Lower Mainland hassle leaves hard feelings

The most contentious high school basketball playoff draw in provincial history is now on paper and ready to tip off tonight.

Yet there is no question that hard feelings are sure to be left lingering between the Lower Mainland Triple A zone’s public and private schools in the wake of more than a week of appeals, clashes and boardroom standoffs regarding berthing numbers for private schools to the showcase event.

With the inclusion of St. George’s, the secondplace team in the two-team Independent Zone which has just one Mainland berth, the Mainland tournament is now set to run as a 13-team, double-knockout event, and to be staged at both St. George’s and Vancouver College. The March 3 finale will be played at St. George’s.

The Lower Mainland receives five berths to the B.C. championships.

“The one thing that everybody agrees on is that we can’t be having this every year,”said Paul Eberhardt, the head coach at Richmond’s public R.C. Palmer Secondary, and a vice-president of the Lower Mainland boys association, after the third straight year of clashes. “It’s not productive for our student athletes, it’s horrible for our volunteer coaches. One way or another, we have got to get something in place so we don’t have to deal with this any more.”

For more on the story, look for the High School tab at provincesports.com.

EBERHARDT