The basketball season is fast approaching and the Quest Kermodes hit the floor for the first time last week, taking part in two scrimmages.
The team hosted the University of Northern British Columbia on Thursday (Sept. 30) and then participated in a four-team tournament in Surrey on Saturday (Oct. 2) with Langara College, Kwantlen Polytechnic University and Columbia Bible College (CBC).
Head coach Sean Shook said it was a good way to get the team back on the court.
"We don't keep score in these games, but I was impressed with the way our newer players adjusted," he said.
Guard Jose Colorado and forward Connor Heinrichs are rookie players who should make an impact on the team, he added.
"We play 10 minutes and then everything is set back to zero, it's a good way not to dwell on a bad play or quarter."
Shook said experience makes a huge difference in this level of basketball and the tournament on Saturday (Oct. 2) proved just that.
"Kwantlen and us, we have a few more older guys than Langara and CBC and it made a huge difference," he said.
"Experience tends to win in this league because there's just such a difference between an 18-year-old and a 22-year-old physically and mentally."
Shook will be relying heavily on a number of returning veterans to carry the load for the team. Third-year player Bryce Froberg, who Shook called "a guard but not a true point guard," is a player that Shook expects big things from.
He also pointed to twins Tyler and Kyle Thorau as two players to watch.
Meanwhile, injury issues have hampered the progress of forward Jesse Norris who has broken his foot twice since coming to Quest. Shook hopes to have Norris return to top shape and contribute this season.
Another player that Shook is counting on is fourth-year player Brodan Robertson, whom the coach describes as a "physical player."
"It's a long grind of a season and having some older guys will help us," he said. "You need to be an older team to win in this league and we're hoping some of our experienced guys can help with that."
The team is coming off a season last year where they finished with seven wins and 11 losses, finishing in seventh place out of 10 teams.
It was a breakthrough year for the program, which failed to register a victory in its inaugural year competing in the British Columbia Colleges' Athletics Association.
The Kermodes will continue practicing for the next several weeks in preparation for the first league game, when the team travels to Nanaimo to take on the Vancouver Island Mariners in back-to-back games Nov. 5 and 6.
The team will also open its exhibition schedule on Friday (Oct. 15) when Columbia Bible College comes to Quest. Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
For more information, visit www.questkermodes.ca.
