D10: Girls' All-Star Selections

Here is a list of D10 all-stars for the 2010 season.  The D10 all-stars will play the D8 all-stars at Rez, starting at 7pm (Junior game); senior to follow.  This will wrap up what should be a fantastic day of hoops action at RCSS, with St. Mary's and Resurrection playing boys' league games beforehand.

D10 Junior All-Stars
Ashley Benham, St. James
Brittany Gazzola, St. James
Chelsey Gazzola, St. James
Madison Vettoretto, Lourdes
Cecilia Hudecki, Lourdes
Victoria Brombal, Lourdes
Rebecca Morris, Bishop Mac
Jessica Morris, Bishop Mac
Katie Strongman, GCVI
Madison Fennell, Centre Wellington
Hannah Ferguson, Centennial
Claire Fenton, Orangeville
Stephanie Gordon, JF Ross

D10 Senior All-Stars
Jaime Janssen, Centre Wellington
Erica McFadden, Centre Wellington
Chelsea Riepert, Centre Wellington
Janine De Leon, Bishop Mac
Logan Lane, Bishop Mac
Alison Morris, Bishop Mac
Vanessa Martini, JF Ross
Sydney Resch, JF Ross
Gabby Staunton, GCVI
Sierra McLaren, GCVI
Charlotte Clarke, Centennial
Erica Zen, St. James
Kiera Bunnaman, Lourdes
Tori Quinn, Orangeville

D4 Girls' All-Stars

Here are the all-stars as recently announced by the D4 league:

D4 Junior
Pier Zuk, Erin DHS
Holly Kaitting, Erin DHS
Becca Morrison, Erin DHS
Nicole Bauman, Wellington Heights
Kristie McBride, Wellington Heights
Mikayla Pletsch, Wellington Heights
Laura Rumph, Norwell DSS
Chelsea Houle, Norwell DSS
Toni Juric, Westside SS
Shelby Parkes, Westside SS
Britney Davison, Centre Dufferin
Carlin Caterberg, Woodland Christian

D4 Senior
Ivana Juric, Westside
Brooke Rowland, Westside
Sami Mikulik, Westside
Rachel Krushnisky, Centre Dufferin
Melanie Kaehili, Centre Dufferin
Carleigh Monk, Erin DHS
Chanel Laffin, Erin DHS
Karlee Duggan, Norwell DSS
Amy Rush, Woodland Christian

*Wellington Heights also has two senior all-stars that were not named by the time the rest of the list was released.  Will update this post when we get the information.

Shortt Takes WCSSAA MVP; All-Star Game Set For Tomorrow

WCI's fifth-year guard Alyssa Shortt has been named MVP of the WCSSAA Senior Girls' basketball league.

Shortt (and the rest of her Viking teammates) captured the WCSSAA playoff championship after an undefeated regular season.  They also grabbed a silver medal at CWOSSA "AAAA" and advanced to the OFSAA quarterfinals where they were defeated by eventual champion St. Mary's of Hamilton.

Shortt is a "stat sheet stuffer" who is essentially a double-double (or even triple-double threat) every time she steps out onto the floor.  She also demonstrated tremendous leadership abilities with a relatively youthful Viking squad.

The full listing of all-stars as announced by WCSSAA officials is as follows:

First Team
Alyssa Shortt, WCI (MVP)
Erin Robbins, Cameron Heights
Michelle Hudyn, Eastwood
Lydia Frey, Elmira
Kate MacTavish, KCI
Lindsay Lessard, WCI

Second Team
Siki Jez, Cameron Heights
Liz Phillips, Galt
Barbara Robertson, KCI
Bria Dietrich, WCI
Lindsay Taylor, WCI

Honourable Mentions
Elissa Dent, Bluevale
Camille Gardner, Cameron Heights
Caitlyn Schlegel, Eastwood
Kaitie Martin, Elmira
Blair McNaughton, Forest Heights
Christine Phillips, Galt
Aileen MacLellan, Grand River
Marja Vandermeulan, Glenview Park
Sarah Guttin, Jacob Hespeler
Kirsten Leach, Preston
Alex Palvetzian, Southwood
Emily Temple, SJAM
Spencer Mitchell-Becker, WODSS

The all-star game will be taking place tomorrow (i.e. Wednesday, December 1st) at Bluevale Collegiate in Waterloo at 6:00pm.  Admission is $3 for students and $5 for adults, with all proceeds supporting Kate's Kause, a charity that supports Angelman's Syndrome.

AAA & AAAA CWOSSA Preseason Top 5s

Here's my "preseason top 5s" in both AAAA junior and senior and AAA senior.  This will become a weekly "top 10" feature on Fridays --- Top 10s in AAA/AAAA junior and senior, and Top 5s in A/AA --- just like the girls' season.

AAAA - Senior
1.  Bluevale CI - Waterloo
2.  St. Mary's HS - Kitchener
3.  Resurrection CSS - Kitchener
4.  JF Ross CVI - Guelph
5.  SJAM - Waterloo

AAAA - Junior
1.  St. Mary's HS - Kitchener
2.  Forest Heights CI - Kitchener
3.  Grand River CI - Kitchener
4.  Cameron Heights CI - Kitchener
5.  John F. Ross CVI - Guelph

AAA - Senior
1.  St. James - Guelph
2.  North Park - Brantford
3.  Southwood - Cambridge
4.  St. David - Waterloo
5.  Centre Dufferin - Shelburne

Former KCI Raider McIntyre Bombs Away on UW Record

(From The Record)

By:  Christine Rivet

What do bone chips in an ankle, a partially-dislocated shoulder, an aching back and a bruised hand have in common?

They are among the assorted maladies endured by University of Waterloo weather-beaten cager Cam McIntyre throughout his varsity career.

McIntyre shrugged off the first two, the most-recent injuries from his catalogue of woes, over the weekend when he poured in a career-best 42 points during a 90-76 romp over Ryerson.

The Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate grad and former Moser Award winner as Waterloo Region’s top high school player also set a school record when he struck for 11 three-point bombs in that contest.

“I’ve never seen a (Canadian university) player go off like that,” said UW coach Tom Kieswetter.

Through an electrifying five-minute span in the third quarter, McIntyre took dead aim for 22 points.

“When something like that happens, the (hoop) feels as big as the ocean,” said McIntyre who’s listed among the top four scorers in the 16-team Ontario University Athletics’ basketball league.

He’s averaged nearly 20 points per outing so far this season.

All of which makes us wonder how would the six-foot-three Waterloo native perform if he were ever actually healthy?

“I wonder about that sometimes myself,” he said.

The fourth-year guard and his Warriors enter the league’s December recess with a 4-4 (won-lost) record.

Their next match is Jan. 5 when Brock visits.

Retrieved From:  http://news.therecord.com/Sports/article/821905

(Photo Credit UW Athletics)

WCSSAA: Opening Day Senior Picks

YTD:  0-0

Here we go with what looks like it could be an interesting year in WCSSAA senior boys basketball.....good luck to all teams!

Today's slate of games seem fairly obvious from a picks perspective --- at least on paper --- there's a reason why the games are played!  That being said, we'll see what impact long football/volleyball seasons and "early season jitters" play in today's matchups.

Anyways, right to the picks (all games are 5:00pm starts)

Preston at SJAM
Pick:  SJAM
The Panthers aren't to be taken lightly (as I mentioned in my league preview), but I think that the Highlanders have too much offensive firepower here, especially on the friendly (or shall I say unfriendly?) rims at SJAM.  As a sidenote, I believe that SJAM coach Steve Maloney will be sitting this one out as a result of a double-technical (one game suspension) at CWOSSA last season.  We'll see what impact that plays, if any.

Cameron Heights at Jacob Hespeler
Pick:  CHCI
This one might get interesting considering the suspensions that the Gaels are dealing with.  That said, they showed they could win games this weekend without those involved and I'll take them to win down in Cambridge.

WCI at KCI
Pick:  WCI
KCI always plays well at home, but I think the Vikes have a bit too much size for the Raiders to handle.  WCI should win by double digits here.

Forest Heights at Galt
Pick:  FHCI
The "new look" Trojans will unveil their brand of basketball down in Galt here.  It's going to be good enough to get them an opening day win in a game that might not be close.

Bluevale at Huron Heights
Pick:  BCI
Not sure if Stefan Cvrkalj will be suiting up today or not for Bluevale, but the other Knights got plenty of experience playing without him over the weekend.  I'll take the Knights to give many of the Huskies' rookies a rude welcome to senior basketball here.

Eastwood at Southwood
Pick:  SSS
Though the Eastwood Rebels should be vastly improved from a season ago, I don't think it's going to be quite enough to take out Southwood here today.

Grand River at Glenview Park
Pick:  GRCI
The Rens should have no trouble on the road in posting their first win of the season.

D10 Picks: Tuesday Games

YTD Picks:  5-1 (.833)

On tap for Tuesday:

Lourdes (1-1) at Orangeville (0-2)
Pick:  OLOL
The Crusaders should have enough firepower to handle the ODSS Bears on the road today.  Look for at least one 20+ performance to come out of this game in what should be a high-scoring affair.

Bishop Mac (1-1) at St. James (2-0)
Pick:  STJ
The Lions should pick up their third straight win to start the season at the expense of the Bishop Mac Celtics.

Guelph CVI (0-1)  at Centennial (1-0)
Pick:  CCVI
Looks like the Spartans may still have enough in the tank to pick up the second CWOSSA "AAAA" berth this season.  They looked good in beating CWDHS in their opener and advanced to the final of the CHCI tournament this past weekend (beating WCI in the process).  I'll take them to win here as well.

JF Ross (0-0) at Centre Wellington (1-1)
Pick:  JFR
The key for the Falcons will be slowing down Ross' guard Shamlo Saeed as he can really get the Royal offense rolling.  Ross picks up a win in their opener on the road.

D4 Results: Monday

Senior

Centre Dufferin 93, Erin DHS 15
CDDHS:  Matt Pflance 14, Alex Severn 13, Steve Tuckey 10
EDHS:  Jacob Stewart 5, Kevin Wozniak 4

Junior

Centre Dufferin 59, Erin DHS 17
CDDHS:  Dhruv Patel 11, Noah Sterling 10, James Dreyer 10
EDHS:  Andrew McEwen 7

Junior: Rens Take 1st at Oakville Trafalgar Tournament

The Grand River Collegiate senior volleyball team wasn't the only GRCI squad that brought home some hardware over the weekend.

On the basketball court, the junior Grand River Renegades captured the championship at the Oakville Trafalgar Junior Boys Invitational Tournament.

[Included among OTHS alumni would be my mother --- who attended back when the school was at its old location on Reynolds St. in downtown Oakville].

At any rate, the Rens went 3-0 in the tournament, starting out with a close 50-45 victory over Ancaster DSS.

In the second round, Grand River had an easier time of things, dispatching Georgetown DSS 76-39.

This advanced the squad to the championship game, where they topped Hamilton's Sir Winston Churchill SS by a 59-47 count.  In the championship final, grade 9 PG Murtada Khamis poured in 19 points to pace GRCI.

Key players for the Rens included Khamis, tournament MVP Chuder Teny, who was the leading scorer over the course of the weekend, Dusan Sekulic (3-for-3 from behind the arc in the semifinal win off the bench) and defensive stalwarts Joedey Wonch-Castiglione and Kosta Arvanitis.

Grand River starts their WCSSAA regular season tonight with a 3:30pm road game at Glenview Park.

D8: Monday Results

Junior

Resurrection 64, St. David 38
This one was close early, but the Phoenix went on a big third quarter run to put the game out of reach.  St. David scoring details were not immediately available, while RCSS was led by Jacob Gilbert (13) and Adam Schneider (13).


Junior Standings
T1.  St. Mary's 1-0
T1.  Resurrection 1-0
3.  Rockway 0-0
T4.  St. Benedict 0-1
T4.  St. David 0-1

Senior

Rockway 59, Monsingor Doyle 41
My Pick: RMC
The Flames improve to 2-0 with a nice win over the Mustangs.  Guard Josh Klassen led the way with 17, while rookie forward Steven Veltri had 11.  Roberto Atwell led all scorers with 24 for Doyle, while Manveer Singh added 7.

Resurrection 50, St. David 43
My Pick:  RCSS
Nice job by the Celts to keep this one close on their home floor.  The Phoenix raced out to an 18-point second quarter lead, but after all members of the Phoenix played in the 3rd quarter, the starters had to re-enter the game to preserve the win.

Starting forward Cam Gibbs did not play for Resurrection due to a prior commitment, while reserve forward Stephen Cordle sat this one out as well.

In total, four players were in double figures --- for Resurrection, Andrew Mwangi (11) and Mike Pereira (10), and for the Celtics, Dan Hummel and Tyson Lavigne had 10 each.

St. Mary's 92, PRDG 44
My Pick:  SMHS
No surprise here as the Eagles cruise to their second win on the season.  Scoring details were not immediately available.

Senior Standings
T1.  St. Mary's 2-0
T1.  Rockway 2-0
3.  Resurrection 1-0
4.  St. David 1-1
5.  St. Benedict 0-1
T6.  PRDG 0-2
T6.  Monsignor Doyle 0-2

Exhibition and Tournament Results!

Coaches - just a reminder again this year to please send all of your tournament and/or exhibition results via e-mail to:

cwossabasketball@hotmail.com

Please include any pertinent details, such as high scorers, if they are available.

Your assistance is appreciated!

Junior Tournament: 2010 Timmy Rose Memorial (St. David CSS)

To be played this Friday and Saturday at St. David CSS in Waterloo.

Based upon early season results, I think that Bishop Mac will have no trouble winning their second consecutive title.  Here's how it shakes down:

Noon - St. David vs. Waterloo Wildhawks

1:30pm - Preston vs. Bluevale

3:00pm - Eastwood vs. Bishop Mac

4:30pm - Resurrection CSS (Midget Team) vs. Huron Heights

Championship game:  Saturday evening at 7:00pm.

....although the distributed draw says "Rez CSS" on it, it is actually their midget team participating as their junior team is in the SJAM tournament.

Resurrection Phoenix Senior Invitational Tournament

To be played this weekend (Friday the 4th & Saturday the 5th).

In total, 6 of the 8 participants are CWOSSA teams.

Draw is as follows:

8:30am - Resurrection CSS vs. Waterloo-Oxford

10am - Bishop Reding (Milton) vs. Centre Dufferin (Shelburne)

11:30am - St. David (Waterloo) vs. Eastwood (Kitchener)

1pm - Second Round Game Between 8:30am/10am Winners

2:30pm - Lourdes (Guelph) vs. Essex DSS

Junior: SJAM Highlander Hoopla - Dec 4th & 5th

The annual junior tournament will be going ahead at SJAM (now that their gym repairs have been completed).

This year's field again features several of the top teams in CWOSSA.....

Friday Draw

2:30pm - JF Ross vs. SJAM (A)
4:00pm - St. Mary's vs. Grand River (B)
5:30pm - Resurrection vs. Centennial (C)
7:00pm - North Park vs. Forest Heights (D)

Note:  First-round games are "seeding" games, so first round winners play first round losers (i.e. Winner of A plays Loser of B and vice-versa).

The championship final will be played Saturday evening at 8:30pm.

D8: Monday Picks

All games at 3:30pm except RCSS/SDCSS (5:00pm)

YTD Picks Record:  3-0 (1.000)

Resurrection (0-0) at St. David (1-0)
Pick:  RCSS
Though the Phoenix had only five team practices heading into the Heinbuch tournament this past weekend, I still expect them to have too many weapons for the Celtics to handle today.....though it could be closer than they'd like if they're looking ahead to Wednesday's showdown with St. Mary's.

St. Mary's (1-0) at PRDG (0-1)
Pick:  SMHS
I'm sure SMHS Coach Jason Hergott will play his bench a lot in this one.  It should still be a VERY comfortable Eagle victory.

Rockway (1-0) at Monsignor Doyle (0-1)
Pick:  RMC
Rockway can move to 2-0 with a win here; it would be important for them to secure this one especially with the "more powerful" D8 teams upcoming on the schedule (SBCSS, SDCSS, SMHS & RCSS).

WCSSAA Senior Boys Preview

It's shaping up to be an interesting year in WCSSAA senior boys' basketball.

Last year's league finalists-slash-CWOSSA "AAAA" reps are expected to be back near the top of the standings as both Bluevale and SJAM return several starters from last year, and have added key talent via junior and/or transfer.

However, there's about another three or four teams that should be quite competitive and considered contenders for the WCSSAA crown.

Here's a quick rundown of the teams, in no particular order.

Bluevale Knights
Last Year:  WCSSAA Champions
It's definitely an advantage when you can return the player who captured the league MVP last season ---- and the Knights have that in guard Stefan Cvrkalj (6'4"), who recented committed to NCAA D-1 Lehigh University.  Though Cvrkalj has missed recent action with a nagging injury, expect him to be back in the lineup soon.  Other returning starters include guards Karsten Beney (6'2") and Fraser Voll (6'1").

In addition, they get a key transfer from the States in 6'4" G/F Ian Farquharson, who has already posted a couple of 20+ performances.  Perrin Smith (6'6" C) likes to play the perimeter game but will be increasingly called upon to pick up the "crash the boards" role that now-graduated seniors Andrew Beney and Drew Ballak played so well last year.   

Mark's Thoughts:  Obviously still one of the top teams, and definitely in the running for the title.  Expect them to be competing at "semifinal Saturday" at minimum.

SJAM Highlanders
Last Year:  WCSSAA Finalists
The 'Landers return 3 starters in total from last year's squad, including guards Edem Ame and Ben Reyhani (both 6'0").  Reyhani is their key offensive weapon, and can light things up from just about anywhere on the court.  Other key returnees include PG Jordan James (5'7") and 6'1" G Kwame Botchway.  The Highlanders also bring up several guys from their junior team, including grade 10 forward Quinn Turner (6'5"), Connor Bradley (6'1" F) and Theshawn Barry (6'1" G).  Turner will be expected to fill the "big man void" left by graduating 6'7" forward Jake Robinet.

Mark's Thoughts:  Once this team gels, they should find themselves at or near the top of the standings.

Forest Heights Trojans
Last Year:  Lost in Quarterfinals
Though they lose guard Taylor McNaughton (graduation), there is still a lot of reason for optimism over in West Kitchener.  That's because the Trojans have five key returnees  --- guards Kieran McAndrew & Gage Paquette, forwards Srdjan Stanivuk and Paul Anderson, and centre Ben Nikkel.

Forest Heights also brings up one of the top WCSSAA junior players from a season ago, guard Javon Masters.

Mark's Thoughts:  There's some height and experience on this roster.  It should have them fighting for a first-round playoff bye (top four spot).

Waterloo Vikings
Last Year:  Lost in Quarterfinals
The Vikes were a veteran-laden squad a year ago, with three 5th year starters.  As such, gone are F Scott Coghlin, G/F Jasper Wesson and G Josh Forler.  However, the Vikes do return two members of their starting backcourt in (now) 5th year players Alex Copp (6'2") and Alex Despotovic (6'0').  Expected to join them in the starting lineup are another Alex, fourth year forward Alex Heap (6'0") and grade eleven rookies Malcolm Piazza (6'6" F/C) and guard Zach Totzke (5'11"). 

Other significant contributions are expected from a bunch more rookies from last year's WCSSAA championship and CWOSSA finalist squad:  Jacob Ranton (6'5" F), Adam Anagostopoulos (Grade 10/6'0" G), John McGowan (6'0" G/F), as well as G Jeyan Thangaraj and F Dani Elgadi.

Mark's Thoughts:  The Vikes will be a lot younger than last year, but that doesn't necessarily make them any less talented.  I would expect the Vikes to be a top-eight team at minimum, and be in the running for a top-four spot this season.

Cameron Heights Golden Gaels
Last Year:  Lost in Semifinals
Though he was eligible to return, Stefan Arezina has headed off to university.  That said, the Gaels do have four key "rotational" players back from last year's squad including F Stefan Cucak, F Nebojsa Djeric, G Amjed Osman, and G/F Adnan Shah.  Furthermore, they have 2 key junior guards coming up including Vedran Dmitrovic and Nem Simic.  Simic dropped 47 points on the weekend in a 95-38 victory over St. Thomas Aquinas.  However, during that game, an on-court brawl (involving Cucak) occurred wherein Djeric left the bench to participate.  As a result, I'm hearing that both may be suspended for CHCI's first two games --- which could be huge since they're games against quality opposition - i.e. Preston and Southwood.

Mark's Thoughts:  Not having Djeric and Cucak for the first couple of games will definitely hurt.  Also, the Gaels have one of the tougher schedules before the Christmas break --- aside from the above 2 games it includes ECI, BCI and SJAM.  If they can pick up 3 wins out of those 5 games, they'll be in great shape heading into the second half of the season.

Huron Heights Huskies
Last Year:  Did Not Make Playoffs
Though the Huskies didn't crack the top-twelve last season, there's a feeling at Huron that they can make the jump this year, thanks to a mix of key veterans and solid newcomers from a CWOSSA participant junior team.

The Huskies return their leading scorer from a year ago (Shayan Butt) and bring up the top scorer from WCSSAA junior last season in G Sean Samuel.  Alongside F Ben Yorga, a couple of other juniors are expected to round out the starting 5 --- Eric Spinache (F) and C Hunter Jones.

Mark's Thoughts:  Playoffs are definitely possible, but the Huskies must not get discouraged after facing some tough squads to open their schedule --- Bluevale, WCI, and Forest Heights.  Key games will be the ones right before the Christmas break (JHSS & WODSS).

Eastwood Rebels
Last Year:  Did Not Make Playoffs
Though the Rebels posted just 2 wins a season ago, coaches Mike Reinhart and Steve Martin are focused on returning ECI to the playoff picture in 2011.

They will have some pieces to work with, including three returning starters:  5'7" PG Steffon Heyliger, 5'10" SF Zaman Sindy, and 6'3" PF Gondor Teny.  In addition, several juniors are moving up from a 5th place squad in WCSSAA, and grade elevens Jerelle Vaughan (6'0" F) and Djordje Goverica (5'10" G) will join the aforementioned trio in the starting lineup.  Another grade eleven, Terel Christian, should see some significant minutes as well.

Mark's Thoughts:  The Rebels are a bit undersized, with only one starter who goes above 6'0".  That said, I like them to improve upon last year's finish.  How much they improve will depend on how well they can handle the defensive glass.

Grand River Renegades
Last Year:  Lost in Qualifying Round
With tons of returning players, this could be the year that the Grand River Renegades start to climb back up the WCSSAA ladder.

Of course, the returning players are also talented, with most having been members of the GRCI junior squads in 2008 & 2009 that won back-to-back CWOSSA silver medals at the junior level.  That group includes G Brodi Verbiski, G Osama Qahwash, C Trevor McLaughlin, F Stefan Milanovic and G/F Mike Peters.  In addition, grade 11 rookie Filip Cvrkalj should bolster their play.

Mark's Thoughts:  The pieces (and experience) are now in place for a serious run at at CWOSSA berth.  Hampering their early-season progress will be the fact that OFSAA volleyball just wrapped up this weekend.

Waterloo-Oxford Crusaders
Last Year:  Lost in Qualifying Round
Twelve of fourteen members of last year's WODSS squad were in grade 10 or eleven, which makes for a ton of returnees.

Leading the way are returning starters Andy Trimmel, Jesse Dodgson and Kyle Weber, who are seeking to continue the basketball turnaround at W-O (the Crusaders were winless just two years ago).

Mark's Thoughts:  Like Grand River above, a long volleyball season may have early-season effects.  That said, the Crusaders do get a scheduling benefit (bye) on the first day of the season with EDSS out of the senior loop.  Look for W-O to make the playoffs and possibly host a first-round playoff game if all goes well.

Southwood Sabres
Last Year: Lost in Quarterfinal Round
Though the Sabres do lose a couple of key players, including Mark Stotesbury and Andrew Sauer, the Sabres do have a veteran roster set to return.  Among the key pieces from last year's squad coming back are Brian Doran, Griffin Sharpe and Mackenzie Collins.  Andrew's younger brother, Zac Sauer, is the key rookie from the junior squad.

Mark's Thoughts:  A definite "darkhorse pick" when it comes to the WCSSAA championship.  Should have no trouble qualifying against for AAA CWOSSA, however.

Preston Panthers
Last Year:  Lost in Quarterfinal Round
The Panthers lose some integral pieces of last year's team, including one of the top big men in WCSSAA (Jeff Robinson - now at Fanshawe College).  In addition, starting forward Abe Upshaw has also moved on, but the Panthers do have a key returnee in Chris Ackie, who put up some big numbers last year.  Furthermore, Preston also adds Wes Meertens from junior, who posted some terrific numbers last year. 

Mark's Thoughts:  Despite a couple of key losses, the drop-off won't be as bad as people think.  I expect a middle of the pack season, and a possible AAA CWOSSA berth.

KCI Raiders
Last Year:  Lost in Semifinal
The fairy-tale run at KCI over the past couple of years is set to wind down.  Gone are several key components of the squad that made the '09 WCSSAA final and the '10 WCSSAA semifinals, including WCSSAA all-stars Arben Kalaba and Darnell Simpson.

For KCI to make a run at a CWOSSA berth, they'll need some key contributions from their returning role players and key rookie Amanj Aras-Saber.

Mark's Thoughts:  The Raiders will tumble a bit in the standings, but should still make the playoffs.  Coach Nick White always seems to get the most out of his players --- I can see them still pulling a couple key wins if teams underestimate them.

Glenview Park Panthers
Last Year:  Did Not Make Playoffs
Though the Panthers didn't make the playoffs last year, they are continuing their rebuilding process after not having a team during the 2008-09 season.

The Panthers will bring up a few key guys from a junior team that made the WCSSAA and CWOSSA playoffs.  They have, however, lost leading scorer Cory Prince.

Mark's Thoughts:  I expect the Panthers to be improved, though from a sheer numbers perspective, it's difficult for them to compete against the "big schools".  Look for them to compete for a lower-end playoff seeding.

Galt Ghosts
Last Year:  Lost In Qualifying Round
The Ghosts snuck into the playoffs last year as a 12-seed, and do have some returnees from last year's squad including Tyler Audet, Leon Vilaysaeng and Sherodan Burke, among others.

Mark's Thoughts:  The Ghosts have posted a couple early season exhibition/tournament wins, so I would again expect them to be in the running for a lower-end playoff berth in the WCSSAA league.

Jacob Hespeler Hawks
Last Year:  Did Not Make Playoffs
The Hawks lose a couple of key starters, including Connor Paddock and Jeremy Perkins, but do have a key returnee in Brendan Vandyken.

The Hawks will be expecting big things from those coming up from their junior team that finished 3rd overall in the WCSSAA regular season standings.  Unfortunately, key guard Jason Quiring has flown the Hawks' nest to attend the REDA program in Hamilton.

Mark's Thoughts:  Losing Quiring is huge, as he could have made an immediate impact.  They should still have enough pieces to compete for a lower-end playoff berth, however.

Elmira DSS
Last Year:  Lost in Qualifying Round
Elmira will not be fielding a senior team in this year's WCSSAA league.

Gaels Capture Phoenix Jr. Invitiational in Impressive Fashion

The Cameron Heights Golden Gaels finished 4-0 in the Resurrection Phoenix Junior Boys Round Robin Invitational over the weekend, blasting the host Phoenix (3-1) 74-30 in the "championship game".

The Gaels were prolific from the floor on Saturday afternoon, nailing eight threes combined in the second and third quarters to pull away.  The Gaels had opened up a 38-19 lead by halftime, and continued their torrid shooting in the second half.

"We didn't shoot well and had a lot of unforced turnovers, while Cameron Heights took care of the ball and shot very well," said Rez head coach Chris Aldworth.

"When you combine those factors, the end result on the scoreboard isn't going to be very pretty (from our standpoint)," he noted.

Nikola Farkic had 15 points for Cameron Heights --- all accounted for behind the arc (5 threes).  Athletic big-man Jason Thompson contributed 11 points.

Rez was led by Jacob Gilbert, who had 10.  Adam Schneider and Mark Wylie had 4 each.

Other teams in the tournament were Bluevale Collegiate (2-2), Huron Heights (1-3) and St. David (0-4).

The tournament all-star team featured two selections from each school.  They were Farkic & Thompson from CHCI, Schneider and Tony Moi (RCSS), Alex Deadman and Jacob Mardian (HHHS), Rob Dietrich & Kwame Adam (SDCSS) and Jeevanjot Sidhu & Lukas Seibert (Bluevale).

Tournament Leading Scorers
1.  Tony Moi, RCSS - 14.0 PPG (56 points)
2.  Jeevanjot Sidhu, BCI - 12.3 PPG (49 points)
3.  Jason Thompson, CHCI - 10.8 PPG (43 points)
4.  Alex Deadman, HHHS - 10.0 PPG (40 points)
T5.  Kevin Heeralall, SDCSS - 9.0 PPG (36 points)
T5.  Jacob Gilbert, RCSS - 9.0 PPG (36 points)
T7.  Adam Schneider, RCSS - 8.5 PPG (34 points)
T7.  Ahmed Sheikhali, CHCI - 8.5 PPG (34 points)
9.  Rob Dietrich, SDCSS - 8.3 PPG (32 points)
10.  John Efechaobor, BCI - 6.8 PPG (27 points)

Ross Captures Heinbuch Bronze Championship

After an opening round loss to eventual tournament champion Oakville Loyola, the JF Ross Royals reeled off three consecutive victories en route to the bronze championship at the Heinbuch Senior Boys Tournament over the weekend in Kitchener.

The Royals won their second round game against Toronto Northern (65-57) backed by 15 points from Jack Cornett.  This advanced JFR to the bronze bracket where they would win two games against WCSSAA schools.

The Royals defeated Bluevale 48-41 on Saturday morning.  Wil de Groot had 11 for a balanced Ross attack, while Karsten Beney topped the Knights with 16.

In the bronze championship against another WCSSAA school, the SJAM Highlanders, Ross' quick guard Shamlo Saeed pumped in 35 points to lead Ross to a 50-43 victory.  SJAM received 20 from Ben Reyhani.

Saeed's 35 points were the most scored by any player over the three-day tournament, and he was named as a Heinbuch second-team all-star.  He was the lone CWOSSA player to receive all-star recognition.

D8 Clubs Struggle in Silver Semis

After posting opening-round wins to advance to the silver semifinals, the St. Mary's Eagles and Resurrection Phoenix seemed like decent bets to end CWOSSA's eight-year drought in the gold & silver divisions.  However, St. Mary's, who gave everything they had the night before against Ajax J. Clarke Richardson, came out a little flat and dropped a 76-55 game to London Beal.  Alex Thompson had 19 for the Eagles.

Meanwhile, Resurrection couldn't get things going offensively and fell 60-41 to Hamilton St. Thomas More.  Transfer Stephen Cordle was the top scorer for Rez with 9 points.

Brantford Expositor: Trojans Hurt By Turnovers

The North Park Collegiate Trojans senior girls basketball team came agonizingly close to not only scoring a huge upset but also playing for an OFSAA medal.

Facing London's Regina Mundi Catholic College in the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations AAA championships in Stratford, the Trojans were edged 43-42 in a Friday night quarter-final, eliminating them from play.

North Park, the tournament's sixth-ranked team, led 37-31 heading into the final quarter only to have Regina Mundi, the No. 3 seed, outscore them 12-5.

"There were a lot of bad calls by the refs," said NPC coach Andrea Hawkins. "They called a travel and two carries.

"In the end it was unfortunate turnovers that cost us."

Even though North Park misses out on playing in a Saturday semifinal, Hawkins is proud of her team's play.

"It's mixed emotions, really," she said. "Regina Mundi was supposed to kick our butt.

"The kids played great. We played a great game on defence.

"I'm so proud of them. They played phenomenal."

The Trojans opened the quarterfinal game with a first quarter 12-8 lead before Regina Mundi narrowed the gap to 22-19 at the half.

After the half, North Park came out strong, outscoring its opponents 15-12 in the third quarter to jump ahead 37-31.

But then in the fourth quarter, the calls that haunted the Trojans killed them as Regina Mundi outscored NPC 12-5 to win by one point.

Holly Ryerse led North Park's offence with 12 points while Cassie Fletcher scored 10.

The Trojans opened the tournament on Thursday with a 41-28 win against Toronto's Havergal College (No. 16). That moved them into a Friday morning game against Etobicoke Collegiate Institute.

In that game, North Park jumped into a 21-15 first-quarter lead before extending its advantage to 41-29 at the half.

Etobicoke chipped into the lead, outscoring NPC 20-18 in the third quarter and despite being outscored 13-10 in the fourth, the Trojans hung on for the 69-62 win.

Etobicoke was ranked 11th and had lost its opening game to the No. 1 seeded Louis Riel Secondary School.

Fletcher had a huge game on the scoresheet for North Park against Etobicoke, scoring 31 points. Laura Chapple added 16.

"She was phenomenal," Hawkins said of Fletcher. "That was the best game she's ever played."

Despite her team's season coming to end just a couple of games shorter than she'd hoped, Hawkins doesn't feel anything but pride.

The team will lose four players -Jenny Howell, Kaitlyn Lumax, Holly Ryerse and Brinley McLaren -but Hawkins expects big things next season.

"We're going out to win it all next year," she said.

"This year, I was just hoping we'd win CWOSSA and then get the experience (at OFSAA)."

North Park completes a tremendously successful season, finishing as runners-up to St. John's College in Brant County before winning the Central Western Ontario Secondary Schools Association AAA championship in Cambridge last week.

This was the first trip to OFSAA for a senior girls basketball team from NPC since 1997.

Retrieved From:  http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2865155

Brantford Expositor: Green Eagles Edged 55-54 for OFSAA Bronze

Article By:  Ed O'Leary

St. John's College Green Eagles hit a few sour notes Saturday after dancing to sweet music for the majority of the 2010 season.

"It's a heart-breaking way to end the season," head coach Steve Van Leeuwen said after St. John's was nipped 55-54 by London's John Paul II Jaguars in the bronze-medal game at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association's Quad-A girls' basketball championships at Cathedral High School in Hamilton.

The Green Eagles were knocked into the bronze-medal game Saturday afternoon when they lost 41-37 to Ancaster's Bishop Tonnos Catholic Secondary School Titans in a semifinal game. Tonnos, the No. 3 seed, would go on to lose the gold-medal game to top-seeded Hamilton St. Mary Catholic Secondary School Crusaders 58-47.

The Crusaders beat fifth-seeded John Paul II 55-40 in the other semifinal. The second-seeded Green Eagles were the defending Quad-A champions as they went through the 2009 season with a 45-0 record.

St. John's also reached the OFSAA "AAA" championship game in 2008 but took home silver medals as they lost the final to St. Catharines Governor Simcoe Redcoats on the Redcoats' home floor.

Van Leeuwen believed his girls should hold their heads high as they finished the season with a 36-6 record. They won the Central Western Ontario Secondary Schools Association's Quad-A championship and the Brant County crown.

"How many teams can say they're the fourth best team in Ontario?" he asked. "It's quite an accomplishment and some people go their whole career just to get to OFSAA. In the last three years, our girls have been first, second and fourth. That's pretty impressive."

The Eagles, who have had a target on their back all season as defending champions, got off to a slow start against John Paul as the Jaguars led 17-10 at the end of the first quarter and 33-22 at the half. St. John's battled back to lead 41-40 after three quarters and the Green Eagles were up two points when Jaguars' Danielle Carriere made an old-fashioned three-point play with eight seconds remaining in regulation time to give John Paul II a one-point lead.

Kelly Van Leeuwen attempted a 17-foot, game-winning shot for the Eagles with three seconds remaining but the shot failed. Van Leeuwen led the Eagles with 23 points. Caroline Rebry got 10 points, Kayla Santilli added nine and Rachel Cleary and Deidra McDermid each scored five points.

"I give full credit to the other team," coach Van Leeuwen said. "They played very well but anytime you have a shot to win at the end of the game, you can't be unhappy with that."

The Eagles didn't go to OFSAA with the mindset to win a bronze medal. They were searching for gold and settling for silver at the very least.

"It was a difficult game for our girls to play," Van Leeuwen admitted. "They were disappointed after losing the semifinal."

The Eagles' shooting was absolutely terrible against Bishop Tonnos in their semifinal game. The Titans led 11-10 at the end of the first quarter, 23-18 at the half and 27-23 after three quarters.

"We competed, we just didn't shoot the ball very well," said coach Van Leeuwen. "We got ourselves in a hole by not shooting the ball well. They (John Paul II) hit their foul shots (down the stretch). They did what they had to win."

Kelly Van Leeuwen and Cleary scored 10 points each for the Eagles. McDermid and Santilli scored five points apiece. Arielle Mendoza and Rebry added two points apiece. The Eagles faced an uphill climb throughout the game because of their poor shooting but they never quit.

"You show your true character when you face adversity and our girls showed true character out there," Van Leeuwen claimed. "They didn't give up and it's easy to give up when things don't go your way."

Retrieved From:  http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2866440

Updates

At OFSAA "AA", Bishop Macdonell has guaranteed CWOSSA at least one medal by winning their quarterfinal game this evening.

Brantford's North Park dropped a heartbreaking 43-42 decision to London Regina Mundi in their quarterfinal game.  The Trojans were up 6 after three but were outscored 12-5 in the decisive fourth quarter.

At AAAA, WCI was soundly defeated by #1 St. Mary's.  #2 St. John's is currently playing #4 St. Anne's.

[Update:  St. John's turned a 3-point game into a 20 point win with another solid second half effort.  CWOSSA will be guaranteed two medals in girls' basketball].

And in a huge shocker (to this point) at the Heinbuch, Kitchener St. Mary's leads Ajax J. Clarke Richardson (one of the top 2/3 teams in Ontario) 46-40 at halftime!

[Update:  JCR was able to hold off St. Mary's by an 84-77 final; still a great effort by the Eagles.  Ben Bankazo had 26 for SMHS]

Earlier Heinbuch results (round 2) for CWOSSA teams:  Loyola 55, Resurrection 46; Bluevale 52 Ottawa Borden 40; JF Ross 65, Northern 57; SJAM 51, North Park 36.

Resurrection Junior Tournament: Phoenix Knock off Knights

The Resurrection Phoenix improved to 3-0 in the five team Resurrection Junior Boys Round Robin Tournament late this afternoon with a 52-40 victory over Bluevale Collegiate.

The win will likely set up a "winner take all" game at 12 noon tomorrow against Cameron Heights, who currently are the only other undefeated team (2-0).  Even if the Gaels lose their game tomorrow against Huron Heights, they could still capture the tournament championship with a win against Resurrection (tiebreak - head to head matchup).

In the RCSS/BCI game, Tony Moi had an outstanding effort with 25 points.  Bluevale was led by Lukas Seibert with 12.

Boxscore

BCI        06-11-11-12 = 40

RCSS    18-13-07-14 = 52

Boxscore = FG, FT-A, Pts.

Bluevale

J. Sidhu           4, 1-4 - 9 pts.

S. Budhram     2, 0-1 - 4 pts.

J. Becker        0, 1-2 - 1 pt.

J. Ding            2, 1-2 - 5 pts.

G. Large         1, 2-4 - 4 pts.

L. Seibert        4, 4-8 - 12 pts.

J. Efechaobor  2, 0-0 - 5 pts.

Free-Throws:  9-21 (.429).  Three-Point Goals:  1 (J. Efechaobor).

Resurrection

T. Moi            12, 1-2 - 25 pts.

A. Schneider   3, 0-2 - 6 pts.

P. McGlynn    2, 2-2 - 6 pts.

N. Langlois     3, 2-2 - 8 pts.

J. Gilbert         1, 3-4 - 5 pts.

K. Milio          1, 0-1 - 0 pts.

Free-Throws:  8-13 (.615).  Three-Point Goals:  0.