After two cancelled tournaments, BRIT is back

One of the best-known basketball events in the province made its big return this week.

The last time the Bedford Road Invitational Tournament (BRIT) was held was back 2020. On Thursday, BRIT returned to the hard court after cancellations in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first game featured the Bedford Road Redhawks taking on the Raymond High School Comets from Alberta. Anticipation was building during warm ups, and once the game began the energy from students and fans was through the roof. Raymond won the opening game 94-38.

Other Thursday results:

Elgin Park 83 Martin Collegiate 38

Walter Murray 72 Collingwood 48

St. Francis Xavier 76 St. Joseph 58

Redhawks head coach Eric Fahie, who’s been guiding the team for the past decade, said this is the first year that none of the players are coming into the tournament with previous BRIT experience.

“The guys handled the pressure OK. Obviously we would’ve liked a better result, but I think that our level of intensity and level of focus was good,” Fahie said.

Fahie said there’s so much more to the tournament than just what happens on the court.

“Every student stands a little bit taller,” he said. “They get a little bit more confident in their day-to-day life, because there’s a lot of pride that goes into putting on this tournament.”

Fahie said organizers and coaches try to get every student involved in BRIT, as they view it as a community event rather than just a basketball tournament.

Games run until Saturday night, and a full schedule can be found online.