Comox Valley high school basketball talent will be featured at the 29th annual Vancouver Island Seniors Classic All-Star Basketball Games.
The three games (Boys 'B', Girls and Boys 'A') will be held Saturday, April 2 in Victoria at UVic's CARSA High-Performance Gym. The event showcases this year's best graduating high school players on Vancouver Island in a North vs. South format.
There are five locals on the North Girls Team, including four from the 'AA' Isfeld Ice - players Sydney Kuhnert, Aleah Ashlee and Maddi Eaton, and coach Grant Ashlee.
Peter Parke of the 'AAA' Vanier Towhees is the other North Girls Team coach.
The North Boys A team has Ice players Jeppe Madson, Davis Malton and Hank Magdanz along with 'AAAA' Towhees players Chase Hobenshield and Tyler Knopp.
Vanier's Larry Street is coaching the North Boys B team.
The Seniors Classic All-Star Games have featured some extremely talented players, including Steve Nash, whose game-high 17 points led the Boys A South team to a 100-85 win in 1992.
Comox Valley players have also distinguished themselves at the event. Among the highlights:
In 2015 Avery Snider's (Isfeld) game-high 18 points weren't enough as the South Girls won 70-60.
In 2014 Sam Lewis (Highland) was Boys B North MVP while Cole Hutchings (Isfeld) scored a game-high 21 points and was MVP in the Boys A North 75-60 win.
In 2010 Chelsea Olsen (Isfeld) was MVP as the North Girls won 78-59. In 2009 Rylan Higginson (Highland) was MVP as the Boys A North prevailed 105-94.
In 2008 Tyler Olsen (Isfeld) was MVP in the Boys A North 115-90 win.
The local all-stars really shone in 2007 when Keenan Milburn (Isfeld) tallied a game-high 19 points and was MVP in the Boys B North 85-75 win while Ryan MacKinnon (Highland) had a game-high 24 points in the Boys A North 108-102 overtime loss.
In 2001 Brandon Ellis (Vanier) had a game-high 22 points in the Boys A North 93-74 loss. In 2000 Lucas Goltz (Highland) poured in a game-high 26 points to lead Boys B North to a big 118-74 win.
In 1988 Kevin Jangula (Highland) was MVP as Boys North won 108-83.