The Charles Hays Gymnasium was the setting for a bit of time travel this weekend as a range of players from Rainmaker teams spanning the decades took to the court in the annual Jim Ciccone Memorial Rainmaker Alumni Tournament.
The two day event which served as a homecoming for many of those back in town for the holidays pitted six teams in competition, with both the Junior Boys Rainmakers and the players on the Senior Boy's part of the make up of the tourney match ups.
All part of a weekend of some high tempo basketball that provided some good tests for the current Rainmaker teams, while making for a reunion for those who wore the colours in the past.
For the tournament the Six teams were put into a pair of Pools for the launch on Friday.
With the Senior Boys coming out of the early play with a strong record of 2-0 and an express route to the Tourney finale of Saturday night; while the grizzled veterans of past Rainmaker campaigns on the 1946-2003 squad also punched their ticket towards the showdown of Saturday.
The Results on the way towards the tourney wrap up were as follows:
Pool A
Senior Boys 73 vs 2017-19 team 44
Senior Boys 94 vs Junior Boys 40
Junior Boys 68 vs 2017-2019 team 99
Pool B
2012-2016 team 63 vs 2004-2011 team 82
1946-2003 team 92 vs 2024-2011 87
1946-2003 team 82 vs 2012-2016 65
Cross Over games
5th/6th place
Junior Boys 59 vs 2012-2016 team 68
3rd/4th place
2004-2011 team 101 vs 2017-2019 team 102
And while the 3rd/4th place provided for the narrowest of margins, those attending the weekend events were also ready to take in the marquee event of the weekend of basketball.
The showcase event at the end of the tournament found two teams who both could look up at provincial banners in the gym tipping off, with the Senior Boys currently ranked as the Number One team in AA Basketball taking on some of the famed names of Rainmakers of the past.
It was a game which saw the younger legs of the Senior Boys outlasting those of the Old Dogs, though the experience of the Rainmakers of the past served to keep things close for much of the contest before finally the old guard eventually saw the Senior Boys pull away.
Tournament Finale
Senior Boys 85 vs 1946-2003 team 69
Both the Senior Boys and Junior Boys will have a bit of the holiday period off before getting back to practices as they prepare for the resumption of their regular season schedule games and tournaments ahead.
For the Junior Boys that will mean another road trip to Prince George January 9-12 as Kevin Sawka's Junior squad which is bubbling just under top ten status in BC head to the Duchess Park tournament.
Mel and Ryan Bishop and the Senior Boys also hit the road in the New Year, with Pitt Meadows the destination on January 4th and 5th for games against some top tier lower mainland competition.
You can keep up with Rainmaker sports from our archive page here.
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