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Haida Gwaii boys leave mark at provincials

The Queen Charlotte Saints return home from B.C. high school provincials with inspirational awards and records
Desi Collinson
Head coach Desi Collinson, seen at far right, with Queen Charlotte coaches and bench, helped the Saints leave a lasting mark at the B.C. high school 4A high school boys' basketball championships last week

Desi Collinson’s story with the single A Queen Charlotte Saints boys’ basketball team created a lot of interest and a large following at the B.C. quad-A high school championships in Langley last week.

Yet, while the Saints were unable to match Collinson’s eighth-place finish with the Alpha Aztecs in 2003, they didn’t go back to Haida Gwaii empty handed.

The team collected the most inspirational team award following the provincials and guard Nathan Vogstad, who committed to Simon Fraser University earlier this month, was named the tournament’s most inspirational player.

Vogstad didn’t stop there however, the 6-0 guard set two new individual provincial records, topping Ladysmith’s Tony McCrory’s 154 four-game total point record with 167 points for the 1-3 Saints.

Vogstad also set a new single-game scoring mark with 75 points in a 122-43 win over Mt. Baker. That feat topped the long-standing record of 58 points set by Sam Vandermeulen of Abbotsford in 1965.

The high score over Mt. Baker also etched Queen Charlotte into the record book for a third time, surpassing the Burnaby South Rebels’ high game of 118 points in 1977.

“We left a mark,” said Collinson.