CWOSSA News and Notes: "Back to School" Special

Well, it's about time for folks to be heading back to school over the coming few weeks, and we have a couple of updates to pass along with regards to where a number of players will be going "back to school" --- so let's get right to it!

Saints Trio Heads to Canadore

Firstly, D8 all-stars and St. Benedict CSS ('12) grads Kueth Geng, Joshua Edwards and Santo Dak are scheduled to head to Canadore College (North Bay, ON) this coming season.  Canadore will be making its return to the OCAA after nearly 20 years on the sidelines.

This link (BayToday.com) details the fact that Geng was a leading scorer in this past weekend's Intrasquad Scrimmage:

http://www.baytoday.ca/content/sports/details.asp?c=48573

(Photo Above C/O BayToday.ca)

Former Brantford Star Hill Surfaces at Lambton

Former Brantford standout Shawn Hill (6'4") will be attending Lambton College in Sarnia this coming season, after playing professionally in Poland.

Meanwhile, as we mentioned previously another Brantford grad, NPC ('12) Marcus Hamilton, will also be adding to the squad's CWOSSA representation.

Chapple Heads to Badgers

Former North Park CVS guard Laura Chapple (5'9") will be the latest Brantford product at Brock University in St. Catharines this fall, as announced on the team's website.

Chapple will join former St. John's stars Kayla Santilli (5'10" G, 2nd Year) and Andrea Polischuk (5'10" G/F, 3rd Year) on the Badgers, who were nationally ranked for much of the 2011-12 season.

Jones to Go Prep....

North Park ('13)'s Marcus Jones has announced that he will be attending AI Prep in Orangeville, ON, which is the school being run by former UW assistant coach Curtis Dauber.

Jones becomes the first CWOSSA player to officially announce his Prep intentions, though with the new REDA school (in Waterloo) as well as the SJK Prep program in Breslau actively recruiting some talent --- we should have more to announce shortly.

...while 2 Rez Players Also Announce Transfer

Rez F/C Cory Kenning (6'8", 2013) and G Adam Schneider (5'10", 2014) will both be going to school in Florida this coming year. 

The two will be attending Naples HS in Naples, FL --- which is also the host school of the tournament that Resurrection attended down there last year.  As with other CWOSSA players that have gone Stateside, we'll keep you posted on their progress!

CWOSSA Announces 2012-13 Championship Formats

The CWOSSA executive has announced the championship formats for the 2012-13 school year (the below are applicable to both girls and boys' basketball):

"A" CWOSSA

We'll start off easy, as this one stays the same as a 4-team championship.  We'll have:

1 team - D8

1 team - D1&D7 (BAA)

1 team - D9 (NSSAA)

The additional team will be from last year's winning district (e.g. D1&7 #2) who will play College Heights and/or Emmanuel Christian (should they have a team) for the fourth berth.

"AA" CWOSSA

Our first big change!  After years as a 4-team championship, the "AA" division will switch things up and move to a 6-team tournament (no word if it will be seeded and/or if there will be two pools of three, like the "AAAA" championship).

In my view, and given the disparity at times between schools in the "AA" division, I would suggest a seeded tournament, with the top 2 teams earning byes to the semifinal.

At any rate, the teams will be:

2 teams - D1&7 (BAA)

1 team - D4 

1 team - D10 (Guelph)

1 team - D9

1 team - D5 (Paris) vs. D4 #2

"AAA" CWOSSA

With a couple "AAA" teams moving up to "AAAA", there's been a switch from an 8-team draw to a 6-team draw.  No confirmation at this time if it will be "pool play" or "seeded", but we will have:

2 teams - WCSSAA

1 team - D1&7 (BAA)

1 team - D5 (Brant County)

1 team - D10

1 team - D8 vs. D9

(FYI - next year, the "qualifying game" will be between D9 and D10)

"AAAA" CWOSSA

A surprise here as despite 2 additional teams (and now 18) in the "AAAA" division, the tournament stays as a 6-team championship.

WCSSAA, despite now having 9 of 18 (50%) of "AAAA" schools, is only guaranteed 2 berths, but in a change from previous years, WCSSAA #3 will now take on the D10 #2 for one of the berths.

So you have:

2 teams - WCSSAA

1 team - D8

1 team - D5 (Brantford)

1 team - D10

1 team - D10 #2 vs. WCSSAA #3

Having been a fan of the "8 team" draw, I'm a little disappointed that it's not back this year - especially with 18 "AAAA" teams, which has traditionally been the requirement for an 8-team draw.

A suggestion that I'd have?  Have D8 #1 play D5 #2, and D5 #1 play D8 #2 for the two spots attributed to both leagues.  For example, D8 should be down next year in girls' basketball, while D5 should again be strong.  You could argue the flip side from this past year in boys' basketball.  Essentially, it would allow for what I call "cyclical strengths" to be represented at CWOSSA while still maintaining the integrity of the championship.

You could also make the argument that WCSSAA, with 9 of 18 teams (50% of AAAA schools) is therefore deserving of 3 teams automatically, with the other three divisions getting one team each or being involved in some sort of "play-in" scenario:

9 teams - 50% (WCSSAA) = 3 teams

4 teams - 22% (D10) = 1.33 teams

3 teams - 16% (D8) = 1 team

2 teams - 11% (D5) = 0.67 teams

Anyways, the best teams seem to come to the top regardless of the competition format, which is the important thing!  I'm sure we'll have more commentary on this later, but good luck to all teams this coming season!

Ex-Junior CWOSSA Player of the Year Returns to BMAC

He's baaaaaaack.

Mitchell Wood, who was my inaugural "CWOSSA Junior Boys Rookie of the Year AND Player of the Year" back in the 2009-10 season while he was only in grade nine, has announced that he is returning to Bishop Mac for the 2012-13 school year.

Wood will be entering grade 12, and as such he will have 2 years of high school eligibility remaining (should he choose to stick around) --- and he just might, considering the fact that the Celtics' roster appears poised to make some noise over the next year or two.

The Celts will return Jesse Kendall, one of CWOSSA's top senior rookies last season, along with another solid scorer also going into grade 12, Owen Brombal.  Michael Ganson (CWOSSA's leading junior scorer) and Adam McEachern are junior grads that will provide some additional scoring depth.

All of a sudden, the "AA" division looks as though it could be very competitive with Bishop Mac and Centre Dufferin (Shelburne) poised to be two teams that could make some noise not only within that division, but also CWOSSA-wide!

Ontario Summer Games: Tri-County Boys Capture Silver Medal

The Tri-County Elite Development Team captured a silver medal last week at the Ontario Summer Games in Toronto.

The team was on fire in pool play, dropping the Mountain Region 70-53, Niagara 75-49, St. Clair 69-50 and Kawartha 72-67 to earn first place.

After winning their semifinal game, they dropped a close 4-point outing in the final to "Central-West" (Oakville & Burlington area).

Here's a look at the squad - the grade will be the grade of the student next season:

Front Row (L-R):  Jermaine Lyle (6'1" G, St. Mary's/Grade 11); Sam Sutherland (5'11" G, Waterloo CI/Grade 10); Christopher Thompson (5'11" G, Glenview Park/Grade 11); Tyrick Thompson (5'10" G, St. Mary's/Grade 11).

Back Row (L-R):  Assistant Coach Rob Sutherland; Brandon Roth (6'4" F, Jacob Hespeler/Grade 11); TJ Lall (6'3" G/F, Galt CI/Grade 11); Brett Parrott (6'6" F, SJAM/Grade 11); Matt Quiring (6'6" F, Jacob Hespeler/Grade 10); Andrew Folkerson (6'3" G/F, JF Ross/Grade 11); Josh McEachern (6'3" G/F, Centre Wellington/Grade 11); Head Coach Andrew Mackay; Assistant Coach Jamie Campbell.

Girls

Meanwhile, on the girls' side, the Tri-County team finished 3rd overall in their pool, with a respectable 53-41 loss to the eventual Gold-Medal winners from Central East.  They also dropped a tight 47-45 game to the Mountain Region, but also posted some impressive wins over St. Clair (50-23) and St. Lawrence (53-41).

The girls' roster included:

Rikayla Baldin (5'4" G/Brantford Assumption, Grade 9)

Jessica Morris (5'7" G/Guelph Bishop Mac, Grade 11)

Hannah Newman (5'5" G/Guelph Centennial, Grade 11)

Rebecca Payne (5'4" G/Waterloo-Oxford, Grade 11)

Alisha Glendinning (5'10" F/Waterloo-Oxford, Gr. 11)

Sarah Schulz (5'9" G/Kitchener Resurrection, Grade 11)

Courtney Wright (6'0" F/Cambridge JHSS, Grade 10)

Candice Wright (6'2" F/Cambridge JHSS, Grade 10)

Megan Thompson (5'9" F/St. John's, Grade 11)

Hunter Johns (Cameron Heights, Grade 10)

Madison Horst (5'6" G/Waterloo-Oxford, Grade 11)

Emma Cain (5'9" G/F/Guelph Centennial, Grade 10)

Coach:  Kerri Jilesen

Hudyn, Canada finish 4th at U-18 FIBA Americas Tournament

Recent Eastwood graduate Michelle Hudyn had some strong performances over the past week, helping lead the Canadian squad to a 2-1 record in pool play before they lost to the USA in the semifinals (95-46) and Argentina in the bronze medal game (53-49) of the FIBA Americas U18 tournament in Puerto Rico.

Hudyn was Canada's leading rebounder, with 6.6 RPG during the tournament.  She added 4.6 PPG, as well as 2.0 APG, while also contributing 3 steals and 2 blocked shots.

Her best game was an important win (58-43) against the hosts, Puerto Rico, where she hit for a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) and added 2 assists.

In the bronze game against Argentina, she hit for 8 points and 6 rebounds while dropping 3 assists as well.

Despite the losses to end the tournament, Canada's 4th place finish earned them a berth in the FIBA U19 World Championships to be held next July in Lithuania.

In case you were wondering, the United States rolled to the gold medal with a 71-47 win over Brazil.  That 24-point margin was their smallest margin of victory during the tournament.

Hudyn, meanwhile, is now off to the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo., for her first season with the NCAA D-1 Missouri Tigers.

YouTube View: Jack Simmons (Galt CI) Mixtape

If you have any links to YouTube videos of current (or former) CWOSSA players, feel free to drop me an e-mail.  I'm thinking of making this a regular segment going forward.

For starters, here's a look at Galt's 6'8" F Jack Simmons, who is returning to GCI this coming season --- and his recent efforts as a member of Etobicoke Elite during their American Tour:

Brantford Expositor: From Brantford to the Phillippines for JR Gallarza

Article By:  Darryl G. Smart, Expositor Staff

J.R. Gallarza didn't take a conventional path for a Brantford high school graduate.

Now, the 20-year-old is trying to help the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons basketball team win games.

Gallarza, a basketball standout with the St. John's College Green Eagles, has been living in the Philippines for the past two years. He started his university rookie basketball season just last month.

"The game is really different out here when you're on the court," he said.

"I've been playing organized basketball at Brantford CYO since I was four, but sometimes I feel like I just picked up a basketball a year ago."

He said that basketball in the Philippines involves a "bit less athleticism but a lot more running."

"What they lack in getting to the rim for a dunk, they make up for in quick-paced euro-style and sidesteps to the basket. The transition game here is also at a higher level than in Canada."

Gallarza said he's gradually getting used to the differences in basketball in the Philippines.

"It's something hard to explain, but adapting on the court for us really takes a lot more of the mental aspect."

Gallarza said that he is working to maintain his confidence and focus.

Because he didn't go to high school in the Philippines, he was forced to two years of residency in the country before stepping on the basketball court for a university team.

Gallarza said he used the past two years to prepare to play basketball; the rookie has split time between guard and forward.

"I expect to really use this season as a stepping stone to add to my basketball experience and make the most of every training day and all the opportunities coach gives me," Gallarza said.

"We have eight graduating veterans after this season, so I believe with that alone the team is going to be fighting harder than ever to end this season on a high note. And, hopefully, we get the school back on a winning track."

In 2007-08, when he was in Grade 11, Gallarza was asked to join a Filipino-Canadian basketball team in the Toronto area that flew to the Philippines to tour campuses and play games.

"We were called Pinoy Canadian Prospects, or PCP, for short," Gallarza said.

The team played about 30 games in 31 days, which gave coaches, athletic directors and scouts time to talk to the players.

"Just like any young basketball player growing up, I had dreams of playing in the big leagues," Gallarza said.

"Those dreams turn into reality of first playing at the level after high school. So, yeah, I always wanted to play basketball after SJC. I just didn't know where."

Gallarza decided to attend De La Salle University in Manila after high school graduation.

"Having the PCP tour under my belt really helped a lot in my decision, and having DLSU still it talks with my parents after a year and a half trying to recruit me really influenced me to take the flight to the Philippines," he said.

A year later, he transferred to the University of the Philippines, also in Manila.

Despite some ups and downs, Gallarza said he would change nothing about is post-secondary journey.

"Overall, I'm really enjoying my experience," he said.

"It's a totally different environment and lifestyle than it is in Canada. Adapting has been surprisingly easy for me, though, probably because I can understand and partially speak the language. The ones I feel for are the non-Filipino imports - players from all over the world doing the same thing as me but without the knowledge of the Philippines and lack the Filipino language."

He said that it also helped that his mother, Linda, travelled to the Philippines to help him make the transition for the first month.

"My parents have been amazing," Gallarza said.

"I've had a great support system and I couldn't have done this without them."

Retrieved From:  http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2012/08/13/from-sjc-to-the-philippines-for-jr

Miller, Team Ontario Roll to U17 Crown at Nationals

Catching up on a few things while I was away on holidays, so congrats to current Huron Heights' student (and Waterloo Wildhawk U19 star) Juwan Miller, who was a member of Ontario's U17 squad that dominated the opposition en route to the Gold Medal at the Canadian Championships held last week in Sherbrooke, QC.

Ontario put up "Dream Team"-type results, cruising to a 102-65 win in the championship finale over Manitoba; the semifinal wasn't any closer as that was a 95-46 demolition of the host Quebec squad.

Miller put up very efficient numbers for Ontario in those games --- he went 6-for-7 (FG) and 3-for-3 (FT) in the final for 15 points, and added in 4 steals, 3 rebounds and 1 block in 20+ minutes of action.

In the semifinal, he went 3-for-4 (FG) and 4-for-6 (FT) for another double-digit (10 point) effort, while collecting 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.

Overall, Miller ranked 23rd among all players with a double-digit average of 10.6 PPG.  More impressively, he led the entire tournament in FG%, hitting 21-of-29 shots for a ridiculous 72.4% clip (keep in mind he's a guard!).  He also ranked in a tie for 3rd overall in steals, swiping 18 of them in 5 games (3.6 SPG).

With those numbers in mind, it's no wonder as to why Miller was named to the tournament's all-star team.  Even scarier?  He noted on his Twitter account that he (and several other members of the team) had a cold and weren't even 100% before the final.  Yikes!

News and Notes: BMAC Coach Bremner Gets Assistant Job at U of G

Congratulations go out to current Bishop Mac Senior Girls' coach Karen Bremner, who was recently named to the University of Guelph coaching staff as an assistant coach.

Bremner, who starred at Bishop Mac in the mid '00s, went on to play OUA basketball at Western before concussions cut her career short.  She is currently pursuing her Master's Degree at Western, while volunteering her time towards several coaching gigs, including Bishop Mac.

She will continue in her role as Bishop Mac's head coach for the foreseeable future, as that was part of the understanding/agreement between her and Gryphs' Head Coach Tom O'Brien. 

For more on this, check out Ned Bekavac's article from the Guelph Tribune:

http://www.guelphtribune.ca/sports/ex-cager-from-city-nets-gryphon-gig/

Eastwood Grad Hudyn Named to Canadian Junior National Team!

Congrats to recent Eastwood graduate Michelle Hudyn, who has been named to the roster of the Canadian Women's Junior National (U18) team.  The squad will be among those competing at the upcoming FIBA Americas U18 tournament, which will be held in Puerto Rico from August 15th-19th.

(Further details are posted on the Basketball Canada website).

After she finishes up in the Caribbean, the 6'2" forward will be headed to Columbia, Mo., for her first year at the University of Missouri (her basketball profile is already posted on the Tigers' website).

Here's a brief look at Hudyn (#12 in red) during last year's WCSSAA final where, despite smothering defense by WCI, she still put up 17 points and 16 rebounds in that contest: