Star power: 1A and 2A All-Stars dazzle in an excellent showcase

All-Star Weekend’s first game featured the 1A All-Star team facing off against the 2A All-Star team. It was always going to be a tough test for the 1A team — the 2A team featured three Brentwood College players plus their head coach Blake Gage, who cruised to the provincial championship in March and could give a lot of 3A teams trouble. As expected, the 2A All-Stars defeated the 1A All-Stars 132-83, but for the participants the score did not really matter in the end. They were just happy to be there.

“It means a lot” said Brentwood College’s Brendan Sullivan, who finished with a game high 23 points. “Just to play with the guys we’ve been playing against for a long time, it’s cool to get to know them and play on the same team as them instead of against them.”

The 2A All-Stars came out on fire, running out to a 23-4 lead halfway through the first. Bruno Chen hit a long ranger three, but after that the 1A All-Stars seemed to find their game, feeding it to Saymon Loki inside at every moment. 2A was up only by 13 after one, and only by eight at the 6:30 mark of the second.

From then on however, the 2A squad put their stamp on the game. They managed to get the lead to over 40 after three and really never looked back. At the final buzzer, both teams shook hands knowing that it would be their last game at the high school level.

For Quentin Onyemourdi, this game was a culmination of the hard work and dedication over the years in the sport.

“It’s just something that from when I was in grade 8, I always wanted to do” said Onyemourdi on playing in the All-Star Game. “I aspired to it, worked hard and this year I’m glad I got the opportunity.”

It takes even more of a special meaning because Onyemourdi does not yet have a basketball scholarship, nor is he sure he will take one. He has academic scholarships to Seton Hall, Baylor, and Oregon State and is leaning towards one of those options but stresses that he “[hasn’t] completely decided yet.”

Brentwood College guard Bruno Chen is in a completely different boat. In September, he will be attending Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario to play for their men’s basketball team. This will not be the last competitive basketball game he plays in, but still relishes the opportunity.

“I feel pretty honoured” said Chen on getting invited to the game. “It shows we had a successful season and all the hard work paid off at the end.”

Brendan Sullivan led all players with 23 points, while teammate Bruno Chen had 18. For the 1A All-Stars, Saymon Loki had 13 points.

Make sure to check out our highlights of the game on our YouTube channel!

Written by: Nick Bondi