Brantford Expositor D5 Preview: New Look For Champion Eagles

Article By:  Ed O'Leary

Retrieved From:  http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2767226

Last spring, it seemed doubtful Rachel Cleary would be playing basketball this season.


The St. John's College student broke her wrist and bones in both feet in a car accident.

But Cleary, who helped the Green Eagles to a 45-0 record and the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association's Quad-A girls basketball championship last year, was ready to go when head coach Steve Van Leeuwen opened training camp earlier this month.

"She stepped off the court in the middle of one of the drills the first day but she hasn't stepped off since," Van Leeuwen said.

"She has worked very hard. I think she's as good as any post player in the city."

Cleary is one of the integral pieces that form the Eagles' puzzle this season.

In fact, if Van Leeuwen decided to start Caroline Rebry and Cleary on his front line along with shooting guards Arielle Mendoza and Emma Dudley and point guard Deidre McDermid, the Eagles would be the envy of most teams in Ontario.

However, if Van Leeuwen did that, he would be leaving on the bench his three stars --point guard Kelly Van Leeuwen, shooting guard Kayla Santilli and small forward Katie Polischuk.

Van Leeuwen (daughter of the coach), Santilli and Polischuk played for the Ontario Under- 17's this past summer. All three were on the floor against British Columbia in double overtime in the championship game.

B.C. managed to eke out a victory but Ontario defeated B. C. in two previous encounters.

The Eagles are basically being conceded the Brant County championship this season by the other coaches in the league, even though some of the other teams wouldn't be considered pushovers in a normal year.

Coach Van Leeuwen's biggest problem this year might be convincing everyone that he has a "new team."

"We have a whole new identity, a new group of kids out there but I think we'll be competitive with anyone in the province," he said.

"These kids aren't 45-0. They're starting 0-0 but it's difficult to explain that to everyone."

North Park Collegiate Trojans, Brantford Collegiate Institute Mustangs and Assumption College Lions seem to be starting the season on equal footing.

Paris District High School Panthers and Pauline Johnson Collegiate Thunderbirds are inexperienced but athletic. And both squads will be looking to score upsets.

The Trojans, coached by Andrea (Gump) Hawkins, should improve as the season goes along.

"We're deep," said Hawkins. "We have a little bit of everything. Honestly, I think we have a shot at winning 3-A CWOSSA.

"I don't have a superstar, just 11 kids who can play. I'll just run them in and out."

Holly Ryerse, a guard and a fifth-year player, has been named the captain of the Trojans.  The starting five is completed by guards Reo Roland and Laura Chapple, power forward Jenny Howell and six-foot-one centre Cathy Fletcher, a first-year senior.

The Trojans also have plenty of height coming off the bench with forwards Haley Welsh, Allison Ballantyne and Kaitlyn Lumax.  Guard Brinley Ferguson is currently sidelined but hopes to be back in action soon. Other reserve guards are Jessica Grant and Allyson DeLorenzi.

Hawkins believes playing against St. John's will help the Trojans prepare for their CWOSSA tournament.

"It's only going to make you better," said Hawkins, adding the Trojans will face tough competition against the Mustangs and the Lions.

"BCI will be decent. They've got five fifth-year players coming back and Assumption should be decent as they've pulled up three Grade-10s."

Rick Heron has taken on the head coaching duties of the Lions.

"I've got five seniors returning and five girls who are moving up," noted Heron. "The juniors won CWOSSA (Quad-A) last year so they're highly skilled. I'm expecting them to step right in there and help out."

Two of the Grade 10s, guard Jerika Baldin and centre Emily Gill, will start along with three Grade-12s --guard Stephanie Van Dyk and forwards Megan Hanley and Katie Waud.

Heron's daughter, Abby, another Grade 10 and a forward, will see plenty of action coming off the bench.

Heron will be counting on other reserve players, including centre Ann Hawthorn, forwards Melissa Spence and Jacklyn Skrzypek and guard Rebekah Couperus.

"We're not very tall so we're going to have to get the running game going," he said.

Heron agreed that the Green Eagles are the class of the league. "They'll be tough to even stay close to but everything goes in curves so, maybe, our time will come in a year or two."

The Mustangs will be handled by veteran coach Ron Jamula.

"Our goal is to win CWOSSA (AAA) and I'm sure that's North Park's goal as well," Jamula said.

"We have more experience at the senior level that they have but they probably have a deeper team than we do.  We've got a decent team. We'll play to our strengths, stay out of foul trouble and we have to be in shape."

There's no doubt that the Mustangs have a strong starting five.

The Candy sisters, five-foot-ten Spencer and five-foot-nine Victoria, are accomplished forwards who can score inside, rebound at both ends of the court and handle the ball.  Claudia DiFrancesco is an aggressive five-foot-nine power forward, who will be needed more for her defence and rebounding than her offence.

Jacqueline Jamula, daughter of the coach, and Mia Vamos-Yuhasz will handle the guard positions. Jamula will play the point guard and Vamos-Yuhasz will be the No. 2 guard.

Although the starting five will get most of the playing time in key situations, they will get help from guard Adele Aslin and small forwards Emily Hazell and Megan Melling, who is likely the best all-round athlete on the team.

Jamula says that the Green Eagles are at the top of the class in Brant County.

"They might even be better (than last year)," he said.

The Panthers and the Thunderbirds both figure to be improved but, unfortunately, they're inexperienced.

Panthers' coach Dani Hawkins had to hold tryouts this year rather than just taking the handful of students who came out for the team.  The Panthers will depend on players such as returning guards Olivia Arrowsmith and Brittany Gillmor, both Grade 12 students.

"Olivia was probably our most improved player last year," Hawkins said.

Other Grade 12 students with the Panthers are guard Sam Ferretti and forward Chelsea Loube.  The Grade 11 students who will see plenty of action are guard Emma Perry and five-foot- eleven forwards Dani Hennink and Emma Pierce.

The Grade 11 students coming off the bench are guard Mel Mitchell and forwards Julia Hmiel, Deven Knill and Hayley Parker.

"We are going to be athletic and quick but inexperienced," said Hawkins.

"We're looking to play tough defence. We want to try to create offence from defence.  We certainly feel we have more potential this year."

T-Birds' coach Neal Stamer has named Grade 12 students Krista Riimand and Katie Cunningham, both forwards, as the captains of the PJC squad.  The T-Birds will feature six Grade 11s, forwards Colleen Thibert and Holly Gordon along with guards Zoe Wickson, Erica Hewson, Brianna Rowe and Briane Lavallee.

"We have more strong athletes than we had last year but we've lost Logan White and Anna Jacobs and they're certainly two strong players," Stamer said.

"With us, there will be lots of pressing and lots of three-point shooting. We have high intensity, multi-sport athletes so we'll play high energy, high tempo. We're going to be running in shifts of five."

The Brant County high school girls season tips off Thursday with three doubleheaders:


North Park at Assumption, junior, 5:30 p.m.; senior, 7 p.m.
BCI at PDHS, senior, 4 p.m.; junior, 5:30 p.m.
PJC at St. John's, junior, 5:30 p.m.; senior, 7 p.m.