D10 Girls: Season Tips Off With Big Game Right off the Bat

The District 10 junior and senior girls' basketball schedule will get started today with a full slate of 4 games in both leagues.  A particular game to keep an eye on will be the senior matchup between traditional rivals JF Ross and Centennial on the first day of competition.

Early indications on favourites in the senior circuit would include the defending D10, CWOSSA and OFSAA "AA" champion Bishop Macdonell Celtics, the Guelph CVI Gaels and the Centennial Spartans.  The JF Ross Royals and Centre Wellington Falcons will be competitive for a possible CWOSSA "AAAA" berth, while the St. James Lions and Lourdes Crusaders should improve thanks to tremendous talent moving up from the junior ranks.  The Orangeville Bears are looking for improvement after winless seasons from both junior and senior teams in 2009.

Here's a quick look at today's senior games:

Bishop Macdonell at Orangeville DSS, 3:45pm
Pick:  BMAC
A rematch of last year's D10 quarterfinal game, which saw the then 14-0 Celtics cruise past the 0-14 Bears by a 61-20 final.  We should expect to see a similar result in this one.

Centre Wellington at Lourdes, 4:00pm
Pick:  OLOL
This could very well turn out to be the best game of the day, and both teams should be exciting to watch this year and next with a bunch of grade 11 talent.  Keep an eye out for CWDHS' second year senior (and grade 11) Jaime Janssen who has led the Senior Falcons to a playoff victory in each of the last 2 years (she played up in grade 9 for the last part of the season as well).  If CW is to get a road win here, they'll need her to have another big performance.

Guelph CVI at St. James, 4:00pm
Pick:  GCVI
On paper, it would appear that the Gaels have too much experience for the youthful Lions in this one.

JF Ross at Centennial, 4:00pm (Game of the Day)
Pick:  CCVI
Should be another good matchup between these two rivals on Tuesday afternoon.  However, you really have to like the Spartans in this one ---- especially considering Ross' practice schedule over the past couple of weeks was derailed by the fact that their gym floors weren't ready in time for the start of the school year.  For that reason, I'm taking the Spartans at home.

Junior Schedule:
Bishop Mac at Orangeville, 5:15pm
JF Ross at Centennial, 5:30pm
Guelph CVI at St. James, 5:30pm
Centre Wellington at Lourdes, 5:30pm