D10 Senior Picks YTD: 18-1 (.947)
It's "Big Thursday" in both the WCSSAA & D10 leagues this afternoon.
In both leagues, we have two teams atop the standings facing off ---- WCSSAA's game sees the upstart Cameron Heights Golden Gaels travel to Waterloo to battle the Vikings, while in the D10 league, the 4-1 JF Ross Royals will play host to the 5-0 Bishop Macdonell Celtics.
As if those two weren't enough, how about some other big games in both leagues:
WCSSAA: Eastwood (3-1) at Bluevale (3-1)
WCSSAA: Galt (3-1) at KCI (4-0)
D10: Lourdes (3-2) at GCVI (3-2)
Here's a quick preview of the CHCI/WCI and BMAC/JFR games:
Cameron Heights (4-0) at Waterloo CI (4-0)
Based upon what "the people" think, this matchup will feature the two best girls' high school teams not named St. John's (take a look at the poll on the right hand side of this page if you're confused). 19 voters have said that WCI is the second-best club in all of CWOSSA, while 12 voters have sided with Cameron.
The Gaels have gotten off to a tremendous start, and were able to pull off a big victory over Eastwood on the road on Tuesday (47-40). Their key? Balance. They have 4-5 legitimate scoring options that can lead them on any given afternoon, which is rare to see in CWOSSA basketball.
So far, the Gaels have 4 members of the "15+ club" --- Liz McLellan, Erin Robbins, Siki Jez, and Camille Gardiner --- the most of any CWOSSA senior club. They'll need tremendous production from the above 4 and some of their other key contributors (Sam Murray, Anny Phan) if they hope to be able to knock off WCI.
The Vikes, on the other hand, are the epitome of balanced basketball. They've built a dynasty over recent years with their depth and ability to wear down their opposition.The Vikes are led by guard Alyssa Shortt, who co-coach Doug Ranton refers to as "the best player in WCSSAA."
Grade eleven stars Lindsay Taylor and Lindsay Lessard are off to great starts, as are rookies Erin Helsby, Alex Klein and Julia Pavlik.
"On any given day, any of these girls are capable of putting up 15 or 20 points on the board. I think you'll see more kids in double digits and the opposition won't be able to focus on one player like they did last year," said Ranton in a recent interview with the Waterloo Region Record.
It will be interesting to see which players step up for both teams in this 3:30pm start. I'm staying with the Vikes here, though I wouldn't be surprised to see the Gaels give them a run.
Bishop Mac (5-0) at JF Ross (4-1)
The Celtics have again gotten off to a great start in league play, although of their 5 wins, 3 of them have been by 7 points or less (Lourdes 54-47; CWDHS 56-53; CCVI 51-44).
The Celtics have been led offensively for the most part by Andrea Morris, Rebecca Keil, and Logan Lane; however, Andrea Priamo has been dominant on a couple of occasions, including a 22-point performance against Centennial on Tuesday afternoon. I would look for her to be able to use her height inside against a (generally) undersized JF Ross squad.
The Royals were expected to be a "middle of the pack" team this year, especially with the graduation of all-star and two-time D10 MVP Gemma Bullard. However, several returning vets have meshed well with a large group of incoming rookies from last year's D10 runner-up junior squad. Rookies Sydney Resch (grade 10) and Kelly Dunk have been particularly key, as has the steady ballhandling of PG Silvie Cafarella. Three-year vets Vanessa Martini and Kayla VandeKemp have been providing solid leadership alongside their steady performances on both ends of the floor.
With all that said, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Royals take out BMac on their home court --- but a streak is a streak, and I'll have to roll with the Celtics to find a way to pull out another close contest.
Here's the rest of my senior picks, starting in WCSSAA:
Galt (3-1) at KCI (4-0)
Pick: KCI
Two teams that should qualify for the "AAA" CWOSSA playdowns; however, the Raiders should be too much for the Ghosts at home.
Elmira (2-2) at Grand River (1-3)
Pick: GRCI
I'll take the Rens to keep their "win streak" going, especially if Lydia Frey misses another game with her ankle injury.
Forest Heights (0-4) at SJAM (2-2)
Pick: SJAM
Look for the Highlanders to bounce back in the win column today at the expense of the FHCI Trojans.
Glenview Park (0-4) at Southwood (2-2)
Pick: SSS
Intra-Cambridge battles can always provide some interesting results, especially with the emotion involved between athletes who are often teammates outside of school. At any rate, look for the Sabres to survive this one if they don't take GPSS too lightly.
Jacob Hespeler (1-3) at Preston (2-2)
Pick: PHS
See above, but sub Preston for Southwood and JHSS for GPSS. Panthers to win here.
Eastwood (3-1) at Bluevale (3-1)
Pick: ECI
Both clubs suffered setbacks on Tuesday, and now one of these teams will drop their second in a row. I think the Rebels are playing a bit better than the Knights right now (although Elissa Dent's injury didn't help matters for BCI on Tuesday), and I'll give them the edge here on the road.
District 10
Lourdes (3-2) at GCVI (3-2)
Pick: GCVI
Really, this game is a toss-up. Both clubs are coming off a loss (and posted wins after their first losses of the year), so we'll see who rebounds from their set-back in time for this huge game. I'll take GCVI at home.
Centre Wellington (3-2) at St. James (0-4)
Pick: CWDHS
The Falcons should have no trouble with the St. James Lions here.
Orangeville (0-4) at Centennial (1-4)
Pick: CCVI
The Spartans get right back into the thick of things which a much-needed win at home.
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