BRIT 2023 Team List
Collingwood School, Vancouver, BC
Elgin Park secondary School, Surrey, BC
Raymond High School, Raymond, AB
St. Francis Xavier High School, Edmonton, AB
Vincent Massey Collegiate, Winnipeg, MB
Carlton Comprehensive, Prince Albert, SK
Martin Collegiate, Regina, SK
Michael Riffel High School, Regina, SK
Holy Cross High School, Saskatoon, SK
St. Joseph High School, Saskatoon SK
Walter Murray Collegiate, Saskatoon, SK
Bedford Road Collegiate, Saskatoon, SK
Bedford Road Redhawks
Led by coaches Eric Fahie and Brandon Panasiuk, this year’s Redhawk squad of 13 features seven eager rookies in grade 11 and six returning seniors. They’re all pumped to host and compete in their first BRIT. Their goals for this season are to compete, develop their abilities and explore new techniques.
They’re confident that this young and dedicated team will be able to challenge even the top teams at this year’s BRIT.
The Redhawks are an athletic team who enjoy playing fast-paced, transition basketball. Senior Harshan Natt exemplifies the team’s style as he is always looking to attack the basket and pressure defenses. Another returning player, Tayyab Imtiaz, is a talented scorer who can bring it both inside and outside the paint with great vision and strong finish. One of Bedford’s more capable ball handlers and shot makers is a rookie, Anmol Gill.
We expect him to capitalize on his junior-team success from
ball and offer a balanced offensive attack.
Carlton Crusaders
A huge welcome to the Crusaders from Prince Albert’s Carlton
Comprehensive, who are making their first ever BRIT appearance! Coached by Tom Hazzard, Carlton Comprehensive features nine returning players and three rookies. It has been an inspiring year for the team so far. No doubt one of their biggest accomplishments was making their first trip to HOOPLA in 23 years!
Their small team is known for playing fast ball, as they use their team speed to pressure the opposition at both ends of the court. Their ability to play multiple styles makes them a dynamic challenge, as does their ability to hit shots from all over the court. They are here with a purpose: to capitalize on
Good luck Crusaders!
Collingwood Cavaliers
Hailing all the way from West Vancouver, BC, Collingwood is ready to make a splash. Ranked #6 in BC in AA Basketball, Collingwood is definitely a force to be reckoned with. This will not be their first trip to BRIT as they participated in 2019 and finished with a 2-2 record. They used their up-tempo style and gritty defense to earn their spot at BRIT 53, and are excited to do whatever it takes to earn that elusive BRIT title.
Leading the way for the Cavaliers is senior Andersen Stewart, a 6’6 force to be reckoned with who averaged 20.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game for the Cavs last season. The Cavs intend to qualify for the A Provincials in March, a varsity boys basketball tournament in BC. If you’re interested in learning more, make sure to check out their team’s instagram @collingwoodmbb. Go Cavaliers!
Elgin Park Orcas
Elgin Park Secondary from Surrey, BC, is grateful and thrilled to to make their first appearance at what they know is one of the biggest high school basketball tournaments in Western Canada. The Orcas are led by coach Kirk Homenick, three amazing returning grade 12 and complemented by an astonishing group of grade 11s.
Their team relies on their seniors for leadership, while their grade 11s get accustomed to the senior-level of play. Their key leader is Adam Olsen, a 1st-team Provincial All-Star, South Fraser Conference MVP and Surrey RCMP MVP. This team has size and plans to play big. Their goal is to push themselves to do their best and improve every single day. They say that their style of play will be different from previous teams at Elgin Park, and that dynamic approach means we should all be excited for what we’ll see from the Orcas on the court at BRIT 53!
Holy Cross Crusaders
Holy Cross is a veteran team from Saskatoon, returning ten of thirteen players from last year’s city championship team. Their .goal is to continue improving throughout the season, and earn their way it to the city and provincial championships in March.
The Crusaders take pride in their team defense and they’re known for making it difficult for opposing teams to score as they use their size and athleticism to force turnovers, feed their F transition offense, and lead to easy buckets. The Crusaders are a deep team that have a lot of players they can count on and + who bring something different to the court. This team is dynamic and can play a variety of styles with success, meaning they adjust well to their opposition and are a tough match-up for almost any team. Good luck Crusaders!
Martin Monarchs
The 2023 Monarchs are a veteran team with size and skill. They feature three strong starters from last year, four from a strong junior team, and five rookies. Senior point guard Ty Thomson and forwards Will Somers and Adam Newton lead the team. These three players impact the game on both ends of the floor.
The monarchs are poised and have a legitimate shot at competing for city and provincial championships. The Monarchs appreciate the invite to the prestigious BRIT tournament in what will be their first visit. Parents, teachers, and players look forward to participating in this year’s tournament, and we are thrilled to have them. Good luck to the Monarchs! Who knows, maybe they’ll be the surprise team of BRIT 53?
Michael A. Riffel
Michael A. Riffel is pumped and ready to compete in BRIT 53. The team is led by coaches Kieran Hebert, Brendan Hebert and Paul Duchsher, who are strong basketball players themselves. In fact, Brendan Hebert and Paul Duchscher represented Riffel back in BRIT 2009. The coaches bring three returning players, Nin Gonzales, Osagie Okundaye, and Kaiden Thompson, and nine rookies.
The team is described as young and extremely athletic. Michael A. Riffel promise to bring a fast-paced style of game that BRIT fans have missed over the past few years. All teams and fans should be prepared for what Riffel can bring, and be sure to cheer for Michael A Eiffel as they look to dominate the competition!
Raymond Comets
The Raymond Comets are returning 7 players from last year’s varsity team: Justin Baker, Aiden Arcus, Max Greep, Houston Ralph, Everson Harker, Nathan Nielsen, and Bently Francis. Their goal, as always, is to give themselves the opportunity to compete for a provincial championship in Alberta. This is one of the reasons they attend competitive tournaments each year., as they look for competition that will prepare them for provincials.
The Comets attended BRIT 52 back in 2020 and came up just short, suffering, a tough loss of a terrific championship final. They say it was a wonderful experience, the atmosphere was great, and the competition helped them in their quest to be one of the top teams in Alberta. They have three grade 10 players and two first-year varsity players who are all looking to gain valuable experience and soak it the BRIT experience. Like most years, the comets look to be a fast pace team that relies heavily on hard work and playing with energy. Go Comets!
St. Francis Xavier
The St. Francis Xavier Rams are one of the best from the west, coming from Edmonton, Alberta. Head coach Bradley Farish intends to take his team to the top. With seven returning players, the Rams are a team to watch out for. However, don’t turn your back on their equally intimidating rookies, such as 6’8 Machar Aken, who’s ready to tower over the competition.
St Francis Xavier has a long history of athletic excellence and is ready to show off all the hard work they have put in this season as they compete for the BRIT 53 title! To check the team out, visit the St. Francis Athletics Instagram account @x.athletics.
They can’t wait to show you the pride and power behind the school’s basketball program. Go Rams!
St. Joseph Guardians
The St. Joseph Guardians are extremely excited to be involved in the prestigious 2023 BRIT Classic this year. The Guardians are a young team who will lean on their senior leaders to help provide experience and a relentless work ethic.
The Guardians like to play a fast-paced game, getting up and down the court and hoping to create easy looks in transition. With their defense-first mentality and relentless energy, they work tirelessly as a five-man unit on the court to stop the opposing offence from getting good looks. They are looking forward to making a splash at BRIT 53. Good luck Guardians!
Vincent Massey Trojans
Winnipeg’s Vincent Massey Collegiate are making their 1st BRIT appearance. The Massey team is led by head coach Marc Collier, as well as four assistant coaches. There are quite a few experienced returning players to look out for, such as their three seniors: Alex Palyvoda, Isiah lyoupe, and Travis Leboutillier.
The 14-man team plans to play with relentless enthusiasm and by the end they hope to take home the trophy. The Trojans are a dynamic team filled with high-energy guards, athletic forwards, and strong wing play. There will be an emphasis on pace and execution in the halfcourt as well as being able to be a shutdown defensive team. Let’s hope the Trojans enjoy their
Welcome to BRIT and good luck Trojans!
Walter Murray Marauders
This year, the Walter Murray Marauders have 13 players on their team, 6 of whom are returning from last year’s season. Coaches Kirk Jones and Scott Hawley describe the team as quick paced with a mixture of man and zone defense. This season, the Marauders strive to improve their performance, and build on the experience of last season.
This will be Walter Murray’s 17th BRIT appearance, while coaches Hawley and Jones have coached at BRIT a total of 12 times! In 1990, Coach Hawley played for Walter Murray in BRIT, helping lead his team to victory in the tournament, and he is hoping to do so again. Go Marauders!