‘TOGETHER FROM DAY ONE’: W.J. MOUAT HAWKS REMEMBER THEIR PIECE OF HISTORY

By Bandits Staff Writer: Grant Vassos • March 18, 2021
Paula Thompson now finds herself as a school counsellor at Abbotsford Senior Secondary. But every now and then, the former head coach finds time to make an eight-minute drive to visit her previous home at W.J. Mouat Secondary to see familiar faces and joke around with students on whether they remember her.

They have no clue. 

Ten years have passed since the 2010-11 W.J. Mouat Hawks senior girls basketball team won the B.C. AAA provincial championships, the first in school history. Like their head coach, all of the players from that senior starting lineup have moved on. All graduated and several went on to play Canadian university basketball. 

But despite the passage of time and the subsequent struggle to remember the intricacies of a historic time, one never forgets the climactic moment when the final buzzer sounds and a dream becomes reality. 

“It was such an amazing time for the school, but unless you were a part of that time – I don’t know what the wording is exactly but – the memory is only for those who really were a part of it,” Thompson said. “Because it doesn’t mean anything to the people who weren’t.”

There was forward Katie Brink and guard Jaslyen Singh, who could shoot the ball and run the floor as the team’s secondary playmaker when needed. Guard Ashleyn Sarowa, who despite her small frame, was fearless when it came to driving to the hoop. Jennah Bryce was the defensive minded forward, whose focus was using her long reach to crash the glass and to do all the little things right in order to help her teammates flourish.

And then there was Kayli Sartori, the elite-scoring forward who Thompson could rely on when it counted the most. 

It was a group defined by team chemistry that began brewing during their days playing together in middle school. It was all part of a four-year plan devised by Thompson in 2007 to take a group of ninth graders and mold them into a championship contender by their Grade 12 year. They may not have been the most talented bunch, Sartori said, but they had a fighter’s spirit. On the court, they were “friggin’ warriors.”
Photo courtesy of: Abbotsford News

Mouat opened their season as hosts of the Century 21 Classic, where 16 of B.C.’s elite high school girls teams – including Mouat’s rivals, the Brookswood Bobcats – were to compete to determine the season’s first seedings. In the finals, Brookswood edged out Mouat on their home court by two points to claim the new No.1 seed in the province, as well as tournament hoodies awarded to the winning team.


“They were a completely different team than us,” Sartori said. “They’re a bunch of shooters, small and crafty and we were just a bunch of farm girls. We played the game down low and we were a little bit more aggressive. I mean, people hated playing us. We were a bunch of bruisers out there.”


When it came to skill and depth, Brookswood matched up well with Mouat, so it was a surprise to no one that the Bobcats were a frequent foe throughout the season. “They were crazy, but so were we,” Brink said. 


In the Top 10 Shootout tournament held at Centennial Secondary, Mouat earned their second win over Brookswood – the first coming by 11 points at another tournament over Christmas – in a 68-54 victory over the Bobcats in the finals. Mouat only lost two other games the rest of the regular season, each coming against established high-level schools in Riverside and Claremont. The top-ranked Hawks continued their dominant pace, cruising through the first game of the Fraser Valley AAA tournament against Walnut Grove, followed by a quarter-final drubbing of Elgin Park by 31 points and a victory over Maple Ridge in the semifinals. 


With their spot guaranteed at the AAA provincial championships at Capilano University in North Vancouver, B.C., a chance at securing the school’s first Valley title since 1995 was within a game’s reach. However, a familiar opponent stood in their way once more in Brookswood. 

Mouat won the Valley title game after defeating Brookswood by a convincing score of 78-63, but the game is also remembered for another earlier moment. During pregame warmups, Thompson recalls an act of gamesmanship by her opponents as the Bobcats players entered the court wearing their Century 21 tournament sweatshirts – a  friendly reminder of Mouat’s shortcomings against Brookswood in their first meeting back in November.

 

“I remember my team was so fired up,” Thompson said. “They were like, ‘They have the audacity to wear those sweatshirts like they’re going to beat us?’”

 

Other Hawks players, like Brink, had a more cool-headed take on the jab. 

 

“I give it all to them – that was great,” Brink said. “It was kind of a slap to the face but good on them for doing that. That set a statement, for sure.”

 

As passionate as Mouat was on the court, their compassion off the hardwood was just as visible. During the season, Sartori – who lived outside of town – would often sleep over at Thompson’s house on days when practices went late. Players would continuously hang out in groups at their head coach’s home. They spent so much time there, even Thompson’s children would regard them as older siblings sometimes. 

 

Everyone had an important role to play, including those on the bench. Singh's younger sister, Ashlyen, had her unique way of encouraging her teammates. Before their provincial semifinal game against the South Kamloops Titans, Ashlyen had cut out a Froot Loops cereal box and changed the wording on the front to read 'Kam Loops' to hold up as she sat on the sidelines. 

 

"That sounds like my sister," Singh said, laughing. "Even the team we had on the floor was always just as close as the team we had on the bench."

Singh was elbowed in the nose by one of the South Kamloops players with a minute left to go. The impact left her nose swollen and dripping with blood. Singh did her best to hide the drippage from the refs looming around and was able to finish the game on the court. 


The No.1 ranked Mouat Hawks were advancing to the championship game – albeit at the cost of a broken nose. 


"It was totally worth it," Singh said. "Looking back, I would have done it again. I feel like if it was any other player, they would have played with a broken nose, too."


Singh was given a protective facemask to wear in the provincial championship game against the Claremont Spartans but decided against the mask and resorted to stuffing cotton up her nose instead. Singh couldn't breathe too well, but there was no way she was missing the most important game of her high school career.


From months of pre-season workouts with strength and conditioning staff at Innovative Fitness Abbotsford, swimming sessions once per week, to doing summer programs under Fraser Valley Cascades coach Al Tuchscherer. Even the grueling practices with coach Pat Lee when Thompson felt the need to bring in a different voice. All of it prepared her players for this moment. 


Of all the playmakers and scorers Mouat had to create offense, it was junior forward Melissa Spring who drew the crucial assignment of guarding Claremont's strongest player. Simply put, Spring – who was cut from Thompson's team in Grade 9 – was the only player on the Hawks physically capable of matching with her. 


By the end of two quarters, the Hawks led the Spartans by 18 points. It was as if the result was final going into halftime – but the basketball gods have a funny way of changing the course of a game. Third quarter collapses were a bad habit of Mouat’s during the regular season and the finals were no different. Claremont went on a run and Thompson could feel the nerves creeping in as she looked over to assistant coach Tara Burton. It was anybody's game. 


"Are we going to lose this?" Thompson remembered telling Burton. "Like, you gotta be kidding me. We are not going to lose this."


Meanwhile, Sarowa was feeling a wave of exhaustion coursing through her body. The fatigue of playing three quarters of a championship game, accompanied with the antibiotics she was taking for a sinus infection she developed during the tournament, were taking its toll. Just keep pushing through, she told herself. 

The Hawks fought off the Spartans' comeback and led by three points going into the final minute, needing only one more score to ice the game. The starting five would have to do it without one of their key players in Bryce, who was sitting on the bench – teeth gritted – after fouling out in the fourth quarter on a defensive block. Singh walked the ball up as Thompson screamed at her to reverse the ball. Sartori and Brink were being double-teamed, which left Sarowa open for a shot if they could break Claremont's press.  


“‘Oh my god. I hope she passes me the ball,” Sarowa remembered. 


Singh drove to the hoop, faked a pass, before hitting an open Sarowa for the game-clinching layup over Spartans star post Shalie Dheensaw with five seconds left on the game clock. Brink remembered the ball in her hands as the final seconds of the game ticked off before throwing it as high as she could in excitement as the buzzer sounded. The final score read 69-64 as the Hawks and their family members embraced each other in celebration. 


Singh and Brink were named first and second team all-stars, respectively, while Sartori was named tournament MVP after finishing the game with a team-high 27 points and 10 rebounds. 


"I remember that whole gym being against us," Sartori said. "Not one person besides our friends and family: no other teams, no other coaches, nobody wanted us to win… And when we won, nobody was happy for us besides us. And I don't know if that says something about our team or something about the rest of them. But yeah, we won the game, and it was as if no one clapped besides our families."


While the memory may be fleeting, it remains a piece of history for those who witnessed it. Including the late Felix 'Toto' Gonzalez, who refereed Mouat's provincial championship game. Thompson had gotten to know Gonzalez over her years of coaching. She remembered reminiscing about that game with Gonzalez and how excited he was to see her team win it all. 


Brink, Sartori and Singh would later commit to the University of Fraser Valley at the end of the season, while Sarowa accepted an offer to play at Trinity Western University. 


"These girls, they have a special place in my heart for as long as I will live," Brink said. 


They remain a team of lifelong friends. A basketball family brought together by the sweet memories of that triumphant journey. Together from day one. 

Photos courtesy of: Abbotsford News

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Vancouver Bandits Announce 2026 Schedule

By Bandits Staff • January 15, 2026
The Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday the club’s 2026 CEBL regular season schedule, a 24-game campaign that will see the club open its eighth Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season on Thursday, May 14 in Saskatchewan at 6:30 p.m. PT. The Bandits will tip off the home portion of their schedule with a pair of games as part of Home Opener Weekend at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre. The home opener will be played on Friday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m. PT against the Edmonton Stingers, while the second game will take place on Sunday, May 24 at 5:00 p.m. when the Bandits host the Calgary Surge in a rematch of the 2025 CEBL Western Conference Quarterfinal. Fans can take advantage of a special Home Opener Weekend ticket offer; buy three tickets to either or both games and receive an additional ticket for free. Tickets for the Bandits’ Home Opener Weekend can be purchased here . The Bandits enter 2026 off the heels of the club's best regular season performance in its seven-year history, which included a 19-5 record and a league-best 7 sellout games last year in front of the best fans in the CEBL at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre. The Bandits’ full season schedule can be accessed by clicking here . “Our 2026 schedule represents a major step forward for our club, community gathering and entertainment in British Columbia,” said Vancouver Bandits team president Dylan Kular. “Coming off our strongest season to date, we were intentional about building a fan-first calendar that reflects how our community wants to experience live sporting events with weekend games, accessible start times, and meaningful matchups at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre. From Home Opener Weekend to our first-ever neutral site game, 2026 is about continuing to grow the Bandits as a team, a live experience and a community pillar. We are excited to welcome the best fans in the CEBL back and build on the momentum together.” Featuring the club’s most fan-friendly schedule to date, Bandits home games will feature start times on Friday nights at 7:00 p.m. (3), Saturday nights at 6:00 p.m. (5), and Sunday afternoons at 5:00 p.m. (2). Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre will be the place to be for professional basketball in British Columbia this summer, further solidifying the Bandits’ fast-growing reputation as one of the most exciting and dynamic live event offerings in the Lower Mainland. The 2026 season will also see the inclusion of the Bandits’ first-ever neutral site game when the club hosts Saskatchewan on Saturday, June 6. Further details of the game will be announced in the coming weeks along with upcoming theme nights and single-game ticket sales. The 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League Playoffs will begin with single-elimination Conference Semifinals on Thursday, August 6, where the 1st seed faces the 4th seed and the 2nd seed faces the 3rd seed in each conference. Winners will advance to the Conference Finals on Saturday, August 8, also single elimination, with higher seeds hosting each round. The CEBL Finals will be a best-of-three series from August 12–16, marking the first multi-game playoff series in league history: Game 1 – Wednesday, August 12 Game 2 – Saturday, August 15 Game 3 (if necessary) – Sunday, August 16 The lower seed team will host Game 1, while the higher seed will host Games 2 and 3 (if necessary), replacing the previous single-elimination Championship Weekend host team model. “These historic changes to our playoff format represent a major milestone for the CEBL and our fans, and they mark a natural progression as the league continues to grow and evolve,” explained CEBL President Tyler Mazereeuw. “Our focus remains on delivering the best possible experience for our teams, players, and fans, and this is another step forward in fulfilling that mission. 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A holiday message from Bandits team president Dylan Kular

By Bandits Staff • December 24, 2025
The following is a letter to Vancouver Bandits fans from Dylan Kular, Bandits team president: As the year comes to a close, we want to take a moment to thank the entire Bandits Basketball community for another unforgettable season. In 2025, you once again proved why this organization is built on more than basketball. It’s built on people, connection, and belief. From the energy inside Langley Events Centre to the impact we continue to make in schools, gyms, and neighbourhoods across British Columbia, this year reinforced what makes the Bandits special. Together, we’ve continued to grow the game, strengthen our community roots, and push forward with purpose both on and off the court. Your passion, loyalty, and support fuel everything we do. It’s felt by our players, our staff, our partners, and every young person who connects with the game through the Bandits. We don’t take that responsibility lightly. As we turn the page to 2026, we do so with momentum, ambition, and a deep sense of gratitude. Thank you for believing in this journey and for standing with us every step of the way. From all of us at Vancouver Bandits Basketball, we wish you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season, and a healthy, successful New Year. Thank you for being the heartbeat of our organization. Together, we move forward. With gratitude, Dylan Kular Team President, Vancouver Bandits

Bandits Guard Kyle Mangas Signs With NBA's San Antonio Spurs

By Bandits Staff • December 13, 2025
Vancouver Bandits guard Kyle Mangas has signed a two-way contract to join the San Antonio Spurs. The news was announced Saturday by the NBA G League on social media. Mangas was a key member of the Bandits’ best season in franchise history as the club amassed a 19-5 record. During the 2025 summer campaign, Mangas finished top five in points (15.3), rebounds (4.6), assists (3.3) and steals (1.3). His stellar performance earned him a call up to the San Antonio Spurs’ NBA Summer League squad in July 2025. At the conclusion of the 2025 CEBL season, Mangas suited up for San Antonio’s NBA G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, dressing in 10 games. Mangas becomes the third player to sign an NBA two-way contract after playing for the Bandits; the most from any Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) franchise (2023: DJ Steward - Chicago Bulls, 2024: Tazé Moore - Portland Trail Blazers). Mangas is one of two Bandits players to have signed with an NBA organization in 2025-26. Tyrese Samuel signed an Exhibit 10 contract in September 2025 and is working his way towards a two-way contract. More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok , as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter . Fans interested in learning more are kindly invited to subscribe to Bandits Insider for updates or contact the Bandits at 604-455-8881 or tickets@thebandits.ca.

Vancouver Bandits and Envision Financial Launch Landmark Partnership to Elevate Culture, Community and Game Day Experience

By Bandits Staff • December 11, 2025
The Vancouver Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) have teamed up with Envision Financial , a division of First West Credit Union, in a groundbreaking partnership that redefines the fan experience and deepens community connections. Under this multi-faceted agreement, the Bandits’ home court at Langley Events Centre will officially be known as “Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre.” This move marks a significant milestone in the Bandits’ growth and underscores Envision Financial’s deep commitment to the communities of British Columbia. The relationship extends well beyond venue naming, aligning both organizations around culture, youth development, and community engagement. “This partnership with Envision Financial represents an investment in the long-term growth of basketball in British Columbia,” said Dylan Kular, President of the Vancouver Bandits. “Their values align deeply with our commitment to community, accessibility, and creating meaningful experiences for families across British Columbia.” Beyond the naming rights, the partnership delivers impact: Heritage Series: Co-presented by Envision Financial, these marquee game nights will honour Indigenous, South Asian and Filipino communities, creating vibrant cultural celebrations for fans. School Tour: Envision Financial joins the Bandits Community Foundation to expand youth leadership and basketball education. Last season, the program visited 77 schools and hosted 12 free coaches’ clinics. “Partnering with the Vancouver Bandits is about creating something meaningful together, " says Tamara Hendsbee, President at Envision Financial. “By bringing culture and sport to the forefront, we can help communities flourish and open doors for youth to learn and grow. Naming the court is just the beginning; through the Heritage Series and School Tour, we’re proud to work alongside the Bandits to deliver experiences that unite fans and build stronger communities across British Columbia.”  This upcoming season the Bandits will carry forward this strategic collaboration with Envision Financial as a cornerstone of their game-day identity, cultural engagement and community legacy.

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