- Athletics
Our Senior Boys and Girls Basketball teams take to the courts this week in the 30th annual CAV Classic, and the fan-favourite tournament has us looking back down memory lane to find out what kind of impact this athletics event has had on our basketball program.
The Sr. Boys play against Brentwood in the 1997 CAV Classic.
Today Collingwood is a ‘AA’ school based on our student population, but in 1995 when the CAV Classic began, we were just a Single-A school. The tournament brought in a loyal following of teams that would return every year to compete with some of the best ‘A’ schools in BC, like the powerful Christian schools from the Fraser Valley and arch-rivals like the Britannia Bruins. After the 3rd annual CAV Classic, our Sr. Boys advanced to the Provincials for the first time – maybe a coincidence, or maybe not!
While it took a few years for the Sr. Girls to be part of the CAV Classic, the girls’ team was a formidable force back then too. Under Coach and former Athletics Director Jim Burnett, the Girls won the ‘A’ Provincial Championship in 1996 for the first (and only) time. It wouldn’t be for another 20 years until the Sr. Boys claimed a Provincial Banner in 2016 (and then again in 2024).
The 1996 Sr. Girls Basketball team - Provincial Champions
The CAV Classic is an instrumental part of Collingwood’s basketball success. Athletics Director David Speirs says that basketball is one of the sporting events we can accommodate on campus, and so a daytime tournament in the middle of the January doldrums is a beacon for school spirit and fan festivities. The more kids who come out to watch basketball equals more potential athletes interested in joining the team.
Today, the CAV Classic is run by coaches Morgan McLaughlin and Andy Wong. We have it on good authority that this year’s tournament may feature a special guest to drum up even more excitement! You’ll have to come out to watch to find out.