(BOYS) Charles Hays Rainmakers make it rain over Mt. Boucherie Bears

December 5, 2019

Written by Scott Leigh, Handsworth Grad ‘06

Mount Boucherie Bears v. Charles Hays Rainmakers

The Rainmakers once again have made the journey down to the Lower Mainland to take part in the ‘No Regrets’ Basketball Tournament. They have a number of familiar players who have participated in the tournament in past years, but they will be missing McChesney who graduated last year and is now down south playing at Utah State.  The Bears appear to be a strong, mature looking group of men. We should be in for a solid battle of physical teams, both coming from out-of-town to take part in this weekend's festivities. 

The game is off to a fast start with both teams happy to push the pace of play and take turnover risks in an effort for transition points. Josh Clancy, #1 for the Bears, known as “Fancy Clancy” in Kelowna*, is looking to push the ball in transition and finesse the eurostep down the lane. In addition to the physical size on the court, the entire Rainmakers team looks more than comfortable behind the arc. 

Kai Leighton, # 10 for the Rainmakers, is no stranger to this tournament - he accepted the first team all star nod just one year ago. He is keeping his team structured in the early parts of the game which gas helped give his team an early 8 point lead. Not to be out done, the Bears have come back with a run of their own to get back within 3. The players compete level has just risen another notch, with bodies all over the floor and the physicality increasing. In a last minute effort at the buzzer Ethan Williams, #12 for the Bears, attempted a fadeaway three and was not able to make the shot, but does earn a foul call and goes to the line for 3 shots with the score clock at zero. In an odd exchange, the Rainmakers also ended the quarter with 2 free throw attempts as a result of a separate foul. Once all was settled and the free throw attempts were made, the Rainmakers end the quarter up 20-17 over the Bears.

Tyler Jones, #1 for the Rainmakers, may be generously listed at 5’7 but this kid could care less - he has the compete level that makes any size mismatch irrelevant. After knocking down a tough step-back three he ensured his opponents knew he was heating up with the “you can’t see me” wave in front of his face. Intriguing matchup between the point guards Fancy Clancy and Jones to keep our eye on. A few consecutive buckets from Jones has the Rainmakers lead extended to 8 points near the midway point of the second quarter. Charles Hays pressure on D has caused some difficulties for the Bears early in the quarter - the Bears have taken a timeout to put some structure in place to help alleviate the pressure. With the Rainmakers strongly denying one pass away, the Bears are going to need some successful backdoor cuts and passes to keep Charles Hays honest; so far, the risks are being rewarded for the Rainmakers. If Charles Hays can maintain their high level of energy on the defensive end and their hot shooting, the Bears may be in for a long night. At the half, the Rainmakers 48 and the Bears 28.

Halftime Facts: Prince Rupert is named after the infamous Prince Rupert of Rhine, who was born in 1619 and among many other accolades was the first Governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company.

As the second half commences, the Bears are going to have to bring the energy and some hot shooting. On the other end of the court, Mount Boucherie is mixing it up and trying out the zone D in the half-court. A nice early push by the Bears has the lead down to 15 two minutes into the second half. It is always interesting to see how a team reacts to alternative defences this early in the season, when generally only a small number of the zone press breaks and zone offensive sets have been implemented. The Bears may be banking on this tactic to get back into the game. 

Fancy Clancy is heating up with a nice finish in the lane plus the foul, followed by a tough 3 on the next possession. Some nice interior post passing between Leighton and Caden Pagens, #14 on the Rainmakers, has kept their team at bay, at least for the time being. Both teams have gotten a bit sloppy with a number of turnovers on consecutive possessions; let’s see if these teams can tighten their play up and get the level of play back up to the level we have seen for the majority of this game. On cue, Leighton hits a deep three in rhythm. Two steals by the Bears to finish the third quarter, ending in a layup and buzzer beater three has the lead back into single digits heading into the final Q. Rainmakers 61 : Bears 53.

The resilience of Charles Hays has allowed them to continue to hold a lead throughout this second half. Although the size of the lead has varied, the Rainmakers have maintained their composure and continued to fight and hold a comfortable margin. Up 14 with under 3 minutes to go, it seems the second half push from the Bears will fall short; a valiant effort nonetheless. Both of these teams are tough and will cause trouble for whoever they face next - best of luck moving forward in the tournament.

Final Score - Charles Hays 79 : Mount Boucherie 65.

*Not confirmed by any source. 

No Regrets.