CWOSSA Teams & AAAA Qualification Update

Earlier tonight, Holy Trinity (Oakville) upset St. Thomas More (Hamilton) in a GHAC qualifier --- meaning that Trinity will take an OFSAA "AAAA" berth.

As a CWOSSA tie-in, Holy Trinity is a team that Resurrection defeated in tournament play (also, both Bluevale & RCSS had losses to St. Thomas More).

Neither of our OFSAA qualifiers (CHCI & JF Ross) matched up with HT during the season.

The other GHAC qualifier went as expected, with Oakville Loyola topping Hamilton Cathedral.

We can also tell you that Ancaster has taken the AAAA SOSSA berth.  This is good news for our CWOSSA teams, as I project them as a lower seed than our CWOSSA qualifiers. 

Only one more OFSAA berth is to be determined on Wednesday, with Holy Names (Windsor) taking on the winner of a game between St. Patrick's (Sarnia) and Chatham Ursuline.  Holy Names (who have beaten several OFSAA teams) are the favourite in that one.

Also, we can also confirm that Pickering (who beat J. Clarke Richardson) are out of contention after an ineligible player controversy.  So, put the stronger JCR Storm back in the mix. 

Here's my new projected rankings, based upon some information that has come to light:

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

***SWOSSA spot to be determined Wednesday, Holy Names vs. Chatham Ursuline or Sarnia St. Patrick. 

NCAA: Johnson Named to Patriot League Second Team

Congratulations to former St. David CSS star (and current Bucknell sophomore) Bryson Johnson, who has been named as a Second Team All-Patriot League selection this year.

Johnson averaged 11.5 PPG (second on the team), 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists.  He started all 30 games for Bucknell, averaging 28.5 minutes a contest.

He's known around the league as a three-point threat/specialist, with 85% of his field goal attempts coming from behind the arc. 

Johnson's teammates, Mike Muscala (Player of the Year) and Darryl Shazier, were named as first-team selections.

The future is bright for Stefan Cvrkalj's future school, Lehigh, as sophomore CJ McCollum (last year's Player of the Year) was again a first-team selection.  The Mountain Hawks also had freshman guard Mackey McKnight crack the all-freshman team.

Bucknell finished 13-1 in league play on the season and will go into the Patriot League's conference tournament as the #1 seed, playing Army in the first round.  Lehigh, who finished 6-8, are the #4 seed in the eight-team league and will host Navy.

To see the official release from the Patriot League, go to:
http://www.patriotleague.org/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/022811aab.html

Mark's "All-CWOSSA" Tournament Team - AAAA

Senior

Mike Pereira, Resurrection (6'4" F, Grade 12)
The fourth year forward was huge for Resurrection, hitting timely baskets in Rez's first game against Centennial to help seal that win.  He would go on to add 16 against CHCI and 20 against JF Ross, including a huge "and one" dunk on a partial breakaway in the second half.  Pereira's stock just keeps continuing to go up --- with his meteoric rise, if he comes back for a 5th year (right now 50-50) I expect him to be one of CWOSSA's biggest recruiting targets next year.

Nebojsa Djeric, Cameron Heights (6'2" F, 5th Year)
You never know who of their starting five is going to step up, and in the CWOSSA championship game on Saturday night it was Djeric.  He hit for 21 points in the game, and was calm and cool from the foul line, going 7 for 7.  He did a solid job on the glass as well.

Shamlo Saeed, JF Ross (5'10" G, Grade 12)
This grade 12 sparkplug is key to Ross' success.  Although he didn't have the greatest scoring numbers in the championship final (9 points), his poise and ball-handling were at times key for the Royals against Cameron's half-court pressure.  He hit a couple of big jumpers, often doing so by stepping-back to gain space against a taller defender.  Very heady player who, like most of the Royals, will return for a 5th year.

Ben Reyhani, SJAM (6'0" G, Grade 12)
This sharpshooter lit up St. John's for 41 points in the tournament's first round.  Although he had a stomach flu that forced him to miss much of SJAM's second game, he would come out on Saturday with a solid effort that again included a couple of deep three-balls.  Reyhani, at this point, is 50-50 to return to SJAM for a 5th year.

MVP:  Amjed Osman, Cameron Heights (5'8" G, Grade 12)
What can we say?  This floor general was doing it at both ends of the floor in the championship game, hitting a couple of key buckets and locking down defensively.  He helped to force the decisive steal in the waning seconds (when CHCI had a foul to give) that helped to seal the win.  His leadership and decision-making skills were also key in helping the Gaels survive a pool-play scare against Guelph Centennial.

Junior

Omar Aidaruse, Forest Heights (5'10" G, Grade 10)
Probably not a name you would have expected here at the start of the tournament, but this grade ten guard played very well on Saturday in both the semifinal and final games, scoring double digits (12 & 10) in both of those contests.  He has a good fundamental knack (e.g. cutting and creating space for himself), and I think with some development he can be a solid contributor at the senior level for the Trojans.

Tim Dawson, St. John's (5'9" G, Grade 10)
Dawson, who earlier in the week won the D5 title for the Green Eagles with a couple of free-throws with 0.6 seconds left in a game, continued his steady play under the pressure of CWOSSA.  He started with 18 points against Cameron Heights, and would hit for double digits the rest of the way, including 17 points against FHCI in a semifinal loss.  However, his four three-pointers in that game helped keep SJC within striking distance.  Definitely a guy to keep an eye on as he joins a youthful Eagle senior squad next season.

Kristian Vande Kemp, JF Ross (6'4" F, Grade 10)
Vande Kemp can finish inside, and hit from medium-to-long range as well.  He demonstrated his multi-faceted game at numerous times this weekend, and was somebody that all teams had to account for in their games against the junior Royals.  He's got SF skills, and already in grade 10, has CIS "SF size".  Keep an eye on his development as he heads up to a veteran Ross senior squad next season. 

Mike Blumel, St. Mary's (6'3" F, Grade 9)
The lone grade 9 to make the list, Blumel will enter next season as one of the top couple of junior players (if not the top) in CWOSSA.  In the championship final, he poured in 15 points before fouling out, demonstrating a nice variety of low post moves as well as good court sense.  He has good touch on his mid-range jumper, and is a solid free-throw shooter as well.  He would be a good candidate to move up early to the SMHS senior squad next season, although the Eagles' senior roster will already be loaded with returnees. 

MVP:  Juwan Miller, Forest Heights (5'10" G, Grade 10)
No doubt about this one.  The super-athletic guard slashed and dashed his way past defenders en route to a 35-point championship finals effort and 28 in the semifinals as well.  He was absolutely unstoppable and has a great ability of getting into the lane and adjusting himself right as he's making his attempt (i.e. often getting himself squared to the basket or backboard).  Miller, who is a very good shooter, will look to continue to develop that ability as he transitions to the senior level --- of course, he didn't need to settle for jump shots in junior with the ease that he could get to the basket.  Definitely CWOSSA's top prospect right now among the current grade 10 crop. 

Breaking Down the OFSAA "AAAA" Participants

Update:  It has come to my attention from an e-mail that Pickering HS, who defeated J Clarke Richardson in the LOSSA championship game, are currently under investigation for using an ineligible player this season.  So, put an "asterisk" beside that qualifier for now.

The Cameron Heights' Golden Gaels and the John F. Ross Royals will be heading to OFSAA next week with, to be frank, nothing to lose.

Both teams will be aiming at the fact that no CWOSSA team has advanced past the tournament's second round since 2007, when the Waterloo SJAM Highlanders went on a miracle run as a double-digit seed to capture "antique bronze" and fourth place at OFSAA.

Of course, at this point, even a win would be nice.

CWOSSA also has a six-game "losing streak" at OFSAA, dating back not only last year (0-4) but also to the 2009 second round, starting with SJAM's 106-83 loss to Windsor Catholic Central.  SJAM, who were seeded #10 that year, defeated #9 Ajax Notre Dame 56-43 in the opening round of that tournament.

Here's a look at the teams that will comprise the OFSAA field.  In terms of to be played qualifiers, I've listed the favourites.

Note:  J. Clarke Richardson was upset by Pickering in the LOSSA finals over the weekend, so even though they have been ranked as one of the top 3 teams in the province all season, they will not be making the trip to London.

Here goes:

St. Mike's (Toronto) - CISAA

Cameron Heights (Kitchener) - CWOSSA

JF Ross (Guelph) - CWOSSA

Collingwood CVI - GBSSAA

Loyola (Oakville) - GHAC (probable qualifier)

St. Thomas More (H) - GHAC (probable qualifier)

Pickering HS - LOSSA
Sacred Heart (Ottawa) - NCSSAA
D'Youville (Brampton) - ROPSSAA
Fletcher's Meadow (Brampton) - ROPSSAA
TBD - SOSSA
Holy Names (Windsor) - SWOSSA (Probable Qualifier)
Henry Carr (Toronto) - TDCAA
Oakwood CI (Toronto) - TDSSAA
Eastern Commerce (Toronto) - TDSSAA
HB Beal (London) - WOSSAA
St. Thomas Aquinas (London) - WOSSAA
Vaughan HS - YRAA

So, there you have it.  If I had to slot in where I think the CWOSSA teams would fit in, I would go as follows:

#15 - Cameron Heights

#16 - St. Thomas Aquinas (London) --- could potentially be flipped with CHCI depending on their quality wins.  CWOSSA comparison:  defeated CWOSSA "AAA" champion North Park 49-30 in the first round of the UWO tournament.

#17 - JF Ross

#18 - Collingwood CVI

Mark's Note:  Depending on who the SOSSA qualifier is, that school could also come into the mix with the above teams.  However, if it is a team like Notre Dame (Welland) I do expect them to get a little respect for their 4th place finish at last year's tournament, even though they were a #13 seed.

Interestingly enough, the Southwood tournament in Cambridge played host to two of those teams --- Cameron Heights and Collingwood.  Surprisingly, both teams made relatively quick exits, losing in the second round.  Cameron Heights lost to Barrie St. Joseph's, while Collingwood was upset by CWOSSA's Centre Wellington DHS (a team that JF Ross has defeated twice this season by double digits). 

Update:  Collingwood did defeat Cameron Heights in a "friendship game" at that tournament.  Also, the Owls do have a win over Welland Notre Dame to their credit, which may come into play should ND qualify for OFSAA. 

At any rate, being in the "bottom four teams" is not necessarily a bad thing should Cameron Heights and JF Ross end up there.  In fact, it actually gives you a better opportunity to leave OFSAA with a win under your belt.

You see, OFSAA is an 18-team tournament.  In order to get things to 16 teams for the second round, there are two "second round qualifier" games:

(Loser of #6 vs. #16) vs. (Loser of #3 vs. #18)
(Loser of #4 vs. #15) vs. (Loser of #5 vs. #17)

Of course, if a team can get hot at the right time and possibly take advantage of some favourable matchups that result due to upsets, then it's not out of the question for a double-digit seed to take home an OFSAA medal.

Last year, two teams ranked behind a CWOSSA representative (#11 Waterloo Bluevale) walked away with OFSAA medals.  The #12 St. Thomas More Knights took silver, while #14 Welland Notre Dame shocked everyone by ending up in the bronze medal game, which they lost to Vaughan. 

Sometimes, it really is all about the matchups.

AAAA Senior Final: Cameron Heights 54, JF Ross 49

FYI - boxscore and additional information to be added to this post later.

The Cameron Heights Golden Gaels have done it.

The Gaels captured their first CWOSSA senior boys' basketball title on Saturday evening at Resurrection, winning a back-and-forth game 54-49 over the Guelph John F. Ross Royals.  Both teams had entered the game having not won a CWOSSA senior title since (at least) 1995.

For making the championship final, the Gaels and Royals will serve as CWOSSA's "AAAA" representatives in London next week.

Despite the loss, the Royals could have easily been heading to London with CWOSSA gold around their necks.

The Royals held a 49-48 lead late in the contest (just over 1:00 left) when JF Ross sharpshooting grade eleven guard Mike Friesen found himself alone on the baseline for a three-point attempt that just went off the rim.  The Gaels would control the rebound, and on their trip up the court, Nebojsa Djeric was fouled on a put-back attempt --- converting both free-throws to give the Gaels a lead they would not relinquish (50-49).

Djeric, Vedran Dmitrovic, and Amjed Osman combined to make four more free throws in the remaining seconds as the Gaels would clinch the victory.

The above trio were also Cameron's leading scorers in this one --- Djeric had 21, Dmitrovic netted 14 and Osman 9.  Evan Karl led Ross with a double-double (17 points, 10 rebounds).

Cameron Heights' five starters played almost the entire game ---- Kyle Waterman was the only Cameron Heights sub who got into the game with seconds remaining in the first half (to protect Osman, who, at the time, had 2 fouls). 

AAAA Junior Final: Forest Heights 58, St. Mary's 47

Sometimes, bad things happen to good teams.

Such was the case for the St. Mary's Eagles, who have been my top "AAAA" CWOSSA team essentially all season.  However, (arguably) the Eagles best player, Chris Clouthier, injured his knee playing pick-up basketball earlier in the week and was unavailable for the entire CWOSSA tournament.

The Forest Heights Trojans, meanwhile, were at the top of their game on Saturday night, taking advantage of their depleted counterparts.

The Trojans outscored the ice-cold Eagles 19-6 in the first quarter, and would go on to take a 23-6 lead in the second before St. Mary's rebounded slightly to close the half down 11 points (29-18).  The Trojans' superstar guard, Juwan Miller, nearly outscored the entire St. Mary's team in the first half as he put up 17 points in that 16 minute span.

One of the keys for the Trojans defensively was their interior post defense.  They were able to cause numerous SMHS turnovers off of post entries, and, in some instances, take those the other way for layups.

The Eagles' offensive struggles - slash - Forest Heights' solid defense continued in the third, as SMHS went scoreless for the first four minutes of the frame.  They would, however, hit two consecutive "and ones" near the end of the frame to head to the fourth down by a manageable single-digit deficit (39-30).

However, St. Mary's chances of a comeback took a huge hit when grade 9 forward Mike Blumel, their offensive star on this night, fouled out with just under 6:00 to play.  The Eagles wouldn't quit, and would cut things to 52-44 and 1:30 to play, but Miller would ice things for the Trojans at the line down the stretch.

Miller finished his final junior game in style, with a double-double (35 points, 11 rebounds).  He also added 5 assists.  The Eagles were unable to contain him from slashing to the basket, and as many other FHCI opponents this year have found out, if you don't at least slow him down, you have no shot of beating Forest Heights. 

The Trojans also received 10 points from Omar Aidaruse, 8 from Ian Anderson, 3 from Jack Taylor, and 2 from Elijah Callendar.

Blumel led the Eagles with 15 points, while Avery Sutton was also in double figures with 13.  It was a rough night for SMHS guard Tyler Hergott, as he had 7 points but shot just 2-for-17 from the floor.  

The Eagles also received points from Jeremy Cresswell (6), Telloy Simon (5) and Nathan Riley (1).

The CWOSSA title was the Trojans' first since 2005.  They also prevented the Eagles from picking up their second title in the last four years, and ended the D8's run of three consecutive CWOSSA titles (St. Mary's 2008, Resurrection 2009 & 2010).

This also marked the third consecutive year that the WCSSAA #1 and D8 #1 teams (who are both in "Pool A") met in the finals.  It was the second consecutive year that the winning team lost by double digits in pool play but would rebound in the finals for the victory.  In pool play, the Eagles took out the Trojans 64-46 while in last year's CWOSSA tournament, WCI beat Resurrection 57-38 before the Phoenix rebounded for a 42-39 win in the finals. 

Congratulations, Trojans!

Boxscore

SMHS    06-12-12-17 = 47

FHCI      19-10-10-19 = 58

St. Mary's (47)

E. Duong       0-0 FG, 0-0 FT, 2 Reb, 0 Ast - 0 Pts.

A. Sutton      4-9 FG, 5-7 FT, 6 Reb, 2 Ast - 13 Pts.

T. Hergott     2-17 FG, 3-3 FT, 0 Reb, 2 Ast - 7 Pts.

M. Blumel     6-11 FG, 3-4 FT, 7 Reb, 0 Ast - 15 Pts.

J. Cresswell   1-3 FG, 4-6 FT, 8 Reb, 0 Ast - 6 Pts.

------------

T. Simon       2-5 FG, 0-0 FT, 6 Reb, 0 Ast - 5 Pts.

N. Riley        0-1 FG, 1-2 FT, 1 Reb, 0 Ast - 1 Pt.

Field Goals:  15-46 (.326).  Free-Throws:  16-22 (.727).  Three-Point Goals:  1-6, .167 (T. Simon 1-2, A. Sutton 0-1, N. Riley 0-1, T. Hergott 0-2).

Forest Heights (58)

J. Taylor        1-6 FG, 0-0 FT, 1 Reb, 0 Ast - 3 Pts.

O. Aidaruse   4-10 FG, 1-4 FT, 4 Reb, 0 Ast - 10 Pts.

I. Anderson    4-9 FG, 0-0 FT, 3 Reb, 1 Ast - 8 Pts.

J. Miller     11-17 FG, 13-20 FT, 11 Reb, 5 Ast - 35 Pts.

E. Callandar  1-3 FG, 0-0 FT, 6 Reb, 0 Ast - 2 Pts.

------------

J. Kamara     0-0 FG, 0-0 FT, 2 Reb, 1 Ast - 0 Pts.

F. Barucija    0-4 FG, 0-2 FT, 3 Reb, 0 Ast - 0 Pts.

Field Goals:  21-49 (.429).  Free-Throws:  14-26 (.538).  Three-Point Goals, 2-15, .133 (O. Aidaruse 1-3, J. Taylor 1-5, I. Anderson 0-1, J. Miller 0-3, F. Barucija 0-3).

AAA Recap: Senior Trojans, Junior Raiders Take Titles

Things went according to seeding form in the "AAA" CWOSSA senior championship.

As for the junior "AAA" championship, not so much.  

Here's how both divisions shook down:

Senior Recap

The #1 North Park Trojans captured the senior title with an absolutely thrilling victory over the #2 St. James Lions.

St. James actually went scoreless for the first 9:30 of the game!  However, North Park wasn't much more successful on the offensive end and went into halftime up 14-8.

The Trojans would lead by 2 (36-34) with :04 left in regulation.  The Lions inbounded the ball to their 5th year star, Ryan Higgins, who went coast to coast and got off a great attempt that hit the front of them and bounced off ---- giving the CWOSSA title to North Park for the second consecutive season.

Higgins had 24 of St. James' 34 points to lead all scorers.

The semifinals were equally competitive.

The Waterloo St. David Celtics (#4) gave North Park all they could handle before succumbing 47-41 to the Trojans.  The game was tight throughout, with North Park's Cale McDonald drawing a foul on a three-point shot and hitting all three attempts to give NPC a 29-26 lead heading into the fourth.  That seemed to spur him on, as he knocked in four threes in the final frame to help the Trojans advance.

Tyson Lavigne (20) and Dan Hummel (14) accounted for 34 of the Celts' 41 points.

Meanwhile, the #3 KCI Raiders gave the #2 St. James Lions all they could handle before falling 43-31.  The game was actually tied 25-25 after three quarters.

"We got tired, but (credit to) St. James as they hit the big shots to win the game," said KCI head coach Nick White.

Junior Recap

The junior KCI Raiders picked a great time to get hot.

The Raiders, the #5 seed entering the tournament, defeated the #4 Galt Ghosts, #1 North Park Trojans and then the #2 St. James Lions in that order to take the CWOSSA junior championship.

I'll have to throw this out to my readers, but I can't recall a lower-seeded team taking the "AAA" title.

KCI took the crown over the Guelph St. James Lions by a 49-36 final.  

The St. James Lions defeated 6th seeded Brantford Collegiate in the semifinals, while the Raiders pulled the tournament shocker not only by ousting #1 seeded North Park, but also by putting up 70+ points in doing so (73-57 final).  Of course, about half of KCI's points that game were from the free throw line --- partially as a result of 5 technical fouls handed out to the Trojans, who felt they were on the wrong end of a lot of block/charge calls. 

North Park head coach Adam Petersen set a dubious CWOSSA record in that game, though, picking up three (yes, three) technical fouls in one game.  Petersen picked up two technicals in the final few minutes of the game, and then was awarded a third "t" on his way out of the gym.

Cinderella Raiders Upset their Way to "AAA" Junior Title

Still amassing some results here, but I can tell you that the KCI Raiders have taken the "AAA" junior CWOSSA championship down in Cambridge this evening.

The Raiders entered the tournament seeded 5th of 8 teams --- and needed three consecutive upsets --- over #4 Galt, #1 North Park and then again in the finals over #2 St. James to capture the CWOSSA crown.

A very impressive run, to say the least.  We'll have some more details tomorrow, of course.

Congratulations to the Raiders (my alma mater) on their championship win!

Note - just awaiting confirmation of a score for the senior "AAA" final, which featured #1 North Park vs. #2 St. James.

Gaels Get Past Pesky Royals for CWOSSA "AAAA" Crown

Nebojsa Djeric hit the go-ahead free-throws with :48 left as the Cameron Heights Golden Gaels went on to win the CWOSSA "AAAA" Senior Crown with a 54-49 win over the Guelph JF Ross Royals.

The Royals held a 49-48 lead when Ross' Mike Friesen missed a three-point attempt from the corner that would have put Ross up 4 with 1:00 to go.  Instead, the Gaels came back the other way and Djeric was fouled on a put back attempt.

Cameron would go on to tack on 4 more free-throws in the waning seconds to sew things up.

Djeric had 21, Vedran Dmitrovic 14 and Amjed Osman 9 for the Gaels.  Cameron's starters played the entire game, save for a few seconds before halftime where Osman came out (to protect him from picking up a third foul).

Evan Karl had 17 points and 10 rebounds for Ross, and Shamlo Saeed had 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.

We'll have a full post and boxscore tomorrow.

Miller, Trojans Take AAAA Junior Championship

Juwan Miller scored 35 points and Omar Aidaruse added 10 as the Forest Heights Trojans opened up a 19-6 first quarter lead and never looked back as they handled the St. Mary's Eagles 58-47 in tonight's junior AAAA championship final.

Ian Anderson added 8 more for the Trojans, while Jack Taylor scored 3 and Elijah Callendar 2.

The Eagles were led by Mike Blumel, who had 16 before fouling out early in the fourth quarter.  Avery Sutton had 13, Tyler Hergott 7, Jeremy Cresswell 6 and Telloy Simon 5 to round out the Eagle scoring.

This is Forest Heights' second ever junior "AAAA" title; they last won in 2005 over North Park CVS.

AAAA Finals Set

The "AAAA" championship games will get underway in about an hour's time at Resurrection CSS in Kitchener.

The junior final will --- for the third consecutive year --- feature the WCSSAA champion (this year, Forest Heights) against the D8 champion (this year, St. Mary's).  The Eagles will be looking to make it four "AAAA" crowns in a row for the D8, but will have their work cut out for them.

Chris Clouthier, arguably the Eagles' best player, injured himself earlier in the week and has not played in CWOSSA.  Although SMHS defeated Forest Heights 64-48 in pool play, I expect a closer game this time around, and possibly an FHCI win if they get solid efforts from their key performers.

In senior, I'm not sure how many people would have picked a Cameron Heights - JF Ross senior final at the start of the season, yet here we are.  I would give a slight edge to the deeper Royals, who have had a little more rest since their semifinal win.

Though I give JF Ross the advantage, I think Cameron Heights really needs the win a bit more in terms of OFSAA seeding ---- I don't see the Gaels higher than a 17th seed (in the 18-team OFSAA tournament) unless they head in as CWOSSA champions.  JF Ross has a bit more "name recognition" (making their second consecutive trip) but I think they'd be looking at a 14th seed, at highest, even with a win.

That all being said, it's clear that these two might have a chance at pulling an upset or two as they are playing CWOSSA's best basketball heading into the AAAA championships set for London (March 7th, 8th, 9th).

Crusaders, Celtics Capture "AA" Titles

Two hometown Guelph teams took home the hardware at the "AA" championships yesterday evening in Guelph.

In the senior final, it will be the Lourdes Crusaders representing CWOSSA at OFSAA, after a 39-26 victory over Owen Sound.

Ben King led Lourdes with 10 points, while Mike Finoro and Anthony Joaquim added 8.

Tyler Douglas had a game high 11 for OSCVI.

Meanwhile, the Bishop Mac Celtics, arguably the best junior team in all of CWOSSA, took the junior title with a 63-48 victory over Owen Sound.

Jesse Kendall netted a game-high 25 for Bishop Mac, while Owen Brombal had 16.  The Falcons were led by Nathan Curry and Laughlin Elder, who had 16 each.

Results: CWOSSA AAA & AAAA Semifinal Saturday

AAA - At Preston HS, Cambridge

Due to some ongoing internet issues at Preston, we're still looking for some help with results here.  If you have any, shoot me an email (cwossabasketball@hotmail.com or mark@cwossabasketball.com).  Cheers!

Junior - (5) KCI vs. (1) North Park

Junior - (6) Brantford CI vs. (2) St. James

Senior - (4) St. David vs. (1) North Park

Senior - (3) KCI vs. (2) St. James

AAAA - At Resurrection CSS, Kitchener

Junior Semi:  St. Mary's 40, JF Ross 35
The St. Mary's Eagles survived a massive scare at the hands of the JF Ross Royals to advance to tonight's CWOSSA finals.  As a sidenote, one of SMHS' top players, Chris Clouthier, is out for the tournament with a knee injury suffered earlier in the week.  The plot thickens....

As for this game, SMHS jumped to a 28-9 halftime lead but the second half was exactly the opposite.  The Royals went on a 22-2 run to actually take a 31-30 lead before the Eagles would go on to survive.

SMHS (40) --- E. Duong 6 0-0 16, A. Sutton 1 1-2 3, T. Hergott 2 6-7 10, T. Simon 1 4-4 6, M. Blumel 2 1-3 5, J. Cresswell 0 0-2 0.

Three Point Goals:  E. Duong 4.

JF Ross (35) --- J. Hofstra 2 0-2 4, M. Hussein 1 0-0 2, A. Turvey 4 3-4 12, K. Vande Kemp 1 7-8 9, N. Ireland 1 0-0 2, V. Vamanu 2 2-4 6.

Three Point Goals:  A. Turvey 1.

Junior Semi:  Forest Heights 62, St. John's 52
The Trojans made some clutch baskets (and free throws) down the stretch to hold off the pesky St. John's Eagles in this one.

FHCI (62) --- O. Aidaruse 3 5-8 12, I. Anderson 2 2-2 6, J. Kamara 0 2-2 2, F. Barucija 4 0-0 10, J. Miller 11 5-9 28.  Unaccounted:  4.

Three Point Goals:  F. Barucija 2, J. Miller 1, O. Aidaruse 1.

St. John's (52) --- A. Peters 2 3-4 9, D. Dubicki 1 0-0 2, C. Kuzmich 1 0-0 2, C. Post 6 3-8 15, T. Dawson 7 0-1 18, J. Brennan 3 0-4 6.

Three Point Goals:  T. Dawson 4, A. Peters 2.

Senior Semi:  JF Ross 52, Resurrection 47
The JF Ross Royals were one last-second basket away from being eliminated in pool play, but instead will be making their second consecutive OFSAA appearance.

JF Ross (52) --- E. Karl 5 2-4 12, M. Friesen 4 2-4 13, W. de Groot 0 1-2 1, J. Cornett 2 1-6 3, T. Larue 1 1-2 3, S. Saeed 6 4-8 16, N. Maule 1 0-0 2.

Three Point Goals:  M. Friesen 3.

Resurrection (47) --- J. Moi 3 1-2 9, C. Gibbs 1 0-0 3, M. Pereira 9 2-3 20, A. Mwangi 1 3-4 6, T. Schneider 3 3-4 9.

Three Point Goals:  J. Moi 2, A. Mwangi 1, C. Gibbs 1.

Cameron Heights 65, SJAM 53

The Gaels will make their first OFSAA appearance since 1994.  Vedran Dmitrovic had a strong effort for CHCI, with 18, while Ben Reyhani netted 20 for SJAM.

AAAA Senior Pool A: Resurrection 70, Cameron Heights 49

You have to feel sorry for the people that paid $5 to watch what happened at Resurrection on Friday night.


As one disgusted fan commented on the way out of the building, "Court Heinbuch would have never thrown a game like that."

Ouch.

That being said, don't blame the coaches, fan, blame the current CWOSSA format.

The Cameron Heights Golden Gaels will play the SJAM Highlanders in one of the CWOSSA "AAAA" semifinals as they sat their starters for the entire second half (and a chunk of the second quarter) on Friday evening in the game to decide Pool A against the Resurrection Phoenix. The Phoenix soon followed suit, and the deeper Phoenix rolled to a 70-49 win over the Gaels in Pool A action tonight.

Going into the game, both clubs had the knowledge that SJAM had already won both of their games in Pool B ---- meaning that the loser of the game would draw the Highlanders in a game to determine one OFSAA "AAAA" qualifier.

The (possible) strategy to play the Highlanders, however, nearly backfired on the Gaels. In fact, the JF Ross Royals needed a buzzer beater to get past the St. John's Green Eagles over at St. Mary's ---- meaning that it would have been St. John's, not the stronger JF Ross Royals, that the Pool A winner might have faced in the semifinals tomorrow.

Now, what Cameron Heights did is obviously within the regulations of the current CWOSSA format. However, it does make one yearn for the past days of the "eight team bracketed tournament" where every game actually matters. And, it's not like it hasn't been done before. In 2007, the St. Mary's junior Eagles rotated their entire lineup against the Forest Heights Trojans (losing by 30+) and would go on to (eventually) take the CWOSSA title.

When the starters saw action, though, it was a very exciting game. Resurrection led a high-scoring affair 20-17 after the first quarter.

However, when it was all said and done, 12 Phoenix and 9 Gaels ended up hitting the scoresheet. It definitely made my job a little more interesting, that is for sure.

Mike Pereira led Resurrection with 16 points, while Cory Kenning had 11 points off the bench. The Phoenix even got 4 points from junior call-up Adam Schneider, who saw his first senior action late in the fourth quarter of this one.

Cameron, meanwhile, received 14 from Nem Simic off the bench (including four three-pointers). Adnan Shah had 11 in limited first-half action.

Boxscore

RCSS      20-14-18-18 = 70

CHCI      17-12-07-13 = 49 

Resurrection (70)

J. Rodrigues  1-2 FG, 0-0 FT, 1 Reb, 1 Ast - 3 Pts.

C. Gibbs       2-2 FG, 1-2 FT, 3 Reb, 2 Ast - 5 Pts.

M. Pereira    7-10 FG, 1-2 FT, 3 Reb, 0 Ast - 16 Pts.

A. Mwangi    2-2 FG, 0-0 FT, 5 Reb, 1 Ast - 4 Pts.

T. Schneider  2-6 FG, 4-4 FT, 1 Reb, 4 Ast - 10 Pts.

-----------

C. Kenning    5-8 FG, 1-3 FT, 3 Reb, 0 Ast - 11 Pts.

J. Chris          0-1 FG, 2-2 FT, 1 Reb, 1 Ast - 2 Pts.

J. Moi            1-5 FG, 0-0 FT, 3 Reb, 2 Ast - 2 Pts.

J. Keil            0-3 FG, 0-0 FT, 0 Reb, 0 Ast - 0 Pts.

S. Cordle       2-4 FG, 0-0 FT, 5 Reb, 1 Ast - 4 Pts.

T. Bartley       2-5 FG, 1-2 FT, 4 Reb, 0 Ast - 5 Pts.

B. Ramirez     1-2 FG, 2-2 FT, 4 Reb, 1 Ast - 4 Pts.

M. Radcliffe   0-0 FG, 0-0 FT, 2 Reb, 0 Ast - 0 Pts.

A. Schneider  2-3 FG, 0-0 FT, 0 Reb, 0 Ast - 0 Pts.

Field Goals:  27-53 (.509).  Free-Throws:  12-17 (.706).  Three-Point Goals:  4-12, .333 (T. Schneider 2-4, J. Rodrigues 1-1, M. Pereira 1-2, J. Moi 0-2, J. Keil 0-3).

Cameron Heights (49)

A. Osman       1-1 FG, 0-0 FT, 1 Reb, 0 Ast - 2 Pts.

S. Cucak        0-0 FG, 0-0 FT, 0 Reb, 0 Ast - 0 Pts.

V. Dmitrovic   1-3 FG, 0-0 FT, 1 Reb, 0 Ast - 2 Pts.

A. Shah          4-6 FG, 0-0 FT, 1 Reb, 0 Ast - 11 Pts.

N. Djeric        0-1 FG, 2-4 FT, 1 Reb, 1 Ast - 2 Pts.

------------

N. Jovanovic   0-3 FG, 0-0 FT, 1 Reb, 0 Ast - 0 Pts.

N. Simic          5-12 FG, 0-0 FT, 2 Reb, 1 Ast - 14 Pts.

K. Waterman   4-13 FG, 0-1 FT, 1 Reb, 2 Ast - 9 Pts.

S. Ling             0-0 FG, 0-0 FT, 7 Reb, 0 Ast - 0 Pts.

D. Malesevic    2-3 FG, 0-0 FT, 1 Reb, 0 Ast - 4 Pts.

A. Tejpal         1-4 FG, 0-0 FT, 1 Reb, 0 Ast - 2 Pts.

Z. Herzi           1-1 FG, 0-0 FT, 0 Reb, 0 Ast - 2 Pts.

Field Goals:  19-47 (.404).  Free-Throws:  2-5 (.400).  Three-Point Goals, 8-20, .400 (N. Simic 4-7, A. Shah 3-4, K. Waterman 1-4, N. Jovanovic 0-1, V. Dmitrovic 0-1, A. Tejpal 0-3).

CWOSSA AAA & AAAA Semis

AAA - At Preston

Junior

(1) North Park vs. (5) KCI

(2) St. James vs. (6) Brantford CI

Senior

(1) North Park vs. (4) St. David

(2) St. James vs. (3) KCI

AAAA - at Resurrection

9am (Junior) - St. Mary's vs. JF Ross

10:30am (Junior) - Forest Heights vs. St. John's

OFSAA Qualifiers:

Noon:  Resurrection vs. JF Ross

1:30pm:  SJAM vs. Cameron Heights

CWOSSA "AAAA" Updates

We'll update this post as results become available.....

Junior (Pool A) - All Games at St. Mary's

St. Mary's 60, Centre Wellington 35
In this battle of the birds, the Eagles flew past the Falcons at home, virtually assuring themselves of a spot in the semifinals.

Forest Heights 67, Centre Wellington 30
Details not yet available, but FHCI won comfortably.  This means both FHCI and SMHS will advance to the CWOSSA semifinals tomorrow; placing in pool "A" will be determined by the final game between those schools at 6pm.

St. Mary's 64, Forest Heights 46


Standings
1.  St. Mary's 2-0
2.  Forest Heights 1-1
3.  Centre Wellington 0-2

Junior (Pool B) - All Games at Resurrection

St. John's 48, Cameron Heights 40
The Green Eagles jumped out to a 13-0 lead in this one and never looked back.  Tim Dawson (18) and Cam Post (18) led the way for St. John's; Jason Thompson had 14 for CHCI.

JF Ross 55, Cameron Heights 46.
Vlad Vamanu had 15 and Nolan Ireland 14 as the Royals clinch a semifinal berth.  Jason Thompson (15) and Afraz Khan (12) were the top scorers for CHCI.  The loss eliminates the Gaels from further CWOSSA play and means that JF Ross & St. John's will advance to the CWOSSA semifinals.

St. John's 56, JF Ross 45


Standings
1.  St. John's 2-0
2.  John F. Ross 1-1
3.  Cameron Heights 0-2


Senior (Pool A) - All Games at Resurrection

Resurrection 27, Centennial 21
Yes, that's a final score.  The Spartans' stall bled away about 10 minutes of game time, including virtually the entire third quarter (which finished 1-0 for Rez).  The strategy almost worked --- after RCSS was up 20-14 in the fourth, the Spartans went on a 5-0 "run" but Mike Pereira hit a couple free throws in the waning minutes and added a layup as Rez would hold on for the victory.

Cameron Heights 62, Centennial 52
Centennial had tied the game at 48-48 midway through the fourth quarter, but a 14-4 run by the Gaels over the remaining part of the game sealed the victory (and a semifinal berth).

Resurrection 70, Cameron Heights 49


Standings
1.  Resurrection 2-0
2.  Cameron Heights 1-1
3.  Centennial 0-2

Senior (Pool B) - All Games at St. Mary's

SJAM 65, St. John's 44
SJAM moves to 1-0 with the win.  St. John's had no answer for SJAM's Ben Reyhani, who knocked in 41 points in the win.

SJAM 35, JF Ross 34
SJAM goes 2-0 and clinches 1st in Pool B; however, Ben Reyhani was sick and did not play in the second game.  Not sure if food poisoning or what, but we'll keep you updated on his status going forward.

JF Ross 41, St. John's 40
JF Ross hits a buzzer beater to advance to tomorrow's semifinals.


Standings
1.  SJAM 2-0
2.  John F. Ross 1-1
3.  St. John's 0-2

CWOSSA "AAA" Updates

Note:  We'll update this post today as information becomes available.

All games are at Preston HS in Cambridge.

Junior Quarterfinals

(1) North Park 58, (8) Simcoe 42
North Park looked a little sluggish in the early going of this one but poured things on in the 4th to win going away.

(5) KCI 63, (4) Galt 58 - OT
The Raiders get some revenge for their regular season loss by pulling out a thrilling win in overtime.

(6) Brantford CI 45, (3) Glenview Park 43
In another thriller in AAA junior, the Colts advance to the CWOSSA semifinals on a last-second buzzer beater for the win!

(2) St. James 72, (7) St. David 32
No trouble for the Lions as they cruise past the Celtics.

Saturday Morning:  Junior Semifinals
(5) KCI vs. (1) North Park - 10:00am
(6) Brantford CI vs. (2) St. James - 11:30am


Senior Quarterfinals

(1) North Park 39, (8) Simcoe 29
Tight game at the half, 18-17 for North Park, but they survive and advance.


(4) St. David 42, (5) WODSS 30

(3) KCI 47, (6) Brantford CI 29

(2) St. James 52, (7) Preston 25

CWOSSA "AAA" Tournament Preview - Trojans Enter With High Hopes

The Brantford North Park Trojans have been awarded the #1 seed in both the junior and senior divisions for the CWOSSA "AAA" championships, which get under way this morning at Preston HS in Cambridge. 

Games get under way in the junior division at 10am, with the schedule as follows:

10am:  (1) North Park vs. (8) Simcoe
11:30am:  (4) Galt vs. (5) KCI
1:00pm:  (3) Glenview vs. (6) Brantford CI
2:30pm:  (2) St. James vs. (7) St. David

The seniors take the court afterwards, starting at 4pm:

4:00pm:  (1) North Park vs. (8) Simcoe
5:30pm:  (4) St. David vs. (5) WODSS
7:00pm:  (3) KCI vs. (6) Brantford CI
8:30pm:  (2) St. James vs. (7) Preston

Junior Preview
In today's action, the Brantford North Park Trojans, the #1 seed and led by Vishal Brar and Jon Dulmage, should have no trouble with the #8 seed, Simcoe CS.  I also see the #2 seed, Guelph St. James, getting past #7 Waterloo St. David with ease.

After that it could get a little interesting.  #6 Brantford CI has a couple of exceptional players (Chris Gorski and Mackenzie Mark) and it should be a fairly tight game between them and #3 Glenview.  I'm picking GPSS to be ahead at the end, but BCI is not a team to overlook --- they lost to another top WCSSAA school, Grand River, by single digits earlier this year in tournament play.

As always, the 4 vs. 5 game could go either way.  The Galt Ghosts defeated the KCI Raiders by 8 points during WCSSAA regular season play, and the two squads are back on the floor today.  I'll give the edge to the Ghosts, but you never know in a "one game scenario".

Senior Preview
The #1 seeded North Park Trojans, who rolled through the D5 league this year, are a strong favourite to make the CWOSSA finals for a second consecutive year (as last year's champions, they are also seeking their second consecutive OFSAA appearance).  5th year players Cale McDonald and Brandon Webster bring plenty of experience to the table, and you should certainly see a comfortable first round win today (4:00pm, vs. #8 Simcoe).

The 4 vs. 5 game should be a great matchup.  The WODSS Crusaders (#5) defeated the 4th seeded St. David Celtics at their home tournament a few weeks back --- although due to some unforeseen circumstances, Celtic head coach Rob McKenna wasn't able to make that game.  I think things will go the other way this time around, but look for a close one here.

At 7:00 tonight, The KCI Raiders (#3 seed) will take on the #6 seeded Brantford Collegiate.  Again, as with most 3 vs. 6 matchups, there is the potential for an upset here --- the Mustangs lost to highly regarded Centre Dufferin by 2 earlier this year (in tournament play) in overtime.  Brantford CI doesn't have a "superstar" per se, but they do have nice depth off the bench and play well as a team.  The Raiders also have a couple of guys who can put the ball in the basket --- they are led by guard Graham Notar-Maclean, forward Alex Galea, and guard Lazar Dabic.

The final game tonight will see the St. James Lions (#2 seed) going up against #7 Preston.  St. James had a disappointing end to their D10 season, losing in the semifinals to Centennial CVI, and are seeking to atone for that here this weekend. Led by 6'4" G/F Ryan Higgins, a 5th year player headed to the University of Victoria next year, the Lions will start off their title run against the #7 Preston Panthers. Although I fully expect the Lions to win this game, I wouldn't be surprised to see Wes Meertens and co. make a game of it on their home floor.


St. James defeated Centre Dufferin (Shelburne) by 12 in an 'AAA" play-in game earlier this week.

CWOSSA "AAAA" Program and Tournament Draw

Here is the tournament draw for today's "AAAA" CWOSSA Championships in Kitchener:

And here is a copy of the tournament program (google document, click link to open).

CWOSSA "AAAA" - Senior Pool B Preview

Participating Teams

Waterloo SJAM Highlanders (WCSSAA #2)

Brantford St. John's Green Eagles (D5 #1)

Guelph John F. Ross Royals (D10 #1)

Interestingly enough, Pool B is exactly the same as it was last year ---- a year where all three teams went 1-1 (SJAM defeated JF Ross, St. John's defeated SJAM, and JF Ross got past St. John's).  This year, things are a little less balanced as JF Ross would appear to be the strong favourite on paper.  Of course, that's why the games are played.

Waterloo SJAM Highlanders

League Record:  9-3

Playoff Finish:  WCSSAA Finalists (lost to CHCI)

Key Wins Against CWOSSA Teams:  Cameron Heights

Last CWOSSA Appearance:  2010 - lost to Bluevale in semifinals

Last CWOSSA Championship:  2009 - defeated Centennial CVI in finals.

Final CWOSSABasketball.com "AAAA" Rank:  #9

Key Players:  Ben Reyhani (6'0" G, Grade 12); Edem Ame (6'0" G, Grade 12); Jordan James (5'7" G, 5th Year); Theshawn Barry (6'1" G, Grade 11); Quinn Turner (6'5" F, Grade 10).

Season Review:  The Highlanders started very strong, jumping out to first place positioning over their league foes after pre-Christmas wins over Cameron Heights and Bluevale.  However, some injuries and inconsistencies down the stretch led to the 'Landers dropping their final three games (KCI, WCI and Forest Heights) as they limped into the playoffs.

SJAM would get redemption against KCI in the WCSSAA quarterfinal round, and pulled out an upset win over Forest Heights in the semifinals --- but just didn't quite have enough last night against Cameron.  That said, they can definitely play with anyone in this tournament so don't be surprised to see them end up at OFSAA when it's said and done.

The 'Landers are led by their guard laden lineup, and, in particular, Ben Reyhani and Edem Ame, who both have very "complementary" styles of play.

Mark's Pool Projection:  1-1, with a semifinals appearance.

Guelph John F. Ross Royals

League Record:  14-0

Playoff Finish:  D10 Champions (def. Centennial in finals)

Key Wins Against CWOSSA Teams:  Centennial (3x)

Last CWOSSA Appearance:  2010 - lost to Bluevale in championship final; qualified for OFSAA.

Last CWOSSA Championship:  1996 (AAA)

Final CWOSSABasketball.com Rank:  #5

Key Players:  Evan Karl (6'4" F, Grade 12); Mike Friesen (6'3" F, Grade 11); Jack Cornett (6'3" G, Grade 12); Wil de Groot (6'2" G/F, Grade 12); Shamlo Saeed (5'10" G, Grade 12).

Season In Review:  Without a doubt, the JF Ross Royals are much better than my "#5" AAAA ranking would indicate.  However, some early CWOSSA losses (Bluevale, Forest Heights) and some unfortunate circumstances (ending up on the consolation side of the SBCSS tourney, for instance) meant that they haven't got a chance against too many of the "upper echelon" CWOSSA teams.

That said, the Royals are for real.  They ran through the D10 schedule and right now have to be considered a favourite for one of the two CWOSSA berths.  Quick-as-lightning guard Shamlo Saeed leads the attack, while G/F Jack Cornett is a multi-faceted player.

The Royals are seeking not only their second-straight OFSAA apperance, but also their first CWOSSA title since 1996.

Mark's Pool Projection:  2-0, semifinalists.  The Royals do have to go "back to back" with SJAM and St. John's but along with Rez are the deepest squads in this tournament.

Brantford St. John's Green Eagles

League Record:  8-2

Playoff Finish:  2nd (lost to NPC 2-0 in D5 final)

Key Wins Against CWOSSA Teams:  N/A

Last CWOSSA Appearance:  2010 - finished 1-1 in pool play but failed to advance on +/- tiebreak.  Defeated SJAM, lost to JF Ross.

Last CWOSSA Championship:  2008 (AAA)

Final CWOSSABasketball.com "AAAA" Rank:  T-10

 

Key Players:  Tyler VanLeeuwen (6'0" G, Grade 11); JP Yurcich (6'4" F, Grade 11); Matt Digout (6'4" F, Grade 12); Matt Kusnierz (6'3" F, Grade 12).

Season in Review:  Though they haven't really been involved with many games against other CWOSSA foes, the Brantford St. John's Green Eagles are not to be taken lightly.

In fact, all members of the Green Eagle roster have CWOSSA experience, something that may come in handy this Friday during their games over at St. Mary's.

Though the Green Eagles are on the youthful side, I look for them to keep their games competitive and possibly spring an upset (given their advantageous schedule and rest periods).  At the very least, this is a squad that will only get better next year with most of these players set to return (and joined by a very solid junior roster).

Mark's Pool Projection:  0-2, but wouldn't be surprised to see them steal a game and go 1-1.