Brant County All-Stars Drop Opener at Spectator All-Star Classic

The Brant County (D5) senior boys' all-star team dropped a 76-63 decision to the Hamilton Catholic league all-stars on Tuesday evening at St. Thomas More CSS in Hamilton.

Brant County received a game-high 13 points from Josh Fabe of Paris DHS, while Tyler Van Leeuwen of St. John's netted 10.  The Hamilton Catholic Stars received 12 from Hamid Nessek (ACMT) and 10 from Steven Dely (Cathedral).

In the first game of the doubleheader, the Halton County All-Stars topped Hamilton Public 111-95.  Oakville Loyola guard Mike L'Africain had 23 to lead Halton, while Hamilton Public received 33 points from Shaquille Bedminster (MacNab SS).

This evening, Brant County will play Hamilton Public in the consolation championship at 5:00pm.  Games again this evening will be at St. Thomas More.

WCSSAA, D8 vs D10 All-Star Games Tonight

WCSSAA All-Star Game

Location:  Waterloo Collegiate Institute (300 Hazel St., Waterloo)

Time:  7:00pm (tip time)

Cost:  $3 with student card, $5 without (proceeds to Big Brothers & Sisters of Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge)

First Team All-Stars / Mike Moser MVP Candidates:  Amjed Osman (CHCI), Stefan Cvrkalj (BCI), Edem Ame (SJAM), Ben Reyhani (SJAM), Javon Masters (FHCI).

D8 vs. D10 All-Star Game

Location:  Resurrection CSS (455 University Ave W., Kitchener)

Time:  6pm - Junior Game; Senior Game To Follow (7:30pm)

Cost:  $3 with student card, $5 without

Simcoe Reformer: The Difference Makers (NSSAA Basketball All-Stars)

Article By:  Jacob Robinson

This year's Norfolk senior boys basketball season basically boiled down to three upper tier teams -- Delhi, Simcoe and Holy Trinity -- and three squads a step below. The difference was in the depth of rosters those top clubs had, which was made abundantly clear when league coaches were asked to give their picks for the Reformer's annual all-star list.

While Valley Heights, Port Dover and Waterford all had one clear leader who was the engine behind their team's successes, the top teams had several different scoring options and shutdown defenders. Yet they also had those players who brought it game-in and game-out, making an impression on opposing coaches as well as their own.

CARTER SMALL, DELHI RAIDERS
A newcomer to the school, Small made an immediate impact, helping the Raiders win NSSAA and CWOSSA titles.

"He was one of best scorers and he contributed a lot to the team on both offence and defence," DDSS coach Kristin Mawhiney said. "(He) also became a team leader."

JUSTIN LICHACH, DELHI RAIDERS
One of the leagues leading scorers, and a player any coach would love to have in the paint.

"He was the centre of our offence and contributed the most points offensively," noted Mawhiney. "He was the centre of our defensive zone and the guy who led -- he kind of played quarterback out there -- defensively."

DAVID TEICHROEB, SIMCOE SABRES
Dubbed the "Silent Assassin" by one fan, Teichroeb doesn't have much to say but his play speaks volumes. On a team with several weapons, Teichroeb was often the team's most potent. He hit shots from all distances, and was just as strong defensively.

CONNOR PETTERSEN, SIMCOE SABRES
Though his team didn't get the outcome they were searching for, Pettersen is a major reason Simcoe was nearly perfect in 2010-11, and has been to three straight NSSAA finals. His hustle combined with an ability to pass and score made him tough for opposing teams to defend against.

JOSH JOHNSON, HOLY TRINITY TITANS
Johnson plays like he's been in the league for five years, and he's only getting better. There aren't many coaches in NSSAA that wouldn't want the Titans point guard running their floor, and like many elite players in the position, Johnson is a handful because of his supreme ability to both shoot and pass with precision.

KEVIN MCDONALD, HOLY TRINITY TITANS
Holy Trinity's big man is just as likely to change a game with a block or rebound as he is by hitting key shot. Opposing defensives, and offensives for that matter, have had little success when McDonald is patrolling the paint for the Titans.

JAY KNELSEN, VALLEY HEIGHTS BEARS
No stranger to this list, Knelsen was the go-to player for the Bears. On a team void of another fifth year senior, the Bears point man carried the team to the playoffs. There likely isn't another player in the league that's as valuable to his squad.

Added Mawhiney, "He was the glue of that team."

TIM PETERS, PORT DOVER LAKERS
Peters did it all for the Lakers from the point guard position.

"It's his ability to handle the ball under pressure, hit key shots when we needed them, drive the lane and get penetration underneath when necessary," Lakers coach Peter Annable assessed. "He doesn't turn the ball over a lot -- and he's an on-floor leader other players trust."

AARON HALL, WATERFORD WOLVES
Hall served as one of the few veterans on a rebuilding Wolves roster. A player that has seen WDHS at its best, Hall's playing time and production has risen significantly in recent years. He and Jeffrey Paul played almost every minute of Waterford's games this season.

Retrieved From:  http://www.simcoereformer.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3040095

Brantford All-Star Team Announced

A Brant County Senior Boys' All-Star Team has been selected to participate in the annual Hamilton Spectator Classic on Tuesday, March 29th and Wednesday, March 30th.

The Brant County all-stars will take on the Hamilton Catholic all-stars on Tuesday (5:00pm - St. Thomas More), and then play either the Halton County all-stars or the Hamilton Public all-stars on Wednesday, depending on how Tuesday's games shake down.

Brant County's Roster is as follows:
Tyler Campbell - F - Pauline Johnson (Grade 12)
Matt Digout - F - St. John's (Grade 12)
Josh Fabe - G - Paris District (Grade 12)
Marcus Hamilton - PG - North Park (Grade 12r)
Marcus Jones - PG - North Park (Grade 11)
Matt Kusneriz - F - St. John's (Grade 12)
Cale MacDonald - G - North Park (Grade 12r)
Robert Moxley - G - Brantford Collegiate (Grade 12)
Alex Packer - F - Brantford Collegiate (Grade 12)
Andre Toic - F - Assumption (Grade 9)
Tyler Van Leuween - St. John's (Grade 11)
Brandon Webster - North Park (Grade 12r)

Coaches:  Pete Lovett (Brantford CI); Meaghan Innes (St. John's)

Achonwa, Irish Advance Through to Sweet Sixteen

Former Guelph Centennial star Natalie Achonwa and her #2 seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish are through to the sweet sixteen in the NCAA Women's basketball tournament.

Achonwa played very well in yesterday's 77-64 "round of 32" win over #10 Temple.  She had 10 points on 5-7 shooting, recorded 8 rebounds, and one assist, one block and one steal in just 20 minutes of action off the bench.

As Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw noted, Achonwa seemed right at place in the big dance.

“She was really amazing,” McGraw said. “She was going down the lane and finishing with contact. She did a great job and made big shots and grabbed eight rebounds. She didn’t look nervous in a tournament game as a freshman.”

In Notre Dame's opening round game against #15 Utah (a 67-54 win), Achonwa had 2 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and a block in 15 minutes of court time.

CWOSSA Alumns in the NCAA Tournament -- Both Men to Play Thursday in the 7pm Timeslot

Women

Natalie Achonwa, Notre Dame (NEDA via Guelph Centennial)
Named to Big East All-Freshman Team
6'3" F, Freshman
Season Stats:  33 GP, 18.1 minutes, 56.2% FG, 50.0% 3PT, 59.2% FT; 5.2 REB, 1.2 AST, 7.3 PPG.

(One of) Natalie's Best Games This Year:  Though not her highest scoring effort, she had 8 points --- including two key late game baskets --- and 5 rebounds in Notre Dame's Big East 71-67 semifinal win over #10 DePaul. 

Notre Dame:  #2 Seed in the Dayton Regional.  First round game vs. #15 Utah --- Saturday, March 19th, 6:30pm.

Men

Bryson Johnson, Bucknell (Waterloo St. David)
Named to Patriot League Second All-Star Team
6'1" G, Sophomore
Season Stats:  33 GP (33 Starts), 28.9 minutes, 45.7% FG, 45.9% 3PT, 81.2% FT; 2.0 REB, 1.1 AST, 11.7 PPG

(One of) Bryson's Best Games This Year:  Had 25 points, including 7-12 from beyond the arc, in a close 84-80 loss to Boston College of the ACC.  Also tallied 30 points in a league win against Lafayette.

Bucknell:  #14 Seed in the West Region.  First round game vs. #3 Connecticut --- Thursday, March 17th, 7:20pm.

Jon House, Belmont (Guelph Centennial)
2010-11 Belmont Team Captain
6'6" F, Senior
Season Stats:  34 GP (34 Starts); 19.0 minutes, 49.2% FG, 39.3% 3PT, 68.3% FT; 3.4 REB, 1.7 AST, 5.4 PPG.

(One of) Jon's Best Games This Year:  Had 17 points in just 23 minutes in a key 72-62 win over conference rival East Tennessee State.  House also added 6 rebounds and a team-high 6 assists in that contest.

Belmont:  #13 Seed in the Southeast Region.  First round game vs. #4 Wisconsin --- Thursday, March 17th, 7:20pm.

OFSAA "AAAA" Highlight Mixtape

A couple of CWOSSA moments in here, including a nice move by Cameron Heights' Nebojsa Djeric around the 1:00 mark:

Two CWOSSA Grads To Play in Men's NCAA Tournament

Two former CWOSSA 'ballers will be participating in the NCAA "March Madness" tournament this year.

That being said, not only are Bryson Johnson (Bucknell) and Jon House (Belmont) participating in this year's tournament, both could play an integral role in their teams' chances of pulling a first-round upset.

House is no stranger to this role, having been in similar circumstances as a freshman when his Bruins (a #15 seed) nearly knocked off the #2 Duke Blue Devils --- falling 71-70 after Gerald Henderson hit a go-ahead basket with 12 seconds left.

Look for House (#13) in this clip from that game in his Freshman season:



House has started all 34 games this season, and is averaging 5.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 1.7 APG for the 30-4 Belmont Bruins.  The Bruins had just one loss in conference play, while their other losses (Tennessee twice and Vanderbilt once) were all by single digits.

According to College Basketball Stats Site kenpom.com, the projected score in their first round game against #4 Wisconsin is a 3 point Badger win --- so definitely a game to keep an eye on.

Meanwhile, Bryson Johnson (a sophomore) will be making his first NCAA tournament appearance.  His Bucknell Bison are seeded #14 and draw a tough first-round matchup against Kemba Walker and the #3 UConn Huskies, who silenced some of their critics with a great run through the Big East Tournament.

Johnson's three-point shooting will be key if the Bison are to pull off an upset in their first round game; he comes into the tourney averaging 11.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG and 1.1 APG while starting all 33 of Bucknell's games.

Bucknell advanced to the tournament by winning the Patriot League Championship on Friday:



The #14 Bison are 11-point underdogs in their contest, but have plenty of experience against Big East foes this season.

They lost their season opener to Villanova (68-52) and then followed that up with a great effort on the road at Marquette.  Though the Bison lost 71-62, they actually led 57-45 with 10:32 left before a 24-0 Marquette run ended their thoughts of an upset.

Bucknell is no stranger to winning games (and pulling upsets) come tourney time.  In 2006, the #14 Bison shocked the #3 Kansas Jayhawks in first-round play.  The year after, they defeated Arkansas in the 8 vs. 9 game.

Good luck, gentlemen!

D8 All-Stars Announced; Thompson Named League MVP

St. Mary's shooting guard Alex Thompson was named as the MVP of the District 8 league as per the information released by league officials today.

Thompson, a 6'1" guard, was a scoring dynamo who led the D8 in scoring this season and helped SMHS earn the D8 regular season crown.  He will be returning to St. Mary's next season to hopefully help his Eagles take the next step to a CWOSSA berth and, possibly, an OFSAA appearance.

As could be expected, the Eagles and D8 playoff champion Resurrection Phoenix accounted for most of the first team all-stars.  2 Eagles (Thompson & Isaac Lance) and 2 Phoenix (Mike Pereira & Tyler Schneider) cracked the first-team list, which is as follows:

D8 First Team Senior All-Stars
Alex Thompson, G, St. Mary's (6'1" / 4th Year)
Mike Pereira, F, Resurrection (6'4" / 4th Year)
Tyler Schneider, G, Resurrection (6'2" / 4th Year)
Isaac Lance, G, St. Mary's (6'1" / 4th Year)
Dan Hummel, G, St. David (6'2" / 5th Year)
Kueth Geng, G/F, St. Benedict (6'3" / 4th Year)

D8 Second Team Senior All-Stars
Tyson Lavigne, F, St. David (6'3" / 5th Year)
Santo Dak, G, St. Benedict (5'9" / 4th Year)
David Nolet, G, PRDG (6'0" / 4th Year)
Ben Bankazo, G, St. Mary's (6'1" / 5th Year)
Jeff Rodrigues, G, Resurrection (5'11" / 4th Year)
Josh Klassen, G, Rockway (6'0" / 4th Year)

In addition, the D8 junior stars were announced as well.  Both the D8 junior & senior all-stars will face off against the D10 all-stars on March 30th (unfortunately, this is also the date of the WCSSAA all-star game....).  The game will be at Resurrection CSS, with the junior game at 6pm and the senior game at 8pm.

D8 Junior All-Stars (Min. 2 per team)
Avery Sutton, St. Mary's
Chris Clouthier, St. Mary's ***
Tyler Hergott, St. Mary's
Tesloth Simon, St. Mary's
Mike Blumel, St. Mary's
Erwin Zapanza, St. Benedict
Tyler Moulton, St. Benedict
Jesse Sawyer, St. Benedict
Adam Schneider, Resurrection
Jacob Gilbert, Resurrection
Nas Sabrie, Rockway
Alex Sheedy, Rockway
Matt Murawsky, St. David
Zack Enriquez, St. David

***Clouthier is injured and likely will not play in the all-star game.

Gryphons.ca: Gryphons Announce Commitment of Alyssa Shortt to Women's Basketball Team

The Guelph Gryphons announced today that Alyssa Shortt of Waterloo, Ontario has committed to join the Gryphon women’s basketball program next season.

The 5-foot-10 combo guard from Waterloo Collegiate Institute (W.C.I) helped lead her team to three WCSSA championships (2010, 2008 & 2007) and one silver medal (2009). In 2007 and 2008 her team went on to win the CWOSSA Championships and an OFSAA bronze medal in 2008. Alyssa capped her high school career by being selected the WCSSA Most Valuable Player and a first team all star in 2010. She’s received excellent coaching from Doug Ranton and Craig Nickel, two of the top high school coaches in the province.

At the club level, she’s had success playing for the K-W Lightning for coaches Allan Bush and Bob Urosevic. She is currently playing in the newly formed KW Lightning JUEL team which is defending their Ontario championship title from last season.

“She is a wonderful person who will fit in very well with the current players,” said head coach Tom O’Brien. “The players were all very impressed with Alyssa when she came to scrimmage with us last summer.”

O’Brien also commented that Shortt’s versatility as a player allows her to play any of the three perimeter positions.

“At the university level Alyssa will play at the 2-guard spot. She is a very good perimeter shooter. Due to her size she will also be able to post up smaller guards. Alyssa played a lot of point guard in high school and she will be able to help the Gryphons at that spot in a pinch.”

Shortt becomes the first recruit committed to the 2011-2012 Gryphon women’s basketball team.

Shortt will study Bio Medical Science or Biology at the University of Guelph in the fall.

Athletes who commit to any Guelph Gryphon team will be eligible to compete provided they are academically admissible and eligible to the University of Guelph and have applied through the Ontario Universities Application Centre (OUAC).

Retrieved From:  http://gryphons.ca/news/2011/3/8/WBB_0308115520.aspx

WCSSAA All-Stars: Cameron Leads Way With 4 Selections

As released by league sources today, the WCSSAA champion Cameron Heights Golden Gaels led the way in all-star selections with 4 of their 5 starters receiving an all-star nod. 

The league will announce the Mike Moser Award (league MVP) at halftime, with the winner coming from the first-team all-star selections:

First Team WCSSAA All-Stars
Edem Ame (6'0" G/F) - SJAM - 4th Year
Stefan Cvrkalj (6'4" G) - Bluevale - 5th Year
Javon Masters (6'0" G) - Forest Heights - 3rd Year
Amjed Osman (5'8" G) - Cameron Hts - 4th Year
Ben Reyhani (6'0" G) - SJAM - 4th Year

Although you couldn't go wrong with Cvrkalj as a repeat winner, my money would be on Osman as the Moser Winner this year, as a result of his role in leading CHCI to the league title.

Second team all-stars are as follows:
Nebojsa Djeric (6'2" G/F) - Cameron Hts - 5th Year
Brian Doran (6'4" G) - Southwood - 4th Year
Kieran McAndrew (6'1" G) - Forest Hts - 5th Year
Osama Qahwash (5'9" G) - Grand River - 5th Year
Brodi Verbiski (6'0" G) - Grand River - 4th Year

Additionally, the following players will receive all-star recognition as Honourable Mention Selections:

Vedran Dmitrovic (Cameron Heights)
Adnan Shah (Cameron Heights)
Srdjan Stanviuk (Forest Heights)
Jerelle Vaughan (Eastwood)
Mark Saris (Glenview Park)
Sean Samuel (Huron Heights)
Alex Galea (KCI)
Theshawn Berry (SJAM)
Perrin Smith (Bluevale)
Nic Bradford (Galt CI)
Joel Perkins (Jacob Hespeler)
Wes Meertens (Preston)
Alex Copp (WCI)
Kyle Weber (WODSS)

The "home team" will feature players from Cameron Heights, Forest Heights, Eastwood, Glenview Park, Huron Heights, KCI and Southwood.

The "visiting team" will feature players from the Waterloo high schools (SJAM, Bluevale, WCI) as well as Grand River, Galt, Jacob Hespeler, Preston and WODSS.

All-Star Game Details
Date:  Wednesday, March 30th, 2011 (7:00pm tip time)
Location:  Waterloo Collegiate Institute (300 Hazel St., Waterloo)
Cost:  $3 with student card, $5 without.  All proceeds to Big Brothers and Sisters of K-W & Cambridge.

Brantford Expositor: Slow Start Proves Costly as Trojans Eliminated

Article By:  Ed O'Leary

North Park Collegiate Trojans got caught in the starting gate for the second consecutive day and it proved costly at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association's AAA boys basketball championships in Niagara Falls on Tuesday.

The Trojans were eliminated when they suffered a 60-49 loss to the seventh-seeded Governor Simcoe Redcoats of St. Catharines in a second-round game at St. Michael Catholic High School.

Fourth-seeded Hillcrest High School Hawks of Ottawa beat North Park 72-42 in a first-round game Monday.

The Redcoats came out flying against the Trojans and opened a 21-9 lead in the first quarter. Hillcrest also built a sizeable lead in the first quarter against North Park on Monday.

"They jumped on us early and we just weren't able to carve our way into that lead and pull one out," Trojans head coach Todd Andrew said.

"I thought we played a lot better basketball than (Monday). We had a lot of good looks but just couldn't get them to go down at the right time."

Governor Simcoe led 30-20 at the half and 40-25 after three-quarters.

Tyler Johnston scored 19 points for the Trojans. Cale McDonald netted 11 points.

Johnston, McDonald and starting centre Brandon Webster were playing their last games for the Trojans.

Although North Park was eliminated for the second consecutive year in the second round at OFSAA, the Trojans felt they had a successful season. They were undefeated in capturing the Brant County championship.

They went 10-0 in the regular-season schedule before winning a semifinal playoff game and then defeating St. John's College Green Eagles 2-0 in a best-of-three championship final.

North Park then went to the Central Western Ontario Secondary Schools Association's AAA championship at Preston High School where they won that title for the second consecutive year.

"We needed kids to step up and our fifth-year kids, Tyler, Cale and Brandon, did that to get us to a second straight OFSAA appearance," Andrew said.

Retrieved From:  http://brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3011626

Richardson Ends' Ross' OFSAA

The J. Clarke Richardson (Ajax) Storm, the #2 seed at OFSAA "AAAA", opened up a 47-25 halftime edge over the #17 JF Ross Royals this afternoon before cruising home to a 73-50 win.

The loss, though not unexpected, puts an end to a successful season for JF Ross, who won the D10 championship last month.

Ross received 13 from Wil de Groot and 10 from Evan Karl in this one; Richardson star Aaron Redpath had a game-high 24 points for the Storm.

Interestingly enough, virtually the entire "AAAA" tournament has gone to form --- the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 teams have advanced through to the quarterfinals.  The remaining game, (7) Sacred Heart vs. (10) D'Youville is tight late in that contest.

Gaels' OFSAA Trip Ends

The Cameron Heights Golden Gaels, the #14 seed, impressed a lot of high school basketball observers in attendance this week in London.

Although the Gaels played well in both of their games, they were unable to pull out a win as they fell 77-60 to the #3 seed, the Oakville Loyola Hawks this afternoon.

Vedran Dmitrovic (25) and Nebojsa Djeric (23) were a solid one-two punch for CHCI, combining for 80% of the Gaels' offense.  However, after the Gaels took a surprising 30-17 lead after the opening quarter, the Hawks would fly back to outscore the Gaels in all three remaining quarters (19-7, 26-10 and 15-13) to pull out the 17-point victory.

Congratulations to the Gaels on a tremendous season and for representing CWOSSA well at OFSAA.

AAAA's other entry, the JF Ross Royals, play the #2 seeded J. Clarke Richardson Storm of Ajax this afternoon at 2:45pm.

Loyola Takes Control Against Cameron

The Loyola Hawks can sure put up a pile of points in a hurry.

They went on a 26-10 third quarter scoring burst, and have now opened up a 15-point lead on Cameron Heights at AAAA OFSAA in London.  It's now 62-47 Loyola after three quarters of play.

AAAA: Cameron Heights Leads #3 Loyola at Halftime

Despite not playing a "provincial level schedule", the Cameron Heights Golden Gaels are doing just fine at adjusting to life at the OFSAA "AAAA" championships in London.

One day after hanging right with #8 Eastern Commerce for the entire game (down 2 with 3:30 left), the Gaels have used a solid first half to take a 37-36 lead over the #3 seed, the Oakville Loyola Hawks (Heinbuch Champions) at Clarke Road Secondary School in London.

The Gaels led this one 30-17 after one quarter of play, so we'll see (er, hope) that they can hold off the Loyola surge in the second half.

Good luck, Gaels!

Morning OFSAA Updates: Day 2

"A"
The #9 Delhi DSS Raiders struggled with the defensive intensity and pressure of #3 ES Deslauriers today in their "round of 16" game, dropping a 62-19 decision.  It's been a successful season for Delhi, with both NSSAA and CWOSSA championships, but it looks like it ends today.


"AA"
It was a tale of two halves in North Bay this morning at the "AA" championships.  The #15 Lourdes Crusaders jumped out to a 34-22 halftime advantage over #2 St. Basil, but the Saints stormed back in the second half, outscoring Lourdes 49-20 to take the game by a 71-54 final, ending Lourdes' appearances at the OFSAA championships.  Sharieff Peru poured in 28 points today to lead the Crusaders, who bow out of the "AA" championships.

OFSAA Action: Day 2

Action will be getting underway shortly.  We'll keep you updated on these games involving CWOSSA teams:

"A" - North Bay
(3) ES Deslauriers vs. (9) Delhi DSS - 9:30am

"AA" - North Bay
(2) St. Basil - SSM vs. (15) Lourdes - 9:30am

"AAA" - Niagara Falls
(7) Governor Simcoe vs. (10) North Park - 3:30pm

"AAAA" - London
(3) Oakville Loyola vs. (14) Cameron Heights - 11:15am
(2) J Clarke Richardson vs. (17) JF Ross - 2:45pm

JF Ross Takes Out Aquinas, Ending CWOSSA AAAA Drought

The Ross Royals got behind early, but stayed the course and pulled out a 63-58 victory over the hometown London St. Thomas Aquinas Flames in AAAA OFSAA action in London this evening.

The game featured the #17 Royals and #15 Flames in a "qualifying game" to get the right to advance through to tomorrow's "round of 16".  The treat for the winner?  Just a date with the #2 J. Clarke Richardson (Ajax) Storm, who demolished #11 Fletcher's Meadow 71-51 earlier today.

Back to this evening's contest, the Royals actually trailed in every quarter but the final one.  They sliced a 7-point halftime deficit to one entering the fourth, and strong play from Evan Karl (14) and Shamlo Saeed (12) helped Ross pull out the win.

The win was the first for CWOSSA at OFSAA "AAAA" in two years, with the last one being SJAM's first round win over Notre Dame Ajax in 2009.

Finoro, Crusaders Pick Up Win At "AA" OFSAA

The Lourdes Crusaders finished up their opening day at the OFSAA "AA" championships in North Bay with a dominating 58-31 victory over the #17 seed, Thunder Bay's Superior C & VS.

Mike Finoro poured in 25 points to lead the Crusaders to the victory.  The Crusaders were up 10 at halftime, but a dominant second half helped them win this one going away.  

Lourdes now will play a very tough game tomorrow morning against the #2 seed, St. Basil from Sault Ste. Marie.  Local fans may remember them from their participation in the St. Benedict's 32-team tournament, where they lost an overtime game in the quarterfinals to Kitchener Resurrection.

St. Basil's won their opener this morning, 78-70, over #11 Woodbridge College.

CWOSSA Still Searching for First OFSAA Win

As a result of Cameron's loss (detailed) below and North Park falling 72-42 to #4 Hillcrest (Cale McDonald, 15) at the AAA OFSAA championships, our CWOSSA teams are a combined 0-5 through the opening round of the OFSAA tournaments today.

However, there may be a win (or hopefully two) in tonight's late games.  JF Ross (#17) will play #15 St. Thomas Aquinas (London) in an AAAA game to qualify through to the round of 16, while #15 Lourdes will play #17 Superior C & VS (Thunder Bay) in a similar game at the AA championships.

The remaining teams --- Cameron Heights (AAAA), North Park (AAA), and Delhi (A) are done for the day and have second round match-ups tomorrow morning.

AAAA OFSAA: Cameron Heights vs. Eastern Commerce Liveblog

We'll try to update this post and keep you updated on Cameron Heights' efforts against #8 Eastern Commerce.

Game will be getting underway at 2:30pm --- probably a few minutes after, as the Beal vs. Ancaster game is running a bit over the scheduled time.

Updates 
The schedule is running about 10 minutes behind, but we should be underway shortly!

Cameron leads 4-2 after a steal by Nebojsa Djeric and a lay-in (6:30 left 1Q).  Eastern Commerce then turns the ball over.  

Cameron having trouble with EC's high intensity defense --- two steals for layups, and it's now 6-4 Eastern (5:30 left).

Both teams off to a sloppy start, lots of turnovers and missed looks inside.  Nerves playing a role.....but Adnan Shah just drills a three to give CHCI the lead back at 7-6. 

Shah misses a wide-open three, and a dunk by EC in transition gives them the 8-7 lead.  Let's see if that gives them some momentum.....but no.  Back to back layups by Vedran Dmitrovic and Amjed Osman put the Gaels up 11-8 (2:45). 

Now 14-12 CHCI with :30 left. 

End of First Quarter:  Cameron Heights 14, Eastern Commerce 14

The good news for the Gaels, who do not go deep, is that they only picked up 2 fouls in the opening quarter.  EC picked up 4, so if CHCI can keep being aggressive they should be able to get in the bonus here. 

The Gaels are going to have to shore up their transition defense if they hope to stick around ---- four quick points for EC to open the quarter lead to a Cameron timeout. 

19-16 Eastern Commerce, 5:30 left 2nd Q. 

Charges (back to back) on both ends of the floor; it's 21-18 EC with 4:30 left in the half. 

Osman with a nice dish to Dmitrovic for a lay-in (21-20 EC) midway through the frame. 

A Stefan Cucak three has this one tied (23-23) with 2:45 left. 

Cucak drills another three to give CHCI the lead!  But EC comes back with a two of their own to take it right back.....and it's now halftime.

Halftime:  Eastern Commerce 29, Cameron Heights 28 

To start the third, Osman made a nice move to find Djeric for a three.  Cameron now leads by one (33-32). 

EC takes back the lead on an "and one" with 6:00 to go in the third, it's now 34-33 Saints. 

A poor pass by Cucak and layup had it 36-33, but Dmitrovic rains a three to tie things back up! 

Cameron retakes the lead 38-36! 

With North Park (AAA) trailing in their game by 17 points after three, Cameron looks like CWOSSA's only chance to get a win in the opening round of this year's OFSAA tournaments. 

39-38 Eastern Commerce, as the Gaels start to pick up a few fouls. 

Osman back to the line and it's now 40-39 CHCI with under 4:00 left in the third. 

Beautiful backdoor cut by Shah, and Cucak finds him to make it 42-39.  However, the Saints come right back with a 2 of their own, cutting Cameron's lead back to 1. 

After EC retook the lead, Djeric makes a driving lay-up as we continue to go back and forth! 

Another Cucak three makes it 47-45 Gaels with under 3:00 left in the third. 

Djeric with ANOTHER three for Cameron who are now up 5! 

EC settling for outside jumpers and finally make one, 50-48.  Another two quickly has it tied 50-50, 36.8 seconds left in the quarter.  EC ball after an offensive foul. 

At the end of the third, it's Cameron Heights 50 and Eastern Commerce 50.

An alley-oop to start the 4th by EC, but Cameron ties it back up on their next trip up the floor.  Saints starting to pressure now --- do the Gaels have enough left in the tank? 

A three-pointer and an easy lay-up and EC looks to take control.  57-52 ...... but Cameron right back with a three!  57-55! 

EC starting to get to the rim, now up 59-55.  But Cameron keeps making shots at the other end!  59-57 EC with 5:00 left 4th quarter. 

After two EC free throws, Osman gets an "and one" to cut things to 61-60. 

4:10 left in the fourth, Best makes the first of two FTs (62-60) and Cameron takes a timeout.  At this point, these timeouts are more about getting rest for the starters who have played (almost) the entire game. 

Tough break for the Gaels as EC picks up a lose ball and takes a 4 point lead (64-60).  Osman drives and draws a foul, though, back at the other end.  64-62 with 3:30 left. 

EC now up 4 with Djeric heading to the line after a rebounding foul on the Saints.  He misses, and Cameron picks up a rebounding foul to send the Saints to the line at the other end.  This one may be slipping away from the Gaels..... 

An Aaron Best lay-in makes it 68-62 Eastern Commerce with 2:38 left. 

Djeric misses a contested attempt inside and EC gets fouled shortly thereafter; they're in the bonus.  EC now up 8 as time is running out on CHCI's upset bid..... 

And another EC layup has it up to 72-62 with 1:18 left.  Great effort by the Gaels, but it looks like they'll fall short today. 

Dmitrovic rains in a three to keep CHCI alive, down 72-65 with 1:04 remaining.  Timeout Cameron. 

Cameron now forced to play the "foul game".  74-65 and a missed Shah three just about does it for the Gaels, who are forced to foul again with :45 to go. 

Cameron fighting to the bitter end; another three makes it 76-68 EC and :35 left.

Eastern Commerce not doing themselves favours right now.  Though they're hitting free-throws, they've fouled CHCI's Djeric shooting a three at the other end.  He goes 2-of-3 to get it back to 8 with around :20 left now. 

It's over.  Eastern Commerce wins it 81-70, but Cameron definitely gave them a scare. 

"A" OFSAA: Delhi Upset by O'Gorman

CWOSSA's best chance for a win on Monday (at least, based upon the seedings) ended up in a loss as the #14 O'Gorman (Timmins) Knights held off the #8 Delhi DSS Raiders by a 42-36 final score.

The Raiders battled back valiantly from a double digit halftime deficit (25-14) but could not muster enough offense in the waning minutes of the game to pull out the win.

Donte Richardson led the Raiders with 9 points.

Unfortunately for Delhi, the loss also means a more difficult second round matchup tomorrow morning.  The Raiders will now play #3 ES Deslauriers, in a 9:30am game tomorrow.

"AAAA" OFSAA: #5 Henry Carr 68, #17 JF Ross 48

The #17 seed, JF Ross Royals, lost their opening round game today at OFSAA, 68-48 to the #5 Henry Carr Crusaders.

The Royals trailed the Crusaders by only 3 (13-10) after the first quarter (and had it tied 15-15 in the 2nd), but a late 19-5 second quarter run by Henry Carr put them in control of this one, and despite 5 quick points by Ross towards the start of the third quarter, the Crusaders kept their foot down in the second half.

Flagrant Fouls - OFSAA Previews

Great job by the folks over at Flagrant Fouls, putting together a preview for this week's OFSAA action.

They've done AA, AAA, and AAAA previews which include a brief team bio (top players, how qualified, etc.).

It also has some great historical information, including a note about Cameron Heights' last OFSAA appearance in 1994 (they lost a quarterfinal to Hamilton Cathedral, 59-43).

You can check it out here:  http://www.flagrantfouls.com/2011/03/2011-ofsaa-previews/

OFSAA Update: Lourdes at "AA"

The Lourdes Cruasders, the #15 ranked team in the "AA" draw, have gotten off to a relatively good start in their first round game against #4 Richview from Toronto.  

The Crusaders poured in 18 points in the opening frame to take an 18-14 lead after the first quarter.  Richview has rebounded to take a 4 point edge (33-29) at halftime.


Update:  Richview has now taken control of this game with an 18-4 third quarter run to lead 51-33 after three quarters.


Update 2:  Richview 68, Lourdes 48 (FINAL).  Mike Finoro led the Crusaders with a 20-point performance.

Eastern Commerce

A couple of YouTube videos pertaining to Cameron Heights' first-round opponent today, #8 Eastern Commerce.....a school that has a smaller gym than KCI (!):

OFSAA Today!

Here's a listing (in time order) of the CWOSSA teams in action today.  We'll try to make sure we can cover as many of them as possible!

9:30am - (4) Richview CI vs. (15) Our Lady of Lourdes ("AA" OFSAA)

11:00am - (8) Delhi DSS vs. (14) O'Gorman HS ("A" OFSAA)

12:45pm - (5) Henry Carr vs. (17) JF Ross ("AAAA" OFSAA)

2:00pm - (4) Hillcrest vs. (10) North Park ("AAA" OFSAA)

2:30pm - (8) Eastern Commerce vs. (14) Cameron Hts. ("AAAA" OFSAA)

Good luck to all our CWOSSA participants!

OUA Alumni Update: Two Ex-CWOSSA Players Crack OUA West All-Star Teams

Former CWOSSA talents accounted for 2 of 10 names on the OUA West's all-star team this season, as announced by league officials last night in Hamilton.

The University of Guelph's Dan McCarthy (Centennial CVI '08) was named as a first-team OUA West all-star.  For the year, the 6'2" guard averaged 17.6 PPG in league play, good for 4th best in the entire OUA. 

Meanwhile, veteran Waterloo guard Cam McIntyre (KCI '06) cracked the list as a second-team all-star selection.  McIntyre averaged 17.3 PPG this year, ranking 5th in OUA play behind McCarthy, and hit for 42 points and 11 made three-pointers in a December win over Ryerson.  McIntyre has one year of OUA eligibility remaining.

Curtain Call for CWOSSA Grads

Still with the Warriors, this season marked the final chapter in the university careers of a couple of solid former 'ballers from the area.  Luke Kieswetter (KCI '06) completed his season averaging 6.1 PPG and 4.2 APG.  Kieswetter leaves Waterloo as the all-time Warrior steals leader (238).

Meanwhile, St. Mary's ('06) grad Jordan Hannah had a great effort in his final CIS game, pouring in a career high 24 points in last Saturday's 95-94 win over McMaster.  Hannah also leaves his mark on UW's record books, finishing up 15th on UW's career list in three-pointers made, 18th in assists, and 20th in steals.

Laurier Tops Windsor; Plays Carleton Tonight

The Wilfrid Laurier University men's basketball team upset the highly-regarded Windsor Lancers 85-82 last weekend in OUA playoff action, and have advanced to the OUA final-four this weekend in Hamilton.

Laurier's first test is no slouch --- the undefeated Carleton Ravens, who despite all their past success may be having one of their best seasons yet!

Laurier's game against Carleton goes tonight at 8pm (at McMaster), and will be televised live on The Score.

The Hawks have two former CWOSSA players on their roster --- 6'6" F Matt Buckley (WCI '07) and 6'6" F Phil Blumel (St. Mary's '09).  Buckley ranked 4th on the team in scoring, and also led the Hawks in rebounding this season.

CWOSSA at OFSAA

"A" in North Bay

Delhi DSS - #8 Seed

"AA" in North Bay
Guelph Our Lady of Lourdes - #15 Seed

"AAA" in Niagara Falls
Brantford North Park CVS - #10 Seed

"AAAA" in London
Kitchener Cameron Heights - #14 Seed
Guelph John F. Ross CVI - #17 Seed

"A" OFSAA: Raiders Given Respectable #8 Seed

The Delhi DSS Raiders will open up OFSAA "A" play next week as the highest seeded team of any CWOSSA OFSAA participant, taking the #8 spot.

The Raiders will take on #14 O'Gorman HS from Timmins in the first round of play.

The full seeding is as follows:
1.  Forster SS (Windsor)
2.  Ridley College (St. Catharines)
3.  ESP Deslauriers (Ottawa)
4.  King's Christian (Oakville)
5.  ESC Algonquin (North Bay)
6.  Holy Trinity CSS (Cornwall)
7.  Mitchell DSS
8.  Delhi DSS
9.  Notre Dame CHS (Carleton Place)
10.  Red Lake DHS
11.  Espanola DHS
12.  Pretty River Academy (Collingwood)
13.  West Park SS (St. Catharines)
14.  O'Gorman HS (Timmins)
15.  Runnymede CI (Toronto)
16.  Crawford Adventist (Toronto)

NorthPoleHoops.com Gives Shoutout to Saeed

A recent OFSAA "AAAA" preview article on NorthPoleHoops.com gives a shoutout to JF Ross guard Shamlo Saeed.

In his report, Tariq Sbiet gives props to the 5'10" guard by stating:  "keep an eye out on stand out guard #53-ranked Shamlo Saeed of J.F Ross, one of Ontario's best kept secrets. Ross will progress in the tournament as far as Saeed carries his squad."

Sbiet's preview can be seen in its entirety at this link.

Trivia Answer

Yesterday I had posed the question --- who are the four CWOSSA teams (that I'm aware of - perhaps there are even more) that have defeated at least 2 participants in the upcoming AAAA OFSAA championships?

Keep in mind that exhibition, league and tournament games counted for the purposes of this question.

The answer:

1.  SJAM --- defeated #14 Cameron Heights (league) and defeated #17 JF Ross (CWOSSA)

2.  Bluevale --- defeated #5 Father Henry Carr (tournament) and defeated #16 Ancaster (tournament)

3.  Resurrection --- defeated #13 Holy Trinity (tournament) and defeated #14 Cameron Heights (CWOSSA)

The fourth one might have been a bit more difficult:

4.  Preston --- defeated #14 Cameron Heights (exhibition) and defeated #16 Ancaster (tournament)

AA OFSAA: Lourdes Heads To North Bay Seeded 15th

The Lourdes Crusaders are heading to North Bay with something to prove.

The Crusaders have been seeded 15th heading to the "AA" OFSAA basketball championships next week, although that ranking isn't necessarily reflective of their team's abilities but rather the fact that the field for the AA tournament is quite deep this year.

In fact, the twitter account for the AA championships noted that delays were experienced in the seeding process due to the fact that the tournament was the "toughest to seed in many years" with "many teams bringing in outstanding records".

As a result of this #15 ranking, the Crusaders will open with #4 Richview CI from Etobicoke, a school located about a stone's throw (ok, maybe a quick jog) from the Hwy 401 & 427 interchange.  To continue with my "trivia theme" from yesterday, Richview is the high school that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper attended.

The key for the Crusaders will be attempting to shut down Richview's high scoring PG, 6'0" grade 12 Scott Morrison.  Why, you ask?  Well, Morrison --- quite frankly --- has the ability to go off on you.  He pumped in 50 points in a league win last year as a grade 11, and has had several 25+ and 30+ games so far this season.  Morrison was named as a Toronto Star regional all-star for the 2009-10 season.

Morrison, however, isn't a one man team.  Patrick Street is capable of putting up 25+ as well, as he has demonstrated on numerous ocassions this year.  Chevon Brown rounds out the "three headed monster" for the Saints.

With a win, Lourdes would have the advantage of playing the loser of the game between #7 West Ferris and #13 Louis Riel.  A loss would likely see them play a winnable game against #17 Superior C & VS (Thunder Bay), who play #5 Hamilton MacNab in the first round.

Good luck, Crusaders!

"AA" OFSAA Seeding
1.  St. Francis (St. Catharines)
2.  St. Basil (Sault Ste. Marie)
3.  St. Christopher (Sarnia)
4.  Richview CI (Etobicoke)
5.  Sir Allan MacNab (Hamilton)
6.  St. Thomas Aquinas (Oakville)
7.  West Ferris SS (North Bay)
8.  Smiths Falls DCI
9.  Timmins High & VS
10.  Westminster SS (London)
11.  Woodbridge College
12.  Loyalist C & VS (Kingston)
13.  Louis Riel (Ottawa)
14.  Nicholson Catholic (Belleville)
15.  Our Lady of Lourdes (Guelph)
16.  Archbishop Romero (Toronto)
17.  Superior C & VS (Thunder Bay)
18.  Twin Lakes SS (Orillia)

AAAA OFSAA Draw - Reseeded

Here is the updated seedings for the OFSAA "AAAA" basketball tournament in London.

The major changes see Oakville's Loyola CSS moved from 7th to 3rd, and Oakwood sliding down to 4th.  Ottawa's Sacred Heart goes down to 7th, which I personally feel is too low, but you aren't going to please everybody --- especially in a tournament where a lot of teams are bringing in very strong resumes.

From a CWOSSA perspective, both first round matchups will remain the same as the #5 team (Henry Carr) and the #8 team (Eastern Commerce) did not budge in the rankings.

A look at the new and now official rankings; my "projected ranking" from earlier this week is in brackets:

1.  Vaughan SS (1)
2.  JC Richardson - Ajax (2)
3.  Loyola CSS - Oakville (3)
4.  Oakwood CI - Toronto (4)
5.  Father Henry Carr - Toronto (8)
6.  HB Beal SS - London (7)
7.  Sacred Heart - Ottawa (5)
8.  Eastern Commerce - Toronto (6)
9.  St. Michael's - Toronto (9)
10.  D'Youville - Brampton (10)
11.  Fletcher's Meadow - Brampton (12)
12.  Holy Names - Windsor (11)
13.  Holy Trinity - Oakville (13)
14.  Cameron Heights - Kitchener (16)
15.  St. Thomas Aquinas - London (14)
16.  Ancaster DSS (18)
17.  John F. Ross - Guelph (17)
18.  Collingwood CI (15)

Overall, I wasn't "too far off" the mark, especially at the top of the list (granted, it is generally easier to pick the top couple of teams).  

Final results:
Seeding Exactly Correct:  8
Off by One Seed:  4
Off by Two Seeds:  4
Off by Three Seeds:  2 (Henry Carr & Collingwood)

AAAA Draw - Apparently Being Reseeded

Cameron Heights and JF Ross, don't start prepping for your OFSAA matchups just yet.

The schedule on the OFSAA website has been taken down, with this message put up:

"The AAAA schedule will be posted early Wednesday evening. In an effort to seed teams as accurately and fairly as possible, the draw will include changes from the version posted here earlier today as the committee received some updated / corrected records this afternoon.  We apologize for the inconvenience."

We'll keep you posted!