Burnaby NOW • Friday, November 16, 2012 • A45
46 Balance tops ’Tips
47 Selects help McGill
47 Double earns a double
SECTION COORDINATOR Tom Berridge, 604-444-3022 • tberridge@burnabynow.com
STM’s twin pillars of strength Tom Berridge
sports editor
St. Thomas More Collegiate found a perfect set of bookends to showcase the gridiron Knights’ star-laden past. Senior linemen Dante Vigini and Nico Repole have brought a twin pillar of strength to a stout STM defence that has been known for years around the league for its unwavering conviction to make the tackles. Both six-foot-plus AAA conference all-stars were among the leaders in that category this season – Vigini had a second-best 76 stops, while Repole was close behind with 68 solo tackles. The two were also the runaway sack leaders, combining for 28 quarterback muggings between them, including 16 by Vigini, who was named the All-East defensive MVP. Vigini and Repole also made three and two fumble recoveries, respectively, this season. “In past years, we had the talent aspect, but this season we have the toughness we need to bring us to the championships,” said Vigini. “What we bring every play has a lot to do with what our conditioning coach (Jared Power) has brought us.” “Stopping the run is our main priority, and with our line right now, we’ve been able to achieve that,” Repole added. “With our coaching, we’ve been able to become the hardest working line in the
Clan’s wish comes true at Disney Tom Berridge sports editor
Larry Wright/burnaby now
Bookends: St. Thomas More Knights’ all-conference all-star linemen Nico Repole, left, and Dante Vigini led the B.C. AAA varsity high school football league in quarterback sacks this season. league.” That is good news for STM supporters and bad news for opposition teams, who have had the slowstarting Knights in their cross-hairs on a number of occasions this season, only to fail in key situations to put enough points on the board. And it’s the physicality and speed of Vigini and Repole that have been leading the assault. “In my time at STM, they are the best tandem
of defensive linemen that I have coached,” said varsity Knights head coach Bernie Kully. “The thing that separates the two of them is that they do both a good job against the run and the pass. … They each bring a different skill set to our team, but the fact is that they both are aggressive and play with great energy and anticipation on every snap … and get nasty when they need to be.” Both 200-pounders have
sparked interest from collegiate coaches, and why not? The two senior starters clearly love the game and are the best of friends both on and off the field. “I’d say we definitely have chemistry. We talk a lot. We’re good friends off the field, and it has made us better communicators on the field,” said Vigini. “We’re both having fun out there and when we’re having fun, the sacks just come,” Repole added.
“Every down is a battle in front of you. It’s a sense of achievement. It’s a good thing.” But both young men believe that the best STM has to offer is still yet to be seen. There is something more that motivates them to make this final push into the playoffs a special one – both have yet to taste victory in a provincial final in their high school careers. STM Page 47
Moscrop on its way back to provincials Tom Berridge
sports editor
The Moscrop Panthers are headed back to the B.C. AAA high school boys’ volleyball provincial championships. The Panthers came from behind to defeat Vancouver No. 2 Magee 15-10 in a third-set tiebreaker to earn a spot back at the B.C. boys’ championships on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the No. 6ranked Panthers hooked their ticket into the Lower Mainland final, sweeping Richmond High in straight sets. The win will pit Moscrop against either Vancouver Technical
Hamber, the team that upset the Panthers in last year’s Mainland final. Although Moscrop is assured of a second straight berth into the B.C. AAA high school championship tournament, there is a big incentive to win a first-ever Mainland banner, said Moscrop team captain Zachary Or. “Our school has never won (the Mainlands) before. I’m sure it’s as close as we’ve ever come,” said Or. “We want to do it for Brandon (Chin). We’ve been thinking of Brandon the whole year – doing it for him.” Chin, an integral part of last year’s Moscrop senior team, was
Mainlands and was lost to the squad for the remainder of the post season. After a close 25-22 opening set against Richmond, Moscrop looked sharp in Game 2, opening on a 7-1 run off the service, including an ace by Grade 11 power J.J. Cross, and fashioning 10 kills en route to a 25-11 win. The Panthers closed out the match with a 26-24 victory. Moscrop played for the Lower Mainland title on Thursday (after NOW deadlines). The Panthers topped pool A with straight-set wins over Steveston-London and Vancouver Tech.
at the Mainlands, taking Richmond to a tiebreaker in its opening pool match. The Vikings served for four match points against Richmond but were unable to close out the game. North also fell in straight sets to David Thompson and Hamber and was eliminated from championship play. The AAA provincials will be held in Kelowna at the UBC Okanagan campus from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1. The 4A high school girls’ Lower Mainland volleyball tournament opened on Thursday at Killarney and Van Tech (after NOW deadlines). The competition finishes up
The Simon Fraser University women’s basketball team finished with a perfect record at the Disney Tip-Off Classic in Anaheim, California last weekend. The Clan completed its third straight win, knocking off No. 8-ranked California-San Diego 61-58 on Sunday. Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe led the Clan with 22 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore Erin Chambers, who was 15for-15 from the free-throw line at the Classic, and Marie-Line Petit chipped in with 15 and 10 points, respectively. A day earlier, SFU defeated West Texas A&M 74-59 on Kristina Collins’ 22-point contribution, including four three-pointers. Raincock-Ekunwe recorded her second double-double of the tournament, scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 boards. SFU opened the Disney Tip-Off with a 69-60 win over 13th-ranked Grand Canyon University. Chambers, who was named the Great Northwest conference player of the week following the tournament, led all players with 22 points, including five treys. Chambers scored a total of 51 points, while also nabbing 15 rebounds in SFU’s three victories. Raincock-Ekunwe added 50 points in the three-game set, while adding a cummulative total of 31 rebounds, nine assists and five steals. Collins was also productive during tournament play, scoring 36 points and dishing out nine assists. The Clan was also named conference team of the week. This weekend, SFU is in St. George, Utah for two