Bluevale Collegiate’s ‘Serb Five’ will keep the team near the top of Waterloo County standings
Bluevale Collegiate senior basketball coach Doros Theodosiou isn’t sure if that’s ever happened before in Waterloo County.
„I call them the Serb Five instead of the Fab Five,“ he said. „It’s not too often that you get a group of kids like this.“
The entire starting lineup at Bluevale is Serbian — from Grade 11 sensation Stefan Cvrkalj to fifth-year leader Aleksa Rovic to fierce defender Stefan Okuka to rebounder Darko Opacic and sharp-shooter Srdjan Pejicic.
Three were born in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, one hails from Novi Sad in Serbia and the fifth is homegrown but has parents from Montenegro. All speak Serbian and all share a love for one of their country’s most popular sports.
„They’re all good shooters and they are all very passionate about basketball,“ said Theodosiou. „They take basketball very seriously. If the gym is ever open, they are always there playing. They want to be the best possible for their parents and teammates.“
The 15-team Waterloo County senior circuit kicks off tomorrow with seven games on the schedule. Cambridge’s Glenview Park was originally slated to play but has pulled out for this season.
District 8’s six-team league got underway last week. Like Glenview Park, French school Pere Rene de Galinee is also out this year. After two games, Rockway, St. Mary’s and St. David are locked in a three-way tie for first place with two wins apiece.
Bluevale is the early season favourite in Waterloo County, with defending champs Forest Heights and last year’s finalists Sir John A. Macdonald likely in the mix.
The Knights showed well at the recent Heinbuch Classic tournament in Kitchener, finishing among the top four teams in the elite hoops gathering. BCI has also been invited to Hamilton’s Southern Ontario Shootout Invitational and the Silver Fox, two high-profile provincial tourneys.
„We’ve known each other for a long time and we know how we all play,“ said Rovic, a fifth-year forward. „It helps tremendously.“
So does the language factor.
„Usually we only speak Serbian when we’re mad at each other,“ said Cvrkalj, with a smile. „Or if we want to say something secretive about a play . . .“
Some of the Serb Five have returned to their homeland and other parts of Europe to train with club teams and attend summer basketball camps. And they share what they learn.
„It’s a simpler game,“ said Cvrkalj, who visited Serbia this past summer. „It’s a lot more fundamentally sound. They don’t care who the best dunker is, it’s how you win the games that matters.“
And Bluevale is hoping their strong on-court chemistry will help them to a Waterloo County championship and beyond. Last year, the squad ended on a disappointing note when it bowed out in the quarter-finals.
But the boys are more confident this time around. More relaxed and experienced too. And few local squads have as much skill as the Serb Five.
„We learned a lot from last year,“ said Rovic. „We had some high expectations and we didn’t live up to them. We’re a little more serious now.“
