The Agassiz Chieftains will make their home debut in high school single A basketball next week, hosting DW Poppy for an exhibition game on Nov. 26 at 7 p.m.
Then, regular league play will start on Dec. 3 for the Chieftains when they travel to Unity Christian, followed by Abbotsford Christian on Dec. 4.
“I think we have the potential to be good and upset some teams, but it all depends on how hard we work,” said coach Kyle Dickey, who returns to coaching senior boys after two years working with the younger teams. “We have a good group of boys who have great enthusiasm for the game.”
Playing in the single A Fraser Valley East league, the Chieftains face some tough opponents like Highroad, Unity, Hope, and Abbotsford Christian. The team has also arranged exhibition games with Garibaldi, DW Poppy and Sardis Secondary (B team).
“Our goal is to make the Fraser Valleys,” said Dickey. "I believe we will be competitive and have a chance to beat everyone.”
Ross McInroy and Brian Tran are the only Grade 12 players, and Dickey is confident that Agassiz can build a balanced team of 11, despite the inexperienced roster. Players in Grade 11 are Carl Graham, Nick Allen, Eric Peterson, Jade Solomon, Sean Lau, and Todd Marklund-Brown. Grade 10 players are Inaki Agguire, Ian Wilson, and Hayden Simon.
Highlights before the Christmas break will be the Kamloops tournament on Nov. 29 to 30, and the 40th annual Chieftain Classic, on Dec. 13 and 14.