The Thunder, Spectrum Community School's senior boys basketball team, was met with thunderous applause when the provincial champions returned to the Saanich school on March 10.
Just two days before, the squad was in Langley battling the Dover Bay Dolphins in the first all-Island B.C. 4A final since 1978. Four hard-fought quarters saw Spectrum snag an 81-66 victory.
It was a game forward Tyler Felt will remember forever.
“The buzzer sounding, everybody storming the court – even guys we don’t know,” he said, recounting the final seconds of the championship showdown.
For head coach Tyler Verde, who teaches math, chemistry and physical education at Spectrum, those final seconds were his favourite of the game.
“Seeing them all hugging each other, telling each other how much they love each other as a family, is really what does it for me,” he said.
This was the second straight year Spectrum has topped B.C. high school basketball rankings.
“It's been an awesome journey for us,” said school principal Aaron Norris. “To be in a rare group of schools that have repeated as provincial champions two years in a row, is really, really incredible.”
Verde explained much of the outfit’s success stems from the players’ connection on and off the court.
“They are a family. They work together, they spend all their time together,” he said. “It’s a really, really special group that’s been together a long time.”
Guard Justin Hinrichsen, who is set to play for the University of Victoria next year with Felt, expressed a similar sentiment.
“We had 11 returning players from last year, so this team was really close,” he said. “Winning together was special.”
Though connection went a long way in helping the team succeed, the Thunder wouldn’t be anywhere without dedication, grit and lots of sweat.
According to guard J. Elijah Helman, the squad runs drills after school every day for two to three hours at a time, and many of the players also squeeze in an hour of practice before most schooldays start.
While all but five of the Thunder’s players are graduating in June, the team’s legacy of hard work will endure at Spectrum for years to come.
“That culture is going to remain that they’ve helped build,” said Verde, who added that he has been approached by younger students who want to help the Thunder win another provincial 4A title.
Norris noted that the team’s success has positively affected other Spectrum athletes.
“We’re seeing a resurgence of athletics in our school and it’s not just basketball – it’s soccer, it’s cross-country running, it’s volleyball, and we’re getting a lot more students involved in school sport,” he said.
Those entering the Spectrum gymnasium will now be greeted with a reminder of the Thunder's consecutive victories. Hung high on a wall, the team's two provincial 4A titles are immortalized on big, blue banners.
