Around this time last year, a group of local high school ballers sat in a Houston diner, quietly celebrating their zone victory—unaware that they were about to embark on a journey that would capture the hearts of an entire province.
The GidGalang Kuuyas Naay Breakers boys basketball team, then the sixth seed, shocked fans at the provincial championships by dismantling team after team, earning a reputation for having the best starting lineup in the single-A division.
Although they fell to top-seeded Unity Christian School, 74-71, the Breakers’ remarkable run quickly became the talk of the tournament, uniting communities across the province behind a small school with homegrown talent.
This season, significant changes have reshaped local high school basketball. With both GKNS and Daaxigan Sk’adáa Née (formerly known as Guudangaay Tlaats’gaa Naay) losing several key players—including Levi Burton, Teemo Laughlin, and Greg Putterill for GKNS, and Stan Swanson Jr. for DSN—the two schools decided to join forces.
The collaboration has given birth to Team Haida Gwaii, a move that, despite logistical challenges such as players travelling up to an hour and a half between Masset/Old Masset and Skidegate/Daajing Giids, is already showing promise.
“We went through growing pains and definitely had our ups and downs,” explained Coach Cal Westbrook. “But we stayed optimistic and our efforts for improvement are clearly evident in this season’s results.”
With seven players from DSN and four from GKNS, Team Haida Gwaii quickly made an impact by dominating the Pacific Northwest single-A division.
The local high school ballers have shown impressive teamwork this season. Despite losing several key players—including Levi Burton, Teemo Laughlin, and Greg Putterill for GKNS, and Stan Swanson Jr. for DSN—the two schools decided to join forces.
The collaboration has given birth to Team Haida Gwaii, a move that, despite logistical challenges, is already showing promise.
After three months of rigorous training and travel, the high school ballers returned to Houston for the Pacific Northwest single-A Zone Championship on February 14th and 15th. They finished the season with a perfect 4-0 record in the zone.
With a 9-2 overall record, the boys now punch their ticket for another trip to Langley for the provincial championships, set for March 5-8. Their championship path will be revealed during the live bracket draw on March 2, available for viewing at bchighschoolbasketballchampionships.com/1aboys/.
“We feel fortunate to coach such an incredible group of high school ballers, and we’re excited to (hopefully) bring home a provincial championship banner to Haida Gwaii,” said Coach Collinson. “We are deeply grateful for all the community support—this wouldn’t be possible without everyone behind us!”
The GidGalang Kuuyas Naay girls basketball team, not to be overshadowed, has also made significant strides. They finished second in their single-A zone championship on February 15th, led by senior standout provincial athlete Tymeko Collinson.
Despite a 4-5 season record, their efforts on the court, alongside strong leadership off the court during fundraisers, have set a promising foundation for the future.
Looking ahead, a group of U13 girls is set to represent Skidegate at the Jr. All Native Basketball Tournament in Kelowna during Spring Break, gaining valuable experience for tomorrow’s success.
The high school ballers under the joint leadership of coaches Desi Collinson and Cal Westbrook have been racking up impressive wins. “Our record against teams ranked in the top 10 single-A was 5-1,” Westbrook noted.
He added that their only loss came at the hands of No. 1 St. John’s by 12 points. With successful trips to tournaments in Prince Rupert and Vancouver, the squad has honed its chemistry and gained valuable experience against tough competition.
Under the joint leadership of coaches Desi Collinson and Cal Westbrook, the newly merged team has been racking up impressive wins. “Our record against teams ranked in the top 10 single-A was 5-1,” Westbrook noted, adding that their only loss came at the hands of No. 1 St. John’s by 12 points.
With successful trips to tournaments in Prince Rupert and Vancouver, the squad has honed its chemistry and gained valuable experience against tough competition.
After three months of rigorous training and travel, the team returned to Houston for the Pacific Northwest single-A Zone Championship on February 14th and 15th—finishing the season with a perfect 4-0 record in the zone.
With a 9-2 overall record, the boys now punch their ticket for another trip to Langley for the provincial championships, set for March 5-8. Their championship path will be revealed during the live bracket draw on March 2, available for viewing at bchighschoolbasketballchampionships.com/1aboys/.
“We feel fortunate to coach such an incredible group of young men, and we’re excited to (hopefully) bring home a provincial championship banner to Haida Gwaii,” said Coach Collinson.
“We are deeply grateful for all the community support—this wouldn’t be possible without everyone behind us!”
Not to be overshadowed, the GidGalang Kuuyas Naay girls basketball team has also made significant strides. They finished second in their single-A zone championship on February 15th, led by senior standout provincial athlete Tymeko Collinson.
Despite a 4-5 season record, their efforts on the court, alongside strong leadership off the court during fundraisers, have set a promising foundation for the future.
Looking ahead, a group of U13 girls is set to represent Skidegate at the Jr. All Native Basketball Tournament in Kelowna during Spring Break, gaining valuable experience for tomorrow’s success.
As Haida Gwaii’s high school ballers combine passion, resilience, and a spirit of collaboration, the community eagerly watches to see if lightning will strike twice.
This could reignite hopes of a triumphant return to the bright lights of provincials.