Image: Unity Christian / The top-ranked Unity Christian seniors boys basketball team looks to win its third straight Single A championship when it takes on King David of Vancouver Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. at the Langley Events Centre. They won three decisive victories Wednesday through Friday en route to the championship game. Unity's seniors boys basketball team consists of Josiah Welch (#13, bottom left), Luke McGee (#12), Jay Smiens (#10), Luke Graham (#5), Ryan Fukomoto (#3), Lucas DeVisser (#4), Gabe Koot (#14), and (back left), Seth Schuurman (#9), Daxton Vander Kooi (#6), Eli Kingma (#7), Chris Janssen (#11), Ethan Vrolyk (#8), Mason Bowman (#15), and Ryan Post (#53). They are coached by David Bron. 

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Single A provincial basketball champions

Top-ranked Unity Christian looks to win 3rd straight provincial basketball title Saturday night in Langley

Mar 11, 2023 | 10:08 AM

LANGLEY — Following three decisive playoff victories, top-ranked Unity Christian of Chilliwack has advanced to the B.C. senior boys Single A championship game Saturday night to face King David High School of Vancouver at the Langley Events Centre. Game time is 8:30 p.m.

Unity Christian hopes to win its third consecutive Single A title, thanks to championship titles they won in 2020 and again in 2022. There was no provincial championship tournament in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last school to win three straight Single A titles was St. Thomas Aquinas spanning 1992-1994.

The Flames were on fire to start the four-day provincial tournament this past Wednesday, March 8. With seven players in double figures, they handily defeated Sir Alexander Mackenzie 126-47 behind 17 points apiece from Daxton Vander Kooi and Lucas Devisser, followed by Jay Smiens with 15 points, Seth Schuurman (14 points), Ethan Vrolyk (12 points), Eli Kingma with 11 points, and Ryan Post poured in 10 points. The Flames led 70-17 at halftime.

On Thursday, the Flames maintained the hot hand in a 96-57 win over Cedars Christian of Prince George. Unity Christian actually trailed 41-39 at halftime before outscoring Cedars 57-16 in the second half. Jay Smiens led the Flames with 26 points, and Seth Schuurman, a 6-foot-3 starter, wasn’t far behind with 24 points. Daxton Vander Kooi, a 6-foot-4 starter, had 18 points in the win, followed by Ryan Post with 11 points, as four players were in double figures.

On Friday, the Flames knocked off Nanaimo Christian 100-67 to punch their ticket to the title game thanks to 18 points and 14 rebounds from Vander Kooi. Schuurman and Smiens each tallied 19 points, and 5-foot-10 guard Ryan Fukomoto came off the bench to score all 12 of his points in the second half, according to a report from Varsity Letters. Ethan Vrolyk, a 6-foot-6 starter, added nine points for the Flames, who led 55-31 at the half. Jackson Tonsi led Nanaimo Christian with 26 points, while 6-foot-9 Calvin Vernderkooi had 19.

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Unity’s seniors boys basketball team consists of Ryun Fukomoto, Lucas DeVisser, Luke Graham, Daxton Vander Kooi, Eli Kingma, Ethan Vrolyk, Seth Schuurman, Jay Smiens, Chris Janssen, Luke McGee, Josiah Welch, Gabe Koot, Mason Bowman, and Ryan Post. They are coached by David Bron.