Pacers capture District Title

The Delta Pacers Grade 8 boys basketball team has quietly gone about putting together a very solid season. After finishing 2nd in league play at 9 - 3 and compiling a 13 - 8 record overall, the Pacers have put together some strong performances of late. After a convincing victory over Delview in the league semi-finals, the Pacers faced North Delta in the district final. The Pacers turned a 20 - 19 halftime edge into an 18 point lead at the end of three quarters largely due to an intense defensive performance. A balanced scoring attack featuring Gurpaul Teja with 16, Gurpreet Teja 14, Logan Newman 10 and Josh Murphy 8 points keyed the Pacers to a 58 - 35 victory. The win proved satisfying for the young Pacers and validated their commitment to team defense after two losses to The Huskies during league play. 

The 11th seeded Pacers began the Fraser Valley Championships on the road Tuesday night against the 22nd seeded Princess Margaret Lions. Once again, the Pacers defensive pressure proved to be too much for the Lions to handle. After starting the game on a 17 - 0 run, the Pacers continued to use their size and strength to their advantage. Jackson Goodman, one of the team's top rebounders gives the team a starting lineup that includes three players 6'1 or better. Key post players off the bench for the Pacers include Kyle Booth, Curtis Tyson and Kaylin Kaila.

While the offensive strength of the Pacers teams is their post play, guards Jeremy Gill, Jared Beaton, Riley Duimel, Christian Narciso, Evan Chong and Matteo Correa play important roles on the defensive side, following a season-ending injury to point guard Devin Basi.

The Pacers take the confidence of their four game winning streak into the 2nd Round of the Fraser Valley Championships where they face the 6th seed from Lord Tweedsmuir. The game will feature contrasting styles of play as Tweedsmuir will look to run at every opportunity while the Pacers plan to execute their halfcourt offense in order to get high percentage shots inside.

The Fraser Valley Championships continue on through Friday, Saturday and Monday at Westview Secondary with teams vying for berths to the Provincial tournament hosted by Pitt Meadows in early March.