The Waterloo Wolverines' U16 (Major
Midget) Boys came home victorious with a gold medal in the Division II Ontario
Provincial Cup in Ottawa, which took place last weekend (May 11-13).
They started out strong on Friday
evening with a win over the #1 ranked Durham City Bulldogs, and would go on to the semifinals after finishing 2nd in their pool with a tough loss to the North Toronto Crazy Cats (67-65), and win over the Wolverines of the Mississauga variety (62-48).
In the semifinals, there was a lot of local flavour on display as the Wolverines battled the Waterloo Wildhawks, and, after trailing early, the Wolverines squeaked through with a 58-56 win.
In the final, again facing the North Toronto Crazy Cats, the Wolverines were able to avenge their earlier loss in another thrilling game, this time coming away with a 73-69 win.
“The team has grown a lot this
season,” said Head Coach Jeff Lyle, “we
needed time for everyone to build chemistry and develop trust. When you put (many of) the
top ranked players in the region on one team, this creates excitement but also
creates its own challenges."
Lyle was assisted on the bench by Angus Gale and former WCSSAA star Shane Nicely, who parlayed his talents into a solid basketball career abroad.
"Every coach dreams about being able
to look down the bench and find hungry, passionate players leaning forward
ready to contribute both on and off the court. Though our team was led by our captains, [6’2” PG
Jamal Murray (GRCI) and 6’1” SG Jermaine Lyle (SMHS)] it was the collective contribution and commitment
to team defense that won the gold."
Congratulations, Wolverines, and we look forward to continued success on the CWOSSA courts at either the junior or senior levels next year!
Team
Members (inset picture) include: (from top left to
right) Bronson Bothelo (St. Mary’s), Murtada Khamis (Grand River), Brett
Parrott (SJAM), Jermaine Lyle (St. Mary’s), Jamal Murray (Grand River), Mohamed
Kromah (Eastwood), Nathan Riley (St. Mary’s), Israel Nemeth (Eastwood), Efosa
Agbonze (St. Mary’s), Sydney Stewart (Eastwood), Nick Johnny (WCI). Not pictured: Jamari Stephenson (St. Mary's).
Coaching Staff: (from top
left to right) Angus Gale, Jeff Lyle, Shane Nicely.
