Here's a few moments that stand out to me over the past few years at OFSAA championships. Hopefully, we'll have more to add this year!2012: In a thrilling opening round game at AAAA OFSAA in Ottawa last year, the St. Mary's Eagles (#10) defeated the Hamilton Westmount Wildcats (#9) by a 60-59 final, thanks to an Alex Thompson buzzer-beater.
The game saw three lead-changes in the final :30 of play, and alongside Thompson's buzzer beater, Henry Bankazo is also worth mentioning as he provided a couple key baskets and took a charge with about 1:30 to play.
2011: The Cameron Heights Gaels went 0-2 in their OFSAA apperance, but their record certainly doesn't tell the story. The Gaels went toe-to-toe with perennial powerhouse Eastern Commerce (and current Ryerson star Aaron Best); it was a 2-point game with 3:30 to go. Here's my commentary (play-by-play) from that one.
In their second game against #3 Oakville Loyola (who would go on to medal), the Gaels put up 30 first-quarter points to lead 30-17. Loyola would eventually rebound to win the game, but the tournament certainly helped put Cameron Heights back on the basketball map.
2010: It was a tough year for CWOSSA in 2010 at OFSAA, but Waterford DHS ("A")'s performance was pretty solid. The lone CWOSSA team to pick up a win that year, the #7-ranked Wolves took #2 Ridley College to the wire in a 64-54 decision (4-point game at half).
2009: The last OFSAA apperance for the SJAM Highlanders; they were able to gut out an opening round win over Ajax Notre Dame. SJAM would come up short against the host school, Windsor Catholic Central in what I believe was one of the highest scoring (regulation) games ever at an OFSAA championship --- 106-83 was the final in that one.
And, I'll go back to 2006 for two of my personal favourites; 2006 was the year that Kitchener-Waterloo hosted the "AAAA" championship:
In 2006, the 35-3 KCI Raiders (seeded #6 - the highest ever seed by a CWOSSA team at "AAAA" OFSAA) won their first two games at OFSAA "AAAA" to advance to the quarterfinals against Mother Teresa of Scarborough. The Titans would win by 4 (KCI did hold the lead at numerous points in the game) and go on to take the OFSAA gold medal that year. The interesting thing that many don't remember is that (potentially) the Raiders' roster could have been more stacked than it was; starting centre Ronnie Sweeney left KCI in January to take a baseball scholarship in Iowa. Meanwhile, another former Heinbuch All-Star, Jake Kindl, suffered a knee injury during football season and didn't suit up for the Raiders.
Also that year, the Grand River Renegades were the #15 seed in the 16-team tournament, and went up against powerhouse Toronto West Hill CI (#5) in the first round. Grand River was led all season by PG Imad Qahwash; however, in the first-round OFSAA game, it was SG Bobby Colorado who was "unconscious", as then Record HS Sports Reporter Josh Brown described it in a comment on his blog. Colorado pumped home 37 points and kept the Rens in it all the way through (including some late-game leads). However, despite the local crowd in an ABSOLUTE FRENZY, the athletic Warriors were able to survive in a 61-55 final. What a game that was.
