Junior Bombers outlast Crowe Hawks to claim West Kootenay Basketball Title
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The L.V. Rogers Bombers used a dominating second quarter to outlast the J. Lloyd Crowe Hawks 62-49 in the final of the West Kootenay Junior Boys Basketball Championships Friday at the Hangar in Nelson.
The two West Kootenay rivals were seeded one-two in the six-team field, gaining a bye into the semi final round.
LVR bumped off District rival Mount Sentinel Wildcats to advance to the final while the Hawks got past Stanley Humphries of Castlegar in the other semi final contest.
In the final, the Bombers broke open the game with a suffocating defence that did not allow the Crowe guards to penetrate the key.
Korban Ashley led the Bombers with 20 points, most of the offence coming in the paint.
Point guard Jack Boyes, added 14 points due to a strong shooting performance from outside the three-point arc.
LVR finished the season with an impressive 18-5 record against opposition from the Kootenay and Okanagan regions.
Highlights of the season were their trips to the South Okanagan Slam invitational and the Sweet 16 tournament in Kelowna.
The Bombers lost a tight Kootenay Junior Boys Provincial qualifier to Fernie Falcons by five points last month in Cranbrook.
LVR started off slow in the first quarter but managed to pull even at the half.
In the second half the Falcons were able to establish a lead the Bombers were not able to overcome.
Basketball Roundup:
Sr Girls Basketball
The Sr. Girls basketball team displayed great improvement and success in their 2023-2024 campaign. Head Coach Sarah Fuhr helped guide the squad to victories over Creston, Grand Forks and Castlegar.
A feisty and skilled group, the team competed in the Kootenay River Invitational and Stanley Humphries “Senior Shootout”.
Strong performances from Seniors Liza Konrith and Taya Short helped the team finish their season with signature wins against Grand Forks and Kootenay River. The girls’ program have a core group of Gr.11’s looking to make some noise next year in their senior season.
Sr Boys Basketball
The Sr. Boys basketball team had a terrific season full of trips to the Okanagan and East Kootenays’.
The team finished with an overall record of 14-14 during their 2023-2024 campaign. The boys finished third overall at the Okana-Qen invitational in Oliver, went 2-2 at the South Okanagan Slam in Penticton and third place at the Mt. Boucherie Invitational in Kelowna.
Led by hardworking Levi Konken, the squad displayed toughness and grit on a nightly basis.
The team will say goodbye to their Grade 12’s Leif Beneteau-Kreutz, Albie Drysdale, Carter Janssen, Kelly Coull, Mitchell Erickson and Stephen Vissers.
The LVR Bombers Athletic department would like to thank all coaches for volunteering their time, energy, enthusiasm and effort in the teams. Thank you to Sarah Fuhr, Samantha French, Chase Rickaby, Kevin De Sousa, Clay Rickaby, Todd Manton, Vincent Selina, Matthew Fuhr and Curtis Good.
LVR is looking forward to the spring athletic season, as track, soccer, rugby and tennis sports take over.
LVR head coach Ryan McKinnon honours senior Bomber grads Leif Beneteau-Kreutz, Albie Drysdale, Carter Janssen, Kelly Coull, Mitchell Erickson and Stephen Vissers prior to the Kootenay High School AAA Boys Basketball Zone Final against the J.Lloyd Crowe Hawks at the Hangar.
