Chargers men's basketball ready to tip-off season

The back-to-back Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST) bronze medalists, are looking to make it to the championship game this season in an always highly competitive league that starts on Friday, Nov. 5, when they tip-off the 2021/22 season against island rivals, Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners.

“Fans can expect to see a group of players with joy and love for the game; they compete hard and represent Camosun College with pride and integrity,” says Camosun Chargers men’s basketball Head Coach, Scot Cuachon. “Our focus is always on ourselves, our performance, and our own growth and development as individuals and as a group.”

With the bulk of the team being local, growing up and playing with or against each other, it gives the Chargers men’s basketball team a strong starting point in knowing and understanding each other, or for some players they watched the predecessors compete through high school and are now in the same program. The team boasts the most local talent of all the Camosun Chargers teams with a remarkable 14; only three players are from out of town.

“Almost all of our athletes are from Victoria, raised by our parents, taught by our teachers, and coached by our coaches. Our community has witnessed and contributed to our athletes’ growth from children to teenagers to adults. Familiarity is certainly a benefit for us,” adds Cuachon.

MBB player quick facts:

• Although there is a six year age difference between Jake Wilmott and Ben Beattie, they both attended St. Michael’s University School;
• There are three different graduating classes from Oak Bay High School with Jaime Palamos Molins, Madhu McConnell, and Mat Hampton;
• Spencer Simeao, Noah Helman and Nik Babaeff from Claremont Secondary faced off against the Oak Bay squad in the island finals in their last year of high school;
• Cormick Brown and the Somers twins (Austin and Calvin) represent multiple classes from Lambrick Park Secondary;
• Takeshi Croke graduated from Reynolds High School, was coached by Tyler Olsen, a Camosun alumni; and,
• Cole Belton (Belmont High School) competed against his graduating cohort throughout their high school careers also joins the program.

Additionally, even athletes from outside of Victoria have strong ties to the program. Nate Scott’s (Wellington District High School) older brother, James, is a Camosun alumnus and was instrumental in his recruitment, and Eric Lees (Charles Hays Secondary) attended the same high school in Prince Rupert as assistant coach, Tyler Verde, who also helped Eric join the Chargers.

“Given the connectedness between Camosun and our community, we're incredibly grateful for the opportunities to represent both, and our fans can expect to see the product of this on and off the court,” says Cuachon.

This season, the team is welcoming seven rookies.

• Brown played for multiple provincial titles with coach, Ed Somers, who is also the father of Austin and Calvin, graduated from the Canadian Sport School, and played on Team BC;
• Beattie, at just 17 years old, is already 2.7 metres tall (6’8”) and continues to grow. He was coached in high school by one of the best coaches in Ian Hyde-Law;
• Palamos Molins, though from Spain, he grew up in Victoria and had a very successful high school career under the high quality tutelage of Chris Franklin, who continues to develop athletes that are immediately ready to contribute at the post secondary level; and,
• Simeao, Babaeff, and Helman are all products of a very strong and provincially ranked high school program led by Camosun alumnus and former Charger men’s basketball assistant coach, Brandon Dunlop.

“Our younger athletes bring us fresh and enthusiastic energy, their abilities have contributed immediately, and they are high prospects for a bright future,” adds Cuachon.

Entering their final season of eligibility are fifth years Wilmott, Riley Botting (Ucluelet Secondary), and McConnell, who all remained committed to training through the non season last year. They continue to be outstanding leaders, performers, and representatives of the Camosun Chargers.

“They are wonderful people with high character and integrity. I could not be more grateful for the privilege of coaching them,” says Cuachon.

Back on the bench for his tenth season with the Chargers is Head Coach, Scot Cuachon, and is joined by returning Assistant Coaches Tyler Verde, Dylan Marsden, and Cory Ahlers. Noah Avilia and Jacob Wilhelm are the team’s Athletic Therapists.

Fans can catch the Chargers basketball teams in the 2021/22 home openers on Friday, Nov. 5 against island rivals, Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners. The women tip off at 6:00pm and the men at 8:00pm. Both games are at the Pacific Institute of Sports Excellence (PISE) at the Interurban campus.

The cost to attend Chargers games are:

• Camosun Students (with student ID) – FREE
• Non-Camosun Students (with student ID) - $4
• Adults - $6
• Seniors - $4
• Youth (13-17) - $4
• Children (12 and under) – FREE

All Camosun Chargers home games can be live streamed on the Chargers YouTube channel.

The full PACWEST schedule can be found on their website at www.pacwestbc.ca; all games are live streamed at sportscanada.tv.

The Camosun Chargers Athletics Program currently fields teams in basketball and volleyball. Since joining the Canadian Collegiate Athletics Association (CCAA) and PACWEST conferences in 1994, the Chargers have competed in over 100 national and provincial championships with over 50 medal winning finishes.