Roadrunners Zone Basketball Champs

By Kelly Sharp

      Roadrunners defend basket against PGSS  at Kelly Road hosted Zones

Winning a zone championship on their home floor seemed only fitting for the north central powers of high school boys basketball.  The Roadrunners of Kelly Road downed the PGSS Polars 91-78 to go through the four team double-knockout triple-A north central zone tournament undefeated. The Polars jumped into a 12 point first quarter lead but the resilient ‘Runners were not about to panic against a team they had not lost to this season. “With a 12 point lead they can’t feel safe against us” Kelly Road post player Dennis Stark said. “We can execute so well and this year our defense has come together.”

The six-foot-five Stark scored 24 points, teammate Jesse Greenwood netted 23 points in a game Kelly Road took control in the second quarter. The Roadrunners led 38-29 at the half and 59-45 after three quarters.

For Stark, Greenwood and Carson McNaughton their grade 12 season caps off playing basketball together since Grade 8.

“I owe a lot for Jesse keeping me in the game,” said Stark, who was cut in Grade 9, but Greenwood convinced the coach to give him another chance. While following Jesse Greenwood’s lead Dennis Stark continued to develop his game. The two senior players complement each other on a Kelly Road team that finished the north central high school boys basketball season at 34-2 and on a 33 game winning streak.

Kelly Road will represent the north central zone at the triple- A provincials March 13-17 in Vancouver. Winless in 3 games at last year’s provincials, the more experienced Roadrunners are taking a realistic approach to another challenge down south.

“I can’t say we are going to win three or four in a row,” Dennis Stark said. “We want to win one and keep going.”

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