Windstorms wreaked havoc on the planned opening, but the 2018 Gary Taylor Classic is underway.
The eight-team knockout tournament kicked-off in earnest when Oak Bay Bays senior team took on visitors from West Vancouver Secondary Friday. The home side won that game decisively, scoring 100 points before the final buzzer sent them to the semi-finals.
The Bays home team advantage might have been an amplified for the opener.
READ MORE: Gary Taylor Classic set to start today in Oak Bay, if better winds prevail
“We had plan A, B and C.2 I believe,” joked West Vancouver coach Ken Krohman after their loss in the opener. “It was finally C.2 that got us on the ferry … It was okay but the boys had a long trip down because of the power outages and the like. [It] probably affected our game a little bit, but probably not the end result.”
The Gary Taylor Classic is underway. The senior Bays’ semi-final game is tonight, 7:30 @OakBayHigh. Here’s 1/100 Oak Bay points from game 1.#OakBay #OakBaySports pic.twitter.com/E3Mi568gyQ
— Oak Bay News (@OakBayNews) December 22, 2018
It took West Van almost seven hours to make it from Horseshoe Bay to Oak Bay. Krohman said they only had about half an hour to get ready before the first game.
That game was originally scheduled to be played early in the afternoon the day before, but all the ferry cancellations landlocked teams.
Games will be played throughout this evening to make up for lost time. The final games will proceed as originally scheduled on Saturday, Dec. 22. The next game for the senior Bays will be Friday at 7:30 p.m. Should they win, they will head to the final at 6 p.m. Saturday.
jesse.laufer@oakbaynews.com
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