What you see in movies rarely happens in real life, but a group of boys from Saanich turned one of those stories into reality.
Mount Douglas Secondary's senior boys volleyball team won the Vancouver Island AAA Championship at Colwood’s Royal Bay Secondary School on Nov. 16. Significantly, it marked the Rams’ ninth Island title, the most of any school on the Island, surpassing Oak Bay’s eight championships and ending their 30-year drought.
“It's quite stunning, we played incredibly well,” said head coach Chris Yee.
However, hoisting the Island cup over their head wasn’t written in the sky, said Yee, explaining their season got off to a slow start.
“Half the team had not played with the other half so the chemistry wasn't fully there,” said Yee. “Another challenging thing was players having other commitments aside from volleyball, so getting the whole team in one place proved to be quite difficult.”
As mid-season approached, the squad had an epiphany that shifted their mindset and changed the course of their year.
“We realized, ‘Hey, if we really try our best here and stay together as a team, we can achieve a lot more than we think,’” said Yee.
Fuelled by this newfound determination, the Rams began an unstoppable winning streak. They dominated regular season games, claimed the AAA City Championship, and secured the coveted Judy Bourne Cup.
“Our game plan was for every tournament we went to, we went for the win, each step being more significant than the last.”
After these defining wins and solidifying their dominance in the region, the Rams proved to be a force to be reckoned with, which they reinforced once again by clinching the Island championship.
Following their historic win, the boys are now eyeing this year’s provincial title as they compete against 15 other B.C. teams from Nov. 27-30 at Oak Bay High.
Regardless of the outcome, the coach, proud of his team's accomplishment, will savour this moment for years to come.
“It's definitely quite special,” said Yee. “I have almost as much fun as these boys even though I don't get to play. I've never been a part of something this significant so it's definitely very exciting for me.”
To follow the team’s performance during provincials, visit shorturl.at/d3Jpu.
