The Penticton Secondary School Lakers junior boys basketball team will be looking for a little payback in their first game of the Valley Championships Friday in Vernon.
The boys from Penticton Secondary will be meeting up with the Mount Boucherie Bears, the team that had the Lakers’ number in their last two meetings.
“They beat us twice, they’re very solid; I kind of think it’s between them and Kelowna Secondary. They’re quite strong as well but we hope to give them a battle,” said Lakers coach Brian Hurst.
Pen High earned the right to play in the Valley’s by winning the South Okanagan Zone Championship by defeating South Okanagan Secondary School 54-14 in the final last Saturday at Princess Margaret Secondary.
“We struggled against South Okanagan the last time we played them,” said Hurst. “They play a zone that gave us a little bit of trouble but we kind of figured it out this time.
“Our defence definitely stepped it up and executed quite well and shut two of their top scorers down.”
Top scorers for the Lakers included Owen Labudie who had 15 points in the win.
Hurst described Kieran Simpson as a “super energy” who “stepped it up a notch” in the final game.
Eight teams are competing in the Valley tournament at Vernon Secondary School this weekend, the top four advancing to the provincials in the Langley the weekend after.
After the Bears, the Lakers’ next opponents will either be North Kamloops or the host Vernon squad.
