian Dyck (VC '75).

The North Delta Huskies came to the 1976 Emerald Tournament with one goal in mind: to take back the championship title. They succeeded, defeating the Fighting Irish 55-84 in the final game. Bren Ennis of North Delta was named MVP, and Kevin Konar (VC '76) was named to the all-star team. He later played for the BC Lions. This was the last year that the tournament featured a four-team format.

In 1977, under the leadership of new Fighting Irish head coach John Mills (VC '68), the tournament gained more popularity and attracted a sponsor, Dr. Pepper. The tournament format changed from a two-day, four-team series to a three-day competition featuring nine teams. The top teams added to the tournament were Dakota Collegiate from Winnipeg, the Cardston Cougars from Alberta, and the Barons from Oakwood. Oakwood, one of the top two ranked teams in the country, easily made it to the final game against the Fighting Irish, where they emerged victorious with a 62-51 win. Six players from the Barons were named to the all-star teams, including MVP Derrick Lewis. Norm Clarke, a grade 10 player, would go on to represent Canada in future years, and their coach, Al Quance, became the Director of Community Relations for the Toronto Raptors from 1995 to 2001.

Due to its growing popularity, the 1978 Dr. Pepper Emerald Tournament expanded to 12 teams and moved the final rounds to the PNE Agrodome. The final night's crowd was approximately 2,000, and they watched the Burnaby South Rebels defeat the Fighting Irish 59-48 to take the championship title. Walter Stein of Mission was named the Most Valuable Player after setting a tournament scoring record of 117 points, which he achieved in four games rather than the traditional three.

The following year, the tournament expanded across the Pacific with the addition of the Kings School from Australia. The Australian team made it to the finals, but they were no match for the strong Delta Pacers, who won the tournament final in convincing fashion 90-68. Burnaby South, who finished fourth in the Emerald Tournament but went on to win the Provincial Championship in 1979.

In the 1980s, the focus shifted to the Fraser Valley, with Mt. Doug in Abbotsford winning the title in 1983 by defeating the Fighting Irish 78-59. Abbotsford had a balanced attack, with five players averaging double figures in the tournament. Larry Clarkson led the team, and later starred in the CFL for the BC Lions. The Richmond Colts won the tournament the following year, defeating Abbotsford 79-76. The all-stars David Olafsson and Robin Lawson led the Richmond Colts, while Wade Loukes of Mt. Douglas was named MVP. The Richmond Colts would win three more Emerald Tournaments in the following years, with Mission and Argyle also taking home the title.

In 1985, Eastside Catholic from Bellevue, Washington claimed the Emerald Tournament title by defeating Kelowna 77-64. Eastside, which had only been in operation for four years, was set to join the highly competitive King County AAA league the following year. Its coach, Brad Jackson, later went on to coach at Western Washington University.

The Fighting Irish regained the Emerald title in 1986, beating Kelowna 80-73 in the final game. Kelowna had reached the finals by defeating Maple Ridge, who went on to win the Provincial Championship that year. Al Lalonde of Kelowna was named MVP for the second year in a row, and Todd Osborn of Maple Ridge was named to the all-star team. He would go on to be named MVP of the Provincial Tournament. Scott Clark, who later became a coach at Simon Fraser University, played for the Kelowna team. In 1987, the Centennial Centaurs won the tournament with a thrilling 85-84 last-second victory over the Fighting Irish. Don Towers, the MVP, led the way for Centennial.

In 1988, the Richmond Colts made a comeback at the Emerald, cruising to the finals and defeating the Fighting Irish 91-78 with the help of tournament MVP Ron Putzi's impressive 61-point performance in the final game. Putzi's performance remains a tournament record, and he also set a record for points per game, averaging 35.7 points over the three games. He went on to play at New Mexico State and professionally in Switzerland.

In 1989, the Richmond Irish emerged as champions in a thrilling 78-77 victory over the Abbotsford team. Andrew Zawado, the tournament's MVP, led the Irish to victory. David Williscroft, a VC graduate of 1989, was the top scorer of the competition with an average of 31.7 points per game.

The following year, the North Delta Huskies triumphed over Penticton in the final, with a score of 70-47. The Huskies went on to win the Provincials in 1990, led by Chad Johson, the tournament MVP, and Mitch Berger, a first team all-star in the Emerald and Provincials. After his success on the basketball court, Berger went on to play football for the New Orleans Saints and become one of the top punters in the NFL. Johson played Division 1 basketball at the University of Maryland (Eastern Shores) before embarking on a professional baseball career in the minor leagues. In 1991, Centennial reclaimed the championship title with a 79-67 victory over Vancouver College, and Jeremy Low was named MVP. Gerald Cole, a VC graduate of 1993, was also named to the first all-star team that year as a grade 10 student.

In 1992, the St. Michael's University School team from Victoria won the competition, showcasing their impressive speed and skill. Steve Nash, one of Canada's best basketball players and a future NBA All-Star, led the team to victory in the Emerald tournament, where they defeated the Fighting Irish 74-54 in the final. Nash was named to the first all-star team, but the MVP honor went to his teammate, Milan Uzelac. VC graduates Tyler Thompson and Paul Williscroft were also named to the first all-star team for Vancouver College.

1993 was a difficult year for the Emerald tournament, as the final game between Maple Ridge and North Delta was marred by the ejection of the North Delta coaches for poor behavior. However, they refused to leave the game, causing a disturbance.

In 1994, the Terry Fox team dominated the competition, defeating Kelowna 92-50 in the final, one of the most one-sided games in the tournament's history. Led by brothers Dave and Peter Morgan and Ben Simmons, the Terry Fox team went on to win the Provincial Championship. Dave Morgan, the Emerald MVP, led all scorers with an average of 31.7 points per game. He later played for the University of Nevada in Reno, while Peter played for Simon Fraser University.

The Richmond Irish made a comeback in 1995, winning the championship after a nine-year break with a 76-72 victory over the Prince of Wales team. Jason Maher, the MVP, led the Fighting Irish to victory and later played for the UBC Thunderbirds. Mike Franks, a VC graduate of 1995, was named to the first all-star team and went on to play professional soccer for the Vancouver Whitecaps.

In 1996, MEI would win the championship with a 79-66 romp over Maple Ridge in the final. MVP Josh Hall and All-Stars Mark Redekop and Dan Turner led the Eagles. The Fighting Irish won another victory in 1997 against the Clarence Fulton of Vernon 84-58. The team was led by prominent football players MVP Alex Lando (VC '97) and Kevin Eiben (VC '97). Eiben would become starting safety for NCAA Division 1 Bucknell University, winning First Team all-American honours in his senior year and playing in the CFL for Toronto, becoming a CFL All-Star in 2004. For the first time since 1969, the Irish were back-to-back winners, taking the 1998 tourney with a lopsided 112-68 win over Parade College of Australia. The MVP Jordan Mason (VC '98) and First Team All-Star Gerard Slobogean (VC '98) led the Irish. Mason went on to star for the SFU Clansmen.

In the 1999 final, Clarence Fulton took the title back from the VC, defeating them 59-48. The coach's son, Bobby Shannon, was named MVP and led the Maroons. The 2000 event saw some inspiring basketball as the Fighting Irish took the Emerald Trophy back against St. George's Saints 83-63 in the championship game. Leading the Irish was senior forward Ryan Brazier (VC '00), named MVP and a provincial all-star in football in 1999, and reserve guard Neil Chin (VC '01), a First All-Star selection. And Anthony Lao (VC '02), Grade 10, was named the second all-star team and awarded the trophy for the best defensive player in a final game. Hamed Nazzari from Port Moody was one of the tournament's leading scorers, averaging 34.3 points per game, including a dazzling 51 point performance against Kwalikum. Nazzari was coached by Alex Devlin, a Canada's 1976 Olympic Basketball team member.

The Fighting Irish had another win in 2001 with an exciting 66-59 victory over the Clarence Fulton Maroons. Sidney Lowe (VC '03), the son of the then Vancouver Grizzlies coach, led VC with 14 points in the final, 11 coming in the second half when the Maroons were trying to catch up. Neil Chin, the tournament MVP, followed with 11 points. Lowe received the Best Offensive Player in the Championship Game, making it the second time in a row that a Grade 10 student had won the award. Leading all tournament scorers was Owen Blain of Prince of Wales, who scored 96 points, averaging 32 per game.

The 38th Emerald Tournament found itself during a public school teacher’s labour dispute, and as a result, all public school teams had to withdraw from the tournament. The result, however, created one of the stronger tournaments in the past few years. New teams included Brentwood College and Shawnigan Lake School, which the Fighting Irish had rarely played basketball against, despite a strong history of competition in rowing. The semi-final match-ups saw the Fighting Irish take on rival St. George’s and MEI tackle St. Michael’s University School, making their first appearance since 1993. The Irish were no match for the talented, well-coached Saints, who prevailed 69-46 on the strength of 18-point performances by Cam McDonald and Scott MacDonald in the other semi.

MEI came out on top with an exiting 69-61 victory over the St. Michael's Blue Jags. The consolation final saw the Fighting Irish get back on track with a 91-79 win over St. Michael's. VC led with 44 points from Anthony Lao (VC '02). The Saints did not stop in the finals as they rolled over MEI 76-56 to capture their first Emerald tournament title. Cam McDonald led the victors with 24 points and a sterling performance from tournament MVP Scott MacDonald.

The 2003 Emerald saw the Irish regain the championship with a 77-60 victory over the Cambie Crusaders in the final game. The Irish were led by Chad Howse (VC '03) and Robert Josue (VC '04), with 14 points each. The tournament once again featured international guests with Parade College, a Christian Brothers' school from Melbourne, Australia. During the tournament, one of the best games was an 88-83 double-overtime victory by Churchill over Sentinel in a consolation play. Tyler Cameron (VC '03) was named MVP, and the first all-star team featured St. Thomas More's outstanding football player, Calvin McCarty.

MVP Jozef Hadlaw-Murray (VC '03) and guard Robert Josue (VC '04) led the Fighting Irish. In a repeat of the 2003 final, the Irish defeated the Cambie Crusaders 76-61 before a packed house at Alumni Gym. The leading scorer in the tournament with a 29.0 average was Brookswood's Brent Malish, a 6'5 forward who was only in Grade 10. This year's tournament featured the E.D. Feehan Trojans from Saskatoon, making their first appearance at the Emerald Tournament.

During the 2005 tournament, the Irish came in 5th place, with Sentinel taking top honours by defeating McMath 91-73 in the final game. McMath was missing a few starters but was led by the outstanding play of MVP Jeff Chu. He scored 117 points (for an average of 39.0 per game) and broke the previous three-game record for most points set in 1988. And in 2006, the Irish came out on top after a tough final against a big team from Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School. Point guard and tournament MVP Nigel Palma (VC '06) led the Irish to an 84-78 victory.

In 2007, The Highlanders of West Vancouver defeated the MEI team to win 81-79 in the semi-finals and beat the Fighting Irish in the championship game, 57-46. The Irish were ahead going into the final quarter but were outscored 18-4 by the Highlanders in the last period. Guard Patrick Clarke, who scored a game-high 28 points in the final, led the winners. Clark's play in the tournament earned him Most Valuable Player honours. Marc Trasolini (VC '08) led the Fighting Irish scorers with 17 points.

The Fighting Irish stormed back to reclaim the Emerald Trophy in 2008. With a strong performance from MVP Marc Trasolini in all three games, they defeated their opponents by 20 points or more each game. There were some close and exciting games to watch in the Alumni Gym throughout the weekend as Centennial and Oak Bay went into overtime on the first night to get a decision for Centennial. Another close game was played on Saturday when Oak Bay defeated Hugh Boyd by a single point to claim fourth place. The defensive play of Harrison Mair (VC '09) earned him the defensive player of the final game against Handsworth.

In 2009, the Irish defeated Collingwood 96-31 and Belmont 78-68 before losing to White Rock Christian Academy 70-54. WRCA beat Byrne Creek 53-50 and Centennial 83-55 to advance to the championship game. Elijah Mara and Joel Schat led WRCA, earning the MVP and Best Offensive Player awards. Pardeep Bains (VC '09) earned a second team all-star award, and Harrison Mair was named a first team all-star and Best Defensive Player in the Championship game.

The Fighting Irish reclaimed the Emerald Trophy in 2010. The varsity basketball team defeated Collingwood 88-45 and Centennial 106-86 before defeating Pitt Meadows 83-74. The play of Offensive MVP Garrett Ling-Lee (VC '10), Defensive MVP Jackson Forsythe (VC '10), all-star Sam Williams (VC '10) and tournament MVP Phil Scrubb (VC '10) were the highlights of another exciting VC Emerald Tournament! With solid performances from the tournament's high scorer Phil Scrubb in all three games, they defeated their opponents by upwards of 10 points each game.

The Irish repeated as Emerald Tournament champions in 2011 with excellent performances from the tournament's MVP, Vince Tolentino (VC '11) and Best Offensive player, Reiner Theil (VC '11). The varsity basketball team defeated Port Moody 102-42 and Tupper 67-64 before defeating Terry Fox 73-58. The Irish continued their dominance as Emerald Tournament champions in 2012. With solid performances from the tournament's MVP Abu Khan (VC '12) and Best Defensive Player, Justin Sanvido (VC '12), the varsity basketball team defeated Oak Bay 80-72 and Burnaby South 82-75 before defeating Terry Fox 83-69 in the final.

The Irish finished in sixth place in the 2013 Emerald Tournament. With strong performances from the second team all-star, Gogy Kumanan, they lost two of three games: lost 70-64 to Terry Fox, defeated Oak Bay 65-61 and eventually lost 75-66 to St. Michael's University School. Number two ranked White Rock Christian Academy beat the Number 3 ranked Walnut Grove Gators for the second tie in three weekends. First, it was a double-overtime win in the final of the Terry Fox Legal Beagle. In the Vancouver College Emerald final, the WRCA did it again, and this time 75-70 after trailing 43-33 at half-time. Jadon Cohee of Walnut Grove was named Best Offensive Player, Vartan Tanielian of WRCA was named Best Defensive Player, and Tyus Allen of WRCA was named Tournament MVP.

The Irish were runner-ups in the 2014 Emerald Tournament. With strong performances from Elijah Campbell-Axson (VC' 14) and Kelly Chow (VC '14), they won two of three games. VC defeated Pitt Meadows 89-83 in overtime and Walnut Grove 84-77, eventually losing to Terry Fox in the final. The Terry Fox Ravens squad won all three games defeating Oak Bay 77-66, Sardis 63-54 and Vancouver College 82-74. Jari Reyes, of Terry Fox, was named Best Offensive Player, Jordan Lum-Tong (VC '15) of Vancouver College was named Best Defensive Player, and Jamari Reyes of Terry Fox was named the tournament MVP. The Irish finished in fourth place.

In the 2015 Emerald Tournament, the Irish finished in third place. With strong performances from first-team all-star Jordon Lum-Tong, they won two of three games. VC defeated Windermere 95-77 and then lost to Oak Bay 67-73 before bouncing back and defeating Mt. Boucherie 78-72 in the third-place game. The Oak Bay team won all three games, defeating Walnut Grove 75-64, VC 73-67 and Terry Fox 101-93. Liam Hancock of Terry Fox was named Best Offensive Player, Atlas St. Paul Butler of Oak Bay was named Best Defensive Player, and Matthew Gray of Oak Bay was named the tournament MVP.

The Irish finished in fourth place in the 2016 Emerald Tournament. With strong performances from Sam Bailey (VC '17) and Jovani Castillo (VC '17), they won two of three games. VC lost to Semiahmoo 79-75, defeated SMUS 69-63 and Mt. Boucherie 81-60 in the fourth and sixth place game. A strong Oak Bay team won all three games, defeating Mt. Boucherie 88-64, Windermere 90-57 and Walnut Grove 82-75 in the Emerald Final. Sam Bailey was named a first team all-star, Ty Rowel of Walnut Grove was named Best Offensive Player, Madhu McConnell of Oak Bay was named Best Defensive player and Myka Tang-Blumenschein of Oak Bay was named Tournament MVP.

In 2017, the Fighting Irish were runner-ups in the Emerald Tournament. With strong performances from the first team all-stars, Josh Jaurigue (VC '17) and Emilio Gonzales-Ruiz (VC '17) won two of three games. VC lost to a robust Oak Bay Bays team 79-73 in the final, with Vancouver College's Sam Bailey named Best Defensive Player, Jaden Touchie of Oak Bay was Best Offensive Player, and Caelan Scott of Oak Bay was named Tournament MVP.

The Fighting Irish won one game out of three against Pinetree and finished ninth in the 2018 Emerald Tournament. The championship game Tamanawis vs. Oak Bay was exciting for all, with Oak Bay winning 82-74. Valdi Alarie-Hill from Oak Bay was named Best Defensive Player. Miguel Tomley of Tamanawis was named Best Offensive Player. Diego Maffia of Oak Bay was named Tournament MVP.

In the 2019 Emerald Tournament, the Irish finished in 4th Place. They won two of four games with strong performances from first-team all-star Toni Maric (VC '19). VC defeated Belmont and Handsworth before dropping the semi-final game to eventual champion, Terry Fox. A strong Terry Fox team won all four games defeating Pinetree, Semiahmoo, VC, and Charles Hays in the Emerald Final 74-70. Cam Slaymaker, of Terry Fox, was named Best Offensive Player. Liam McChesney, of Charles Hays, was named Best Defensive Player and Jacob Mann, of Terry Fox, was named Tournament MVP.

In 2020, The Fighting Irish finished 7th in the Emerald tournament, with one win and two losses. Centennial proved to be strong, led by Dom Parolin and Leif Skelding, defeating three teams before matching up against defending finalists - Charles Hays. Dominic Parolin was awarded the Best Defensive Player and Tournament MVP, sharing the Best Offensive Player with Tyler Jones (from Charles Hays.) Centennial defeated Charles Hays in an exciting and highly competitive match.

Schools were not allowed to play basketball games in 2021 due to the worldwide pandemic. Unfortunately, the basketball season was cancelled, and we could not hold an Emerald Tournament. In 2022, the pandemic still continued thus cancelling the Emerald Tournament once again. The Emerald resumes in January 2023.