Being a Grizzly means being part of a family; a family that holds you to a higher standard, pushes you to be the best version of yourself, and will always be there to pick you up when you’re down. It means that whether you put that jersey on once, or more times than you can count, you will always be a Grizzly.
Lots of people make excuses, quit when it gets hard, are afraid of failure, and avoid tough situations. Not Grizzlies. Being a Grizzly means saying YES to a challenge. It means running head-on into adversity without fear of adversity pushing back. Being a Grizzly means that you are not afraid of failing, because you know that failure is just another opportunity to learn.
Being a Grizzly means having pride in who you play for. It means showing up and leaving it all on the field, court, or track and knowing that your teammates standing beside you love the grind just as much as you do. It means waking up early, even when you don’t want to, because every day that you show up, you are rising to the challenge and getting better. Being a Grizzly means attacking every rep, set, drill, and down and back with intensity, drive, and an unwavering work ethic. It means giving your best effort, no matter what.
Even though we didn’t have a Spring Season, the Grizzlies family found ways to stay together. We used this time off to work on our weaknesses, rehab injuries, and focus on our studies. Next season, we will come back bigger, faster, and stronger.
To our Grade 12s: Thank you for showing us the way. You will always be a Grizzly.
Being a Grizzly means that you will always belong to this family.
Remember, it’s still Grizzly Season.
CROSS COUNTRY
Coaches Rebecca Pimm & Samantha Stackhouse
We had a small, but committed, group of runners this season who ran in all kinds of weather from beautiful, sunny days to snow and -10! The team raced in Grande Prairie, Beaverlodge, and Dawson Creek, with a couple of 2nd and 3rd place finishes prior to competing in the NCD Zone Championships at the end of October. We had 4 runners compete at Zones, all of whom qualified for the BC Provincial Championships in Vancouver. After sitting out most of the season due to injury, Kane Schreiner had our best result, finishing in 28th place in the Junior Boys Division (out of 281 runners!).
Top Runner: Jordynn McPherson
Coaches Choice: Carter Collins
SENIOR BOYS SOCCER
Coaches Dan Turner & Dave Buziak
The season started in Prince George with a 2nd place finish after a loss in the final game to DP Todd. A number of the boys couldn’t make the trip. We were missing a few players and weren’t yet gelling as a team. The next tournament was provincials in Burnaby. After a 2-day bus ride, the boys had a strong tournament with 1-1-3 record. They placed 15th. The team showed exceptional character and true team spirit despite several unfortunate setbacks. A number of early sanctions proved to be the difference in some closer than anyone expected ties. The final game of the tournament was an emotional match up against Argyle Secondary School that brought the boys together like never before. Just in time for a two day drive back home. Overnight stops in Quesnel were worth a mention. It was an honour to coach them.
Most Valuable Player: Harrison Sewell
Coaches Choice: Caleb Mohninger
Rookie of the Year: Brock Schroeder
JUNIOR GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Coach Ian Zackodnik
We had a strong building year, performing well in tournaments, and finding our groove. The girls were committed to the team and improved leaps and bounds over the course of our season. We had a good balance of competition, entering two junior tournaments and two senior tournaments. While we didn’t place in the senior tournaments, they were an incredible learning experience and provided opportunities for growth that we wouldn’t have found playing against our own age group. At the end of the season, we qualified for the NCD Zone Championships in Prince George with a 2nd place finish at our Regional tournament, however, we weren’t able to travel due to inclement weather. It was a bittersweet end, but overall it was a great season with an awesome team of girls who played well and finished the season with their heads held high!
Most Valuable Player: Brooklyn Brown
Coaches Choice: Gracie English
SENIOR GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Coach Alex Bacso
The best way to describe our season was rocky! We had a fairly dominant young team and there was a lot of growth. The most positive outcome of this year was our ability to challenge strong teams and earn points against some of the best teams in BC and Alberta. This year was a consistent learning curve not only for the players, but for myself with tons of ups and downs. The seniors set an excellent example for the juniors and I’m so proud to have coached all these incredible athletes and again always look forward to improving in the coming years!
Most Valuable Player: Brynn Shaw
Coaches Choice: MacKenzie O’Brien
Rookie of the Year: Ann Marie Barrette
SENIOR BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Coach Tyson Lyons
Our season with the Senior Boys Volleyball team started off slow, but once we got the ball rolling and clicked together as a team I believe we could have competed with any of the teams we faced. Our team went from having a basic knowledge of volleyball to having a very technical understanding of the game. As a coach, it was beautiful to see them transition into those types of players. Unfortunately, the team didn’t get to continue on to provincials this year. However, we were able to capture the DCSS Gold Medal for the 3rd or 4th year in a row! I’d like to recognize the graduating athletes: Tim Stobbe, Andrew Middleton, Tristan Hynes, Jayden Beuckert, Nathan Narciso, and Jerald Cosme. The 6 of you were able to come into the gym and bring your own kinds of leadership and experiences to each practice. Without the 6 of you, I believe the season would have gone a lot differently. So I thank you, for bringing that leadership and giving the younger guys role models to look up to. Best of luck after high school, I am certain that you are all destined for great things.
Most Valuable Player: Nathan Narciso
Coaches Choice: Drew Woodruff
Rookie of the Year: Devon Lee