Dr. Knox strikes gold in B.C. basketball

The Dr. Knox Falcons celebrate the B.C. Grade 9 boys basketball title Saturday in Kitsilano. The Falcons are (left to right) David Lafontaine (head coach), Jesse Lafontaine, Davide Ciancio, Sean Ketchum (manager), Jon Landie, Matt Doricic, Jae Steinhauer-Rudrum,
Nic Carter, Matt Lafontaine, Tristan Bouchard, Nav Sandhu, Parker Simson, Braxton Cardiff,
Jorde Hitchens and Dan Bernheisel (assistant coach).

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The disappointment of one loss and a fifth-place finish at last year's B.C. Grade 8 championship was more than enough motivation for the Dr. Knox boys' basketball team.

The Falcons were nothing short of dominant this season, capping off the 2012-13 campaign with a gold medal performance at the provincial Grade 9 finals.

Dr. Knox, which posted a 38-2 overall record this season, secured the B.C. crown Saturday night in Kitsilano with a 114-94 victory over the host team in the championship game.

The Falcons were in control throughout the Grade 9 boys provincial tourney, outscoring their opponents 416-209 in four games.

It was the first B.C. title for an Okanagan team in the 17-year history of the event.

"We worked very hard as a team all season, so this is complete and total satisfaction," said Falcons head coach David Lafontaine. "Losing last year was a driving focus for the boys all year, they talked about what it would take to win four in a row at provincials and they recommitted to meeting that goal. It was an amazing group to watch and coach."

Parker Simson was named the tournament's MVP, scoring 129 points over the four games. Simson and Matt Lafontaine were both named to the tournament's first all-star team, Nav Sandhu made the second team, while Jae Steinhauer-Rudrum earned honourable mention.

"We had people say that all five of our starters could have been all-stars," said Lafontaine. "The boys played with great skill and athleticism, a high-pace transition game where they shared the ball. The amount of points the boys scored was pretty incredible."

Among other awards, Simson and Nav Sandhu won the two-point shooting contest, while Jae Steinhauer-Rudrum was third in the Slam Dunk competition.

And it wasn't just basketball the Falcons excelled at as the Knox team also captured the award for the team with the best academic standing.