Viqueens Basketball- Heaped in History

By Kelly Sharp

     

Nechako Valley coach Warren Cullem was shaking his head after the Viqueens dropped a semi-final game to North Peace at the College Heights senior high school girls basketball tournament. The team from Vanderhoof was coming off a 2 and 2 record at a highly competitive 32 team tournament in Ontario, California. Cullem welcomed back 8 returnees from the 05-06 Viqueens who did not qualify for the provincials.

“It’s the best team in 5 years,” said the Nechako Valley head coach in his sixth season as coach of the senior Viqueens.

Of course expectations always run high at NechakoValley and the town of Vanderhoof when the sport is basketball. The community of 4600 expects their senior high school basketball teams to at least reach the provincials. It’s been nine years since the last Viqueens lineup won the BC double-A girls basketball championship, the fifth provincial senior girls title for Vanderhoof. Provincial champions on two occasions in the 1970s, the Vikings of Nechako Valley won a pair of silver medals at the double-A boys provincials this decade.

You do not have to tell 17 year-old Kayla Gwilliam about the tradition of basketball success in Vanderhoof. Kayla’s father John was in grade eleven at Nechako Valley when he won a provincial basketball title. Then there is Kayla’s sister, Teija, who captured a provincial championship. Kayla’s twin brothers, Ezra and Aaron earned silver medals and all-star honors as members of the Vikings.

Kayla, a forward on the Viqueens, says there are high expectations when wearing the Nechako Valley colours.

“Don’t have any regrets, leave everything on the floor,” added Kayla, when discussing her siblings’ advice on the upcoming game.

“It is about working as hard as you can”

The relationship between Nechako Valley basketball and the community of Vanderhoof is one of pride. Local businesses step up to the plate to support the many fundraising endeavors needed to help with the extensive travel budget of the basketball programs.

The Viqueens travel from 7-8,000-km a year in pursuit of competition.

The 06-07 senior high girls basketball team from Vanderhoof would like nothing better than to return to the provincials in March. One thing is for certain, the community bond between the Viqueens and Vanderhoof will remain as strong as ever, a tradition that has its roots in all the provincial high school basketball championships that came from student athletes of Nechako Valley.

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