They managed to win a prestigious championship a few years ago and now basketball coach Bruce Lucas is hoping his charges can add to their glory.
Lucas coached the Homiss Wolves, a boys' team that won the BC Junior All Native Basketball Championships back in 2011. That event featured players aged 17 and under.
Lucas will now be taking several key members of that championship squad to the Prince Rupert All Native Basketball Tournament. The 55th annual edition of this event will be staged Feb. 9 to Feb. 15.
Lucas' team, named the Hesquiaht Bulls, will participate in the intermediate (22 and under) category. Fourteen clubs are expected to take part in the intermediate division.
The tournament will feature more than 50 squads competing in four categories. The other divisions are senior men, women's and masters (for those 35 and over).
Lucas is pleased to have members of a championship team playing together again this season.
“When they were in junior, we were planning to play together through their intermediate and senior years,” Lucas said.
The Bulls' roster includes Jalen Charleson, who has been living in California the past few years but is expected to return and live in Canada again.
“He gets a lot of rebounds and points when we need it,” Lucas said of Charleson, who plays various positions. “We play him wherever we need him.”
Charleson had also ventured north of the border in December and suited up for the Bulls in a pair of tournaments.
The Hesquiaht side won a 25-and-under event in Port Alberni. And it also placed third in a senior men's event.
Lucas said his club is shooting for a Top 3 finish at the Prince Rupert tournament, which features a double-knockout format. Squads will be eliminated after losing two games. Most of the Bulls' players are 20 years old.
“There's some teams with older players there,” Lucas said. “But we will make a statement there. If we don't win it this year, we're going to have a couple of good years in Prince Rupert.”
The Hesquiaht team is expected to have five players from its 2011 junior championship squad make the lengthy trip to Prince Rupert.
Besides Charleson, others who won the provincial crown with the Wolves that are now suiting up for the Bulls are Wayne Jules, Steve Tom, Ryan Sabbas and Lucas' son Aaron.
“They're quietly confident,” Lucas said of his team. “They know they can do well.”
The Bulls can take a maximum dozen players with them to the Prince Rupert tournament.
“We have a good nine or 10 that are committed to going,” Lucas said. “And we have a couple of others that might go.”
A handful of players are waiting to finalize their work or school responsibilities before determining whether they can attend.
Lucas is hoping to have a double digit numbert of players make the trek to Prince Rupert.
“Ten would be good,” he said. “When you get closer to the end though you're usually going with six or seven guys.”
Besides his own team, Lucas believes other clubs that are favoured to do well in the intermediate division are Skidegate, Port Simpson and host Prince Rupert.
The Bulls do not have a match on the opening day of the tournament and will play host Prince Rupert in their first contest on Feb. 10.
The Bulls will be one of five Nuu-chah-nulth teams competing in Prince Rupert.
The Maaqtusiis Suns, who placed third in the senior men's category last year, will be hoping for another strong showing.
And the women's division will include the two-time defending tournament champion West Coast Spirits as well as the Tofino Wild Women and the Ahousaht Joye.
