Bedford Road Invitational Tournament

The Bedford Road Invitational Tournament (BRIT) is a boy's high school basketball tournaments in Canada. It takes place every January at Bedford Road Collegiate in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The current format has 12 schools take part in the tournament. Some notable alumni of BRIT include Martin Riley, Brent Charleton, Karl Tilleman, John Hatch, Byron Tokarchuk, Eric Mobley, and Robert Sacre.[citation needed]

Bedford Road Invitational Tournament
Tournament information
SportBasketball
LocationSaskatoon
Month playedFebruary
Established1968
Host(s)Bedford Road Collegiate - SPS
VenueBedford Road Gymnasium
Champions(54th title)
Current champion
Walter Murray Collegiate

History

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The Bedford Road Invitational Tournament, held annually at Bedford Road Collegiate in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is one of Canada's most prestigious high school basketball tournaments.[citation needed] Founded in 1968, BRIT originally featured only local Saskatoon high schools before expanding to include teams from across Saskatchewan and beyond.

Expansion and national reach

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In 1969, schools from Regina and Weyburn were invited, turning the tournament into a province-wide event. By 1972, out-of-province teams such as Sisler High School from Winnipeg and Calgary's E.P. Scarlett began competing, marking BRIT's transformation into a national tournament.[citation needed]

In 1975, the tournament moved from December to its now-traditional January slot.[citation needed] Over the late 1970s and early 1980s, teams from British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec began participating regularly.[1][failed verification]

International participation

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BRIT became an international event in 1988 when the New York Gauchos participated. The Gauchos not only entered the tournament but also became the first foreign team to win the championship.[2] In 2004, the tournament welcomed its first non-North American team, The Scots College from Sydney, Australia.[citation needed]

Recent developments

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The 2021 tournament was canceled for the first time in its history due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] The tournament resumed in 2023, with the Walter Murray Marauders winning the BRIT54 Championship, defeating city rivals Holy Cross in an all-Saskatoon final.[4]

Champions

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Year School City Province
1968 Bedford Road Collegiate Saskatoon Saskatchewan
1969 Sheldon-Williams Collegiate Regina Saskatchewan
1970 Sheldon-Williams Collegiate Regina Saskatchewan
1971 Mount Royal Collegiate Saskatoon Saskatchewan
1972 Sisler High School Winnipeg Manitoba
1973 Sheldon-Williams Collegiate Regina Saskatchewan
1975 Sheldon-Williams Collegiate Regina Saskatchewan
1976 Sheldon-Williams Collegiate Regina Saskatchewan
1977 Burnaby South Secondary School Burnaby British Columbia
1978 Sir Winston Churchill High School Calgary Alberta
1979 Mennonite Educational Institute Clearbrook British Columbia
1980 Mennonite Educational Institute Clearbrook British Columbia
1981 Bell High School Ottawa Ontario
1982 Bell High School Ottawa Ontario
1983 St. Pius X High School Ottawa Ontario
1984 Dr. E.P. Scarlett High School Calgary Alberta
1985 M.E. LaZerte High School Edmonton Alberta
1986 M.E. LaZerte High School Edmonton Alberta
1987 Kelvin High School Winnipeg Manitoba
1988 New York Gauchos (an Amateur Athletic Union club rather than a high school team) New York New York
1989 Windsor Park Collegiate Winnipeg Manitoba
1990 Walter Murray Collegiate Saskatoon Saskatchewan
1991 Harry Ainlay Composite High School Edmonton Alberta
1992 Harry Ainlay Composite High School Edmonton Alberta
1993 Nepean High School Ottawa Ontario
1994 Pitt Meadows Secondary School Pitt Meadows British Columbia
1995 Bishop Carroll High School Calgary Alberta
1996 M.E. LaZerte High School Edmonton Alberta
1997 Holy Cross High School Saskatoon Saskatchewan
1998 Carson Graham Secondary School North Vancouver British Columbia
1999 Balfour Collegiate Regina Saskatchewan
2000 Ross Sheppard High School Edmonton Alberta
2001 Ross Sheppard High School Edmonton Alberta
2002 Lester B. Pearson High School Calgary Alberta
2003 Holy Cross High School Saskatoon Saskatchewan
2004 Holy Cross High School Saskatoon Saskatchewan
2005 Handsworth Secondary School North Vancouver British Columbia
2006 Handsworth Secondary School North Vancouver British Columbia
2007 Handsworth Secondary School North Vancouver British Columbia
2008 Vancouver College Vancouver British Columbia
2009 Vancouver College Vancouver British Columbia
2010 Pitt Meadows Secondary School Pitt Meadows British Columbia
2011 St. George's School Vancouver British Columbia
2012 The Scots College Sydney New South Wales
2013 Calgary Sir Winston Churchill Calgary Alberta
2014 Dr. Martin LeBoldus High School Regina Saskatchewan
2015 Dr. Martin LeBoldus High School Regina Saskatchewan
2016 Archbishop O'Leary Catholic High School Edmonton Alberta
2017 St. Francis Xavier High School Edmonton Alberta
2018 Handsworth Secondary School North Vancouver British Columbia
2019 Bishop McNally High School Calgary Alberta
2020 Handsworth Secondary School North Vancouver British Columbia
2021 Cancelled due to COVID-19
2022 Cancelled due to COVID-19
2023 Raymond High School) Raymond Alberta
2024 Walter Murray Collegiate Saskatoon Saskatchewan

Notable Moments

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The 1988 BRIT, won by the New York Gauchos, is remembered as a turning point in the tournament's history. The Gauchos dominated the competition, earning a reputation as one of the strongest teams to ever participate.[2]

In 2024, the 54th BRIT final featured two Saskatoon teams for only the third time in the tournament's history. The Walter Murray Marauders, led by Coach Scott Hawley, emerged victorious, and his son, Zach Hawley, was named the tournament MVP.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Bedford Road Invitational Tournament - SSHoF". Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "'Everyone was playing for second place': An oral history of the New York Gauchos at BRIT 1988". The StarPhoenix. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  3. ^ "Bedford Road Invitational Tournament cancelled for first time in 53-year history". CKOM. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  4. ^ "Saskatoon father and son basketball legacy shines in triumphant BRIT final". CTV News. 17 January 2024. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  5. ^ "BRIT 54 final features two Saskatoon teams for first time in 53 years". The StarPhoenix. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
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