The King George Dragons are on a roll! (click photo to enlarge)

by Milan Streit

BOY’S BASKETBALL TEAM ON A ROLL

During a cold night last month, the Gladstone Secondary School Senior Boys' Basketball team heard the chants of “LOB” and “W” in an epic showdown against underdog King George Secondary. The game was on February 11 and unfortunately, due to COVID-19 safety protocols still in place, no spectators were allowed. Many parents were very disappointed to not be able to see their kids in action, especially with some of the players in their final year. The game was live-streamed on the internet and hit a peak of 700 viewers. KG beat Gladstone 70-61 and were crowned city-wide champions. A banner will soon be hoisted to the rafters.

But that’s not the end of the story for the team that eats, drinks and sleeps basketball and practices almost non-stop in gyms, parks, and outdoor school courts.

On February 23 with COVID restrictions lifted and spectators again allowed to attend B.C. high school sports, King George won 83-41 in the first game of the 2022 Vancouver 2A Sea to Sky Zone Tournament held in the West End. Player Rishin Uppal says they had a slow start in a high-pressure situation. “We were able to come away with the win by coming out stronger in the second half. We knew they would bring their best effort, but we were prepared. They battled hard but we were able to keep the lead and get the win,” he says.

The team then went on to defeat Collingwood 82 - 51 in the tournament, earning a berth in the BC High School Boys Basketball Provincial Championship at the Langley Events Centre March 9 to 12.

Special shout out to Coach Darko Kulic for leading the boys to the big win.

LUNCH GETS A FAILING GRADE

Lunch has always been a weird one in King George ever since the school kitchen was condemned, due to a gas leak. Cold food, packaged in Surrey, has been served since 2019 and students have recently noticed a significant decrease in quality this year.

Paul Kwok, a school lunch customer, says he is sometimes disgusted by the look of the meals and in one case noticed raw chicken in the box. When he asked Principal Tyler Evans about the piece of chicken, Kwok says he was told “it’s the way they cooked it.” Paul wound end up falling ill after eating that lunch.

Many students want to see the return of the popular hot lunch program to the school. However, the VSB has told the school they would not put the money in due to the replacement of KG in the next five years. Even worse, up until recently, the school only had one microwave and when it broke, the staff room was used to heat student lunches.

Principal Evans then acquired three new microwaves, but it doesn’t excuse the hilariously underfunded school we work and play in every day.