WATERFORD -- While one gold medal is nice, four is even better.
With a NSSAA title in their back pocket from last week, and having watched their junior schoolmates win both a NSSAA and CWOSSA title, Delhi's senior boys basketball team was shooting for another school triumph on Wednesday.
With a trip to the provincial tournament on the line, the Raiders came out admittedly sluggish in their semifinal match versus Peninsula Shores.
The team had done little to help its cause after four quarters and the game went into overtime. The Raiders knew they had to pick up their game over the next five minutes, or it would be all over.
"We were all questioning what was happening because we knew we could play better. We were rushing the plays, we weren't reading on offence -- but once overtime came, we started going back to what we had been doing," said Raider Joel Devos. "We started playing as a team."
Delhi escaped the game with their titles hopes intact, winning 53-51 on the strength of Justin Lichach and his 16 points.
Like their junior brethren, DDSS faced Rockway in the final, and not only was an OFSAA berth hanging in the balance, but so too was the team's first championship since 2002-03.
An 11-9 lead after one grew to a seven-point gap for Delhi at the break. The Flames were able to keep it close, but thanks to the efforts of Lichach, Donte Richardson and Johann Jenkins, Delhi dominated the game in the paint to build up a large lead. In the end, the Raiders pulled off the 50-39 victory, giving their school a near perfect week.
"We weren't thinking about it as being one step ahead (of Rockway) we were thinking about it as being one step behind because normally we have a better lead and we didn't think that we were playing to the best of our abilities," admitted Jenkins. "And we just kept on pushing for a win."
There's no better feeling than winning CWOSSA and knowing you're the best in (this region) of Ontario."
Devos was one of just a couple members of a Raiders team that suffered through a non-playoff season in 2010. The defensive specialist noted one major change to the group this season, in addition to a wealth of talent coming to the school by way of Norwich.
"I've got to give a lot (of credit) to coach (Gary) Mawhiney. He has taught us a lot, he taught us about fundamentals, playing as a team, buying into the system," explained Devos. "The guy's just a great coach and he made us come together. We had our struggles because we have so much talent on the team that you're thinking, 'I want to score 40 points tonight.' But he made us come together as a team and we started clicking, and that's what made us win CWOSSA."
Lichach paced the Raiders in the championship with 25 points, while Carter Small registered 10.
Delhi will enter the OFSAA single- A championship tournament running March 7-9 in North Bay.
The Raiders are the third straight NSSAA team to compete at OFSAA. The Waterford Wolves qualified for the tournament the past two years. Jenkins is more than optimistic about his team's chances.
"You've just got to trust your teammates," he said. "Put trust in yourself, the coaches, buy into the system and we will win."
The Valley Heights Bears also represented NSSAA in Waterford. Rockway defeated the purple and black in the semifinal.
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