If the Steveston-London Sharks are looking for a little extra motivation this season, they only need to remember the numbers 5 and 37.
It was five years ago when Anmol Mattu made the bold leap from elementary school right into senior girls basketball. Her career has been nothing short of spectacular, representing her province and country in various competitions. She has also been named the Richmond League MVP the past four years after earning first team all-star honours in Grade 8.
What's missing from Mattu's impressive resumé is the opportunity to play in a provincial high school championship tournament and this is her final crack at it.
The good news is this may be the Sharks' best shot since they were moved up to the AAA level. They have a solid supporting cast around their star point guard and the Lower Mainland zone playoff route might be more favourable than in the past.
Last year, the Sharks placed fifth in the Mainland playoffs then lost out to Maple Ridge in provincial wild card game. This time they are taking aim at a top three Mainland finish which would mean no extra qualifying games.
"For the first time, we might be in a position to get a guaranteed berth," said Sharks coach Les Hamaguchi.
"The zone is not as deep as in previous years but of course that could change. It's always been a goal of Anmol's to play in a provincial tournament and if anyone deserves it, it's her."
How about one of B.C. high school basketball's greatest contributors too?
This will be Hamaguchi's 37th year coaching at the high school level - a remarkable achievement as a non-teacher coach who is destined for the B.C. Basketball Hall of Fame. He has also been the chief organizer of the provincial "AAA" championships for many years. He has stepped aside from those duties with the tournament headed to the Langley Events Centre for the first time this spring.
Hamaguchi hasn't coached at the AAA tourney since 1996. He did take the Steveston Packers to the AA provincials in Kamloops in 2005. A Sharks' AAA appearance would be the first by a Richmond school since McRoberts in 2001.
"It's a different era," said Hamaguchi. "Winning the Richmond league wasn't a big deal at first. Now with it being so difficult to compete with the top teams in the zone and the rest of the province, winning the city championship is the number one goal for many Richmond teams."
The Sharks are hosting the opening two rounds of the Telus Basketball Classic, including today's game against Burnaby South at 2: 30 p.m.
