The first league champion will be crowned this evening at St. Mary's high school when the District 8 league hosts the Midget Boys' (grade nines not playing junior) basketball championships.
We're going to be there to cover this, and are looking forward to an interesting evening of basketball ---- the semifinals and finals will both be contested this evening.
This year's D8 league is a four-team affair, with St. Benedict, Resurrection, St. David and St. Mary's. Oddly enough, the standings heading into the playoffs are almost a mirror image of the junior standings (whereas you might expect a strong junior team to mean a strong midget program).
Leading the way are St. Benedict (5-1) and Resurrection (5-1), who split their season series --- St. Benedict took first place on the +/- tiebreaker. St. Mary's took third spot in the standings (2-4), while St. David went 0-6, although a couple of the losses were only by single digits.
History - Past Winners
2010-11 - St. Mary's
2009-10 - Resurrection
2008-09 - Resurrection
2007-08 - Resurrection
Rule Changes/Differences
Teams play two 25-minute "straight time" halves, and must play man-to-man defense (pressing is allowed in the second half). During the game, regular basketball federation rules apply.
The Re-Creation of the D8 Midget League
I spoke with Resurrection junior coach Chris Aldworth, who was a driving force in "resurrecting" (no pun intended...) the D8 midget league prior to the 2007-08 season, and asked him a few questions about a league that most of us aren't overly familiar with.
CWOSSABasketball.com: Chris, what was the driving force behind restoring the D8 midget league?
Chris Aldworth: Every year at Resurrection, over 50 grade 9 and 10 boys try out for the RCSS junior boys' basketball team, as is common at many high schools in the area.
Prior to the 2007-08 season, Resurrection had an influx of many skilled grade 9 players that, based upon our numbers and returning players, would not have made our junior program. D8 had previously run a midget league, and after some phone calls and e-mails between the junior coaches, it was determined that there was interest from other schools (St. Benedict, Monsignor Doyle, St. David at the time) to again form a midget league.
From the onset, it was a very grassroots attempt to bring back grade nine basketball that has proven to be very successful. Roughly 60 to 70 student-athletes now compete in high school basketball each year that would not be doing so otherwise. The league is legitimate with a full schedule and playoffs, and a championship final. Our team at Resurrection has traveled to play midget boys' teams in Sarnia (who also have a full midget league) and they have participated in junior boys' tournaments against "A" and "AA" schools in other areas of the CWOSSA region, such as Walkerton.
(Aldworth also noted that, the same year, the D8 also established a midget girls volleyball league that continues to provide an opportunity for grade 9 girls to participate in that particular sport).
CWOSSABasketball.com: What do you see as the benefits to having a midget program?
Chris Aldworth: The D8 Midget Boys' basketball league is seen as a developmental league for high school basketball players. Emphasis is placed on skill development and the introduction of offensive and defensive concepts. As a result of the league, many players have now had an opportunity to play competitive high school basketball.
It encourages healthy active living and sportsmanship, as well as increasing school spirit and pride in their athletic accomplishments. Many of the teams have seen late developing players, especially post players, eventually contribute at the junior and senior level. For example, the senior boys' team here at Resurrection currently starts two CIS-prospects in Mike Pereira and Cory Kenning who both played on the RCSS midget team in grade nine.
CWOSSABasketball.com: What may lie ahead for the future of midget boys' basketball? Any thoughts on that?
Chris Aldworth: The D8 league has entertained the possibility of adding some of the public high schools into the league, but despite some initial interest from two WCSSAA schools this year, the logistics weren't able to be finalized in time. No "non-D8 school" has yet brought back their midget program, but hopefully we will see that change in the near future for the benefit of area basketball!
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