Recap by Rois Chand
After a week of basketball, the 50th annual Junior All-Native Tournament (JANT) concluded in spectacular fashion with four champions being crowned at Langley Events Centre on Friday, co-hosted by the Vancouver Bandits, VanCity Nation youth basketball and Kwantlen First Nation.
Friday’s matchups capped five days of play where 129 teams from across B.C. participated in the 2026 Junior All-Native Tournament but only eight teams were left standing on the final day.
2,400 fans packed Centre Court at Langley Events Centre for the highest attended championship finals day in tournament history, while over 373,000 cumulative viewers tuned in to the online broadcasts on CFNR FM across the week-long event.
U-17 Boys
A hard fought game in the under-17 Boys division saw Ts’ap declared winners of the championship game, defeating the VanCity Warriors 77-71.
It was a rematch of the semi-final that saw VanCity advance on Thursday, but Ts’ap won the do-or-die game against the Ahousaht Islanders to see who would face the Warriors in the Championship game.
In the final game of JANT 2026, Ts’ap got the better of the opposition as they controlled the game and stopped the VanCity Warriors from repeating as a champions from last year. Jacob Leighton led the game in scoring with 22 points.
MVP: Jacob Leighton, Ts’ap
High Scorer: Carter Simpson, Gitxsan
Best Defensive: Ben Savea, Ahousaht
Mr. Hustle: Louie Thomas, Ahousaht
Most Sportsmanlike Team: Kwadacha
All-Stars
First Team: Devin McKnight (VanCity), Nicholas Barton (VanCity), Cal Sampson (Ts’ap), Jacob Leighton (Ts’ap), Ben Savea (Ahousaht)
Second Team: Xavier Barton (Gingolx), Vaughn Robinson (Ahousaht), Chase Sankey (Strike Force), Zion Williams (Old Massett), Carter Simpson (Gitxsan)
U-17 Girls
At’maakw ended Friday’s tournament with yet another dominant performance, winning their fifth title in as many years as they defeated Tla-o-qui-aht West Coast 60-58 at Langley Events Centre.
While At’maakw led for the majority of the game, and led by double digits heading into the final three minutes of the game, Tla-o-qui-aht West Coast came back to cut the deficit to two points during the final moments. However, At’maakw flexed their championship pedigree, shutting the door on any late-game heroics from the opposition.
Champion At’maakw’s Annika Parr led her team with 27 points. She was also named the tournament’s under-17 Girls top scorer and Most Valuable Player.
MVP: Annika Parr, At’maakw
High Scorer: Annika Parr, At’maakw
Best Defensive: Ayanna Parr, At’maakw
Jaysen Touchie, Tla-o-qui-aht
Miss Hustle: Aaliyah Pierre, Syilx
Most Sportsmanlike Team: Gitsxan Junior Mystics
All-Stars
First Team: Ayanna Parr (At’maakw), Alexandra Lincoln (Gingolx), Kionah Williams (Tla-o-qui-aht), Winuuk Martin (Tla-o-qui-aht), Kashlyn Mack (At’maakw)
Second Team: Brielle Tom (Maaqtusiis), Keira Chilliwitza (Syilx), Grace Snider (Gitxsan), Aaliyah Carpenter (Gitxsan), Jaysen Touchie (Tla-o-qui-aht)
U-13 Boys Gold
It was a fitting end to the under-13 Boys Gold division as the championship game went down to the wire. The Sons of Gingolx defeated the G̱aw Tlagée Jr. Raiders 48-43 in a game that was neck and neck for all four quarters.
Both teams finished as the second team in their group, heading into the knockout rounds, losing just one game but persevered into the knockout rounds, getting past the number one seeds on their way to the championship game.
MVP: Byron Stevens, Sons of Gingolx
Mr. Hustle: Arjay Charlie Iraheta, VanCity Seawolves
Most Sportsmanlike Team: Sylix
All Stars:
First Team: Isaiah Aroyo (VanCity), Connell Kelly (Coastal Pride), Elijah Olson (G̱aw Tlagée Jr. Raiders), Gavin Clifton (Sons of Gingolx), Cage Daniels (G̱aw Tlagée Jr. Raiders)
Second Team: John Nelson (Coastal Pride), Liam Wolff (VanCity), KJ Terbasket (Syilx), Mack Gottfriedson (Nusqlst), Ty Darby-Griffin (Gingolx)
U-13 Girls Gold
It’s a repeat champion in the U-13 Girls Gold division as the Snuneymuxw Islanders strolled to the championship, capping the tournament off with a win against the Mini Mystics 69-22.
The Islanders had sights on defending their title from the moment they stepped onto the hardwood and never looked back. They finished group play with a perfect 5-0 record and continued their stellar play into the knockout rounds. Under-13 Girls Most Valuable Player Taimani Robinson led the championship game in scoring with 19 points.
Stólō won the third place matchup, marking a memorable display during the nation’s first appearance at the Junior All-Native Tournament.
MVP: Taimani Robinson, Islanders
Miss Hustle: Helen Martin, Islanders
Most Sportsmanlike Team: Stólō
All Stars:
First Team: Ashtyn Smith (Mystics), Shoni Robinson (Islanders), Raegan Wright (Mystics), Rosie Pollard (Skidegate), Kesiane Warbus (Stólō)
Second Team: Mary Francis (Stólō), Teegan Robinson-Reid (Islanders), Alice Bridge (Mystics), Dorothy Watts (Skidegate), Ashlee Hicks (Stólō)