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TOP STORIES 2020: G.W. Graham Grizzlies make history with provincial title win

After years of coming close but falling short, the Grizzlies finally broke through in 2020
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Zach Klim lets the emotions out in the aftermath of a history-making AAA senior boys basketball provincial championship win by his G.W. Graham Grizzlies over Duchess Park. (Paul Yates/Vancouver Sports Pictures)

Even in a normal year where sports wasn’t wiped out by a pandemic, G.W. Graham’s provincial basketball win would have been a strong contender for Chilliwack’s sports story of the year.

But it’s a slam-dunk selection in 2020.

When the G.W. Graham senior boys claimed the crown with a 79-67 win over the Duchess Park Condors (Prince George) in the AAA title game last March, they earned the first provincial banner in the school’s history. They also became the first Chilliwack high school squad to win it all at that level.

It was a long time coming for the Grizzlies, who started their championship quest before the school even opened in 2006. Jake Mouritzen signed on as athletic director and started laying the groundwork for what would come.

But it took a long time and many setbacks before G.W. Graham finally reached the top of the mountain.

They were in the hunt year after year, always appearing in the year-end provincial tournament and always running into an opponent that was a little bit better. But in 2020, finally, nothing could hold them back.

Led by the Twin Towers, Matthias and Zach Klim, supported by a deep lineup of scorers and defenders, the Grizzlies finally became the team no one could handle.

“The world is crazy, with so many bad things happening right now,” Mouritzen said. “But for us, this one moment was perfect.”

RELATED: GW Graham coach Jake Mouritzen finally gets to savour time at the top

RELATED: Mouritzens working to make the Grizzlies great


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Eric Welsh

About the Author: Eric Welsh

I joined the Chilliwack Progress in 2007, originally hired as a sports reporter.
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