When the Chilliwack senior boys basketball team rolled down the highway last Wednesday night to play the number-two ranked Walnut Grove Gators, the result was a foregone conclusion. After all, Chilliwack was ranked number 31 and was down to three subs.

We encouraged our boys to keep their heads high, play hard, play fair and try to score 40 points against this venerable opponent. This would be our final game of the year and we all knew it.

We expected to lose, but we never expected this level of poor sportsmanship from such an organization of winners.

The banners of success surround the gymnasium. And the Gators were as advertised-big, strong and talented.

It was evident within minutes who would win. And if the score wasn't enough, the game announcer on the loud speaker certainly told everyone over and over who the losers were and how very good the winners are.

For example, when one of our players missed a bank shot the announcer shouted that "ha, ha, obviously, the bank was closed."

All the while, the Gator mascot spent his time behind the basket we were shooting at pulling up his tail and showing his ass or laying on the ground in a seductive pose whenever we were shooting foul shots.

Don't get me wrong, in the right context this, like a good fart, could be sort of funny out on a school yard court.

But this is high school folks. The Sr. AAA boys playoffs. And unfortunately we've reached new lows.

Good luck to the players of Walnut Grove. You certainly are a great group of basketball players.

It's just a shame you won't learn the truly important life lessons your coaches, parents and school are supposed to be teaching you in sports until much later, if at all. Here's a tip: losing is easy, it's winning that's hard.

In the end, Chilliwack reached its goal.

And while the announcer spent the last three minutes encouraging the Gators to pour it on and get to 100 points-which they never did-our boys wore smiles on their faces and were the real winners.

Stay classy Chilliwack.

R. Collins Chilliwack