WCSSAA Senior: Preview & Tuesday Picks

Hard to believe it's been about 10 months since WCI defeated Eastwood in the 2011 WCSSAA final; yet, here we are.

A few teams --- including those Rebels --- have seen significant roster overhauls, while others return a significant portion of last year's lineup.

Three of my "top preseason CWOSSA teams", the WCI Vikings, Jacob Hespeler Hawks, and Bluevale Knights will be among the teams at the top of the standings, but I do expect a few teams in the next part of my "projected ranking", including the WODSS Crusaders and the Cameron Heights Golden Gaels, to be able to potentially make some noise this season.

Without further ado, let's get right to my thoughts on the season:

Projected Order Of Finish

1.  Waterloo CI

2.  Jacob Hespeler SS (AAA)

3.  Bluevale Collegiate

4.  Waterloo-Oxford DSS

5.  Cameron Heights CI

6.  Southwood SS

7.  Elmira DSS

8.  Preston HS

9.  Kitchener CI

10.  Grand River CI

11.  Forest Heights CI

12.  Sir John A. Macdonald SS

13.  Eastwood CI

14.  Galt CI

15.  Huron Heights SS

16.  Glenview Park SS

Preseason 1^st Team WCSSAA All-Stars

Alex Klein, F – Waterloo CI

Lindsay Taylor, G – Waterloo CI

Taylor Dennis, G – Jacob Hespeler

Liz McLellan, F – Cameron Heights

Blair McNaughton, G/F – Forest Heights

Natalie Bishop, G - Bluevale

Preseason 2^nd Team WCSSAA All-Stars

Krista Wiens, G – Elmira

Brooklyn Wright, F – Jacob Hespeler

Ashley White, G/F – Preston

Julia Pavlik, G – Waterloo CI

Nicole Barnard, G/F - Southwood

Madison Horst, G – Waterloo-Oxford

Team Capsules (Alphabetical Order)

Bluevale Collegiate Knights/Waterloo

Last Year:  10-2, 4^th (W 45-39 JHSS QF; L to WCI 47-40 in SF)

Key Returnees:  Natalie Bishop, Sarah Hamm, Hannah Fishbein, Victoria Gunpat

Key Loss:  Tessa Dent (Injured – Out For Season)

Top Rookie:  Kailee Sawyer

Outlook:  Some early injury issues have put a mild damper on expectations over at BCI – and taken away from their depth at the forward spots.  That being said, the Knights still have arguably one of the best backcourts in the league and bring up a couple of key rookies including G/F Kailee Sawyer.  Put it all together, and the Knights could certainly fight their way into a semifinal spot and possibly even the WCSSAA championship game.

Cameron Heights CI Golden Gaels / Kitchener

Last Year:  8-4, 6^th (W GCI 49-35 QR; L 36-19 to ECI in QF)

Key Returnees:   Liz McLellan (GR 12; 1^st Team WCSSAA AS ’11), Tyshaine Page, Ashanti Lewis

Top Rookies:   Hunter Johns*

Outlook:  Liz McLellan, who is receiving some serious post-secondary interest from both sides of the border, leads a Cameron squad that again is looking to finish in the top-half of the WCSSAA standings.  It hasn’t yet been confirmed to me if Hunter Johns will be moving up to join the senior squad, but if she is – it would provide a significant addition to the frontcourt.

Look for the Gaels to be a team making a push for one of the two “AAAA” CWOSSA berths.

Eastwood CI Rebels / Kitchener

Last Year:  L 62-40 to WCSSAA FINAL; W 45-39 PHS (SF); W 36-19 ECI

Key Returnees:  Meagan Karai, Lori Stankiewicz

Key Losses:  Michelle Hudyn (Graduated/NCAA D1 - Missouri); Lindsay Ward (Graduated/HM WCSSAA All-Star); Caitlyn Schlegel; Erika Gardiner; Megan Brockelbank

Top Rookies:  Mel Samuel, Kayla Shantz, Sam Legue (Gr. 10 – G)

Outlook:  Coaches Mike Reinhart and Ivan Parkinson will have a revamped squad this season, losing not only WCSSAA Co-MVP Michelle Hudyn, but also 5 other grade 12’s to graduation.

On the bright side, this year’s youthful edition of the Rebels are all eligible to return next year, so this will be a year for ECI to grow and improve as a unit.  They are bringing up grade 10 guard Sam Legue to the senior team; she will be starting at the PG spot.  Meagan Karai should lead the offensive charge up front.

Elmira DSS Lancers / Elmira

Last Year:  7-5 (9^th; beat #8 SSS 46-40 QR; lost to WCI 45-13 in WCSSAA QF) 
Key Returnees:  G Krista Wiens (2^nd Team WCSSAA All-Star 2011); G/F Julia Frey;  PG Amy Hachman; C Tessa Charnuski

Key Losses:  Jessica Reichard (Graduated); Emilie Mechler (Out For Season - ACL)

Top Rookies/Newcomers:  Bailey Bond; Jocelyn Lubert (Gr. 12; Missed ’11 season – injury)

Outlook:  Despite losing some presence on the interior with the graduation of Jess Reichard and the injury to Emilie Mechler, the Lancers should again be in contention for one of the “AAA” CWOSSA berths.  

Guard Krista Wiens is expected to key the offensive attack.

Forest Heights CI Trojans / Kitchener

Last Year:  8-4, 7^th (L 36-35 to #10 KCI in QR)

Top Returnee:   Blair McNaughton – F

Outlook:  With McNaughton, a likely first team-all star and potential league-leading scoring candidate on the roster, the Trojans should continue to make strides this season and again return to the playoffs.  A tough schedule will make matching last year’s 8-4 mark difficult, but look for a strong season from this West Kitchener bunch.

Galt CI Ghosts / Cambridge

Last Year:  4-8, 11^th (Lost to #6 CHCI in Qualifying Round 49-35)

Key Losses:   Milica Stevanovic (HM ’11), Bryar Hind

Top Rookies:  Courtney Davis, Megan White

Outlook:  The Ghosts will have a building year with a youthful squad set to take the court in Cambridge.  Gone is last year’s leading scorer Milica Stevanovic, while a couple of hard-working junior rookies (including Megan White & Courtney Davis) will be looked upon to pick-up the scoring slack.

Glenview Park SS Panthers / Cambridge

Last Year:  2-10 (Did Not Make Playoffs)

Key Returnees:  Maggie Tucker

Key Losses:   Alyssa Goodridge (HM ’11); Emily McLean

Top Rookies:  Jocelyn Kivell

Outlook:  Despite a couple of key losses, the Panthers have a couple of newcomers that can contribute immediately, including rookie Jocelyn Kivell.  Look for the Panthers to challenge for a playoff berth this season, but it won’t be easy with a tough schedule --- October games against Huron Heights & Galt are “must wins” for that to happen.

Grand River CI Renegades / Kitchener

Last Year:  3-9, 12^th (Lost to #5 JHSS in Qualifying Round)

Key Returnees:  Kailey DeBoer, Ana Milanovic, Stephanie Schumacher, Tori Gilvin, Leticia Skeete

Top Rookies:  Jamie Nooan, Leslie Ogilvie, Hannah Gardiner, Hannah Gibson

Outlook:  Despite a 12^th place finish last year, there is some optimism in east Kitchener for Coach Scott Reynolds and the Grand River Renegades as they return 4 players from that squad and integrate a few key rookies from a junior team that advanced to CWOSSA “AAAA” last season.

With the offense likely led by Kailey DeBoer, and Leticia Skeete clamping down on the defensive end, look for Grand River to make a jump into the middle-of-the-pack in this year’s standings.

Huron Heights SS Huskies / Kitchener

Last Year:  1-11 (Did Not Make Playoffs)

Key Returnees:  Emily Bidinosti

Top Rookies:  Aly Jacobs

Outlook:  The Huskies move up to “AAAA” this year, and they’re also seeking to move up the WCSSAA standings after a 1-11 mark a year ago.  Returning HM WCSSAA All-Star Emily Bidinosti will lead the way for Huron offensively.

Jacob Hespeler SS Hawks / Cambridge

Last Year:  9-3, 5^th (W 49-27 #12 GRCI QR; L BCI SF)

Key Returnees:  Taylor Dennis, Brooklyn Wright, Naomi Adams

Top Rookies:  Courtney Wright (Gr 10 – F), Candice Wright (Gr 10 – F)

Outlook:  Optimism is high in Hespeler this year, with a strong returning core of girls that hoisted the CWOSSA “AAA” junior championship two years ago.  Move up two of the best junior forwards in CWOSSA (Courtney & Candice Wright – both 6’0” – 6’2”), and you enter the season as the top-ranked “AAA” school in my books.

Obviously, size is a huge edge for Hespeler, who avoid playing WCI & Bluevale in this year’s edition of the WCSSAA schedule.  With that being said, they should finish the season either undefeated or with one loss at worst if things go well.

Kitchener CI Raiders / Kitchener

Last Year:  4-8, 10^th (W 36-35 vs KCI in QR; L 47-57 to #2 PHS in QF)

Key Returnees:   Olivia Nelles; Christiana Koebel

Key Losses:   Erin Kelly

Top Rookie:  Kelsey Dawe

Outlook:  The Raiders played well over the weekend, demonstrating an aggressive defensive style and timely offensive baskets --- if they can keep that trend up, they’ll likely fare much better than the “middle of the pack” projection where I’ve slotted them.  

Olivia Nelles and Christiana Koebel are WCSSAA all-star potential players that will lead the Raiders offensively this season.

Preston HS Panthers / Cambridge

Last Year:  10-2, 2^nd (W KCI 57-47 QF; L ECI SF)

Key Returnee:   Ashley White (HM ’11)

Key Losses (Starters):   Nikea Worrell, Kirsten Leach, Alexandra Aguiar

Outlook:  Despite some key losses including WCSSAA All-Stars Worrell & Leach, the Panthers do have some key components from a WCSSAA semi-finalist squad two years ago, including G/F Ashley White, who should be among the league’s top players.

Obviously, with other teams keying on her defensively, Preston’s success is going to be partially dependent on the strides that secondary scoring options can make throughout the season.  I still see them as an “upper tier” team this year in the WCSSAA league.

Sir John A. MacDonald SS Highlanders / Waterloo

Last Year:  1-11 (did not make playoffs)

Key Returnees:  Malena McCrossan, Jillian Reiter

Key Rookies:  Sam Fowler

Outlook:  As evidenced by a couple of wins over the weekend at Eastwood, look for this to be the year that the SJAM Highlanders begin to make a climb up the WCSSAA standings.  With last year’s leading scorers (WCSSAA HM All-Star) Malena McCrossan and Jillian Reiter both returning, the ‘Landers should get into the playoffs though a tough “AAAA” schedule will make a home qualifying date a challenge.

Southwood SS Sabres / Cambridge

2011:  6-6; 8^th – Lost in Qualifying Round

Key Returnees:  Nicole Barnard, Kayleigh Hutt-Taylor

Top Rookie:  Taylor White

Outlook:  The Sabres return the majority of their scoring offense from a season ago, and add one of the more dynamic scorers in the junior WCSSAA league, Taylor White.  The result should be another strong season in the “upper half” of the WCSSAA standings.

Waterloo CI Vikings / Waterloo

2011:  Undefeated WCSSAA Champions

Key returnees:  The Vikes will return 4 of their top 6 off the depth chart, including Alex Klein (F), Lindsay Taylor (G), Julia Pavlik (G) and Anja Gorrie (F).

Key Losses:  Lindsay Lessard (G/F), Lynn Dabrowski (F)

Top Rookies/Newcomers:  Kaylee Anagnostopoulos (Gr. 10 – G), Courtney Banham (G), Erin Helsby (G).

Outlook:  Despite losing co-MVP Lindsay Lessard, the Vikings still return 3 starters from last year and are the favourites to claim yet another WCSSAA title entering the season.

Grade 10 guard Kaylee Anagnostopoulos has moved up to the senior squad and had a solid debut in this past weekend’s tournament in London (notching 8 points and 8 rebounds against last year’s OFSAA bronze medalists, Mother Teresa).

Courtney Banham and Erin Helsby, who were both away from the team for a year, will return to add significant backcourt depth off the bench. 

Waterloo-Oxford DSS Crusaders / Baden

2011:  Did Not Field a Senior Team

Key Returnees:   N/A (Did Not Field a Senior Team)

Key Losses:   N/A (Did Not Field a Senior Team)

Key Rookies/Newcomers:   Madison Horst (G), Rebecca Payne (G), Alisha Glendinning (F), Tess Pettigrew (F), Kyla Burrough (F).

Outlook:  Despite not fielding a senior team in 2011, I’m expecting a strong season from the youthful Crusaders.  They move up the key components from their undefeated CWOSSA-championship junior squad of a year ago --- so although they may still be a year or so away from a championship title, look for them to be competitive with the top teams and in contention for one of the “AAAA” CWOSSA berths (FYI – WODSS has been moved up to AAAA designation this season).

The Crusaders won their home tournament this past weekend, posting a victory over Cameron Heights in the final --- so it looks as though the transition to senior will be a relatively seamless one for these athletes.

Today’s Games / Picks

(All 5:00pm Starts)

Elmira @ Waterloo-Oxford

Pick:  WODSS

A tough one to pick right off the bat here, but I’ll go with the youthful Crusaders and their home-court edge in this one.

Galt @ Forest Heights

Pick:  FHCI

Blair McNaughton and the Trojans will put one in the win column right off the bat at the expense of the GCI Ghosts.

Bluevale @ Glenview Park

Pick:  BCI

This one shouldn’t be close as the Knights are too deep for Glenview to handle, even at home.

Grand River @ Huron Heights

Pick:  GRCI

With a couple of tough games upcoming in their next three (JHSS & WCI among them), the Rens can’t overlook this one.  I’ll look for a comfortable road win for them today.

Cameron Heights @ Jacob Hespeler

Pick:  JHSS
Provided that my preview hasn’t put too much pressure on their shoulders, look for JHSS to win in the Hawks’ Nest today.

KCI @ SJAM

Pick:  KCI

The SJAM Highlanders will definitely be improved this season, but not likely by enough to get past the KCI Raiders today.

WCI @ Preston

Pick:  WCI

The Vikes will continue their WCSSAA win-streak on the road at Preston today.

Eastwood @ Southwood

Pick:  SSS

Fresh off a victory at Eastwood’s tournament, the Sabres will now get a chance to be unkind hosts as well --- they should upend ECI at home today.

D8 Monday: Senior Flames End 2+ Year Losing Streak

It was not my day yesterday in D8 girls' basketball.

After missing just 3 picks all of last season, I got off to a rough 0-2 start on Monday, missing both Rockway's first D8 win in over 2 years and Resurrection's drubbing of St. Benedict.

Resurrection was dominant in their effort, cruising to a 38-12 win.  The big difference was ball-pressure and turnovers; the Saints could not get the ball to their key scorers (forwards) and Rez ended up turning a 14-4 halftime lead into a huge win.

In fairness to my selection, SBCSS was without first-team all-star Dana Milani due to a prior commitment.  It also looks now as though D8 all-star Janelle Case will be out until at least the latter part of the season due to injury.

Here's a rundown of the action:

Senior Girls

Resurrection 38, St. Benedict 12
Rookie Sarah Schulz got off to a great start in her inaugural regular-season rookie game, pouring in 24 points to lead the Phoenix to victory.  Angelika Jarski and Andrea Phillippi had 4 each for Rez; St. Benedict's scoring details were not available.

Rockway 28, Monsignor Doyle 21
In a low-scoring affair, Emma Kscheninski netted 15 big points for the Flames as they go to 1-0.  Steph Veltri added 5 for Rockway, while Leah Flanagan (7) and Taylor Fitzpatrick (6) were the top Mustang scorers.

D8 Senior Standings
T1.  Resurrection 1-0
T1.  Rockway 1-0
T3.  St. Mary's 0-0
T3.  Woodland 0-0
T5.  Monsignor Doyle 0-1
T5.  St. Benedict 0-1  


Junior Girls

Resurrection 49, St. Benedict 43
RCSS:  Celia McGlynn 24, Patricia Enrique 12
SBCSS:  Kayla Leusink 22, Afifa Salaad 17

St. David 35, St. Mary's 6
SDCSS:  Ciarra Dunne 8
SMHS:  Brittany Gulic 4

Monsignor Doyle 43, Rockway 15
MDCSS:  Three Players - 10 Points
RMC:  Emilie Vos 7 

Woodland 51, PRDG 7
WCHS:  Julianna Thompson 31 

D8 Junior Standings
T1.  St. David 1-0
T1.  Resurrection 1-0
T1.  Mons. Doyle 1-0
T1.  Woodland 1-0
T6.  PRDG 0-1
T6.  St. Mary's 0-1
T6.  St. Benedict 0-1
T6.  Rockway 0-1

SENIOR GIRLS: D8 Season Preview & Monday Picks

There's going to be some changes that will take some getting used to in the District 8 (Waterloo Region Catholic) league this coming season.

For starters, several star players have graduated and moved on to CIS programs --- including last year's MVP, Kaitlyn Schenck (WLU via St. Mary's), and all-stars Natasha Stoyakovich (Waterloo via St. Mary's) and Jacqui Rodrigues (Waterloo via Resurrection).

Despite those losses, both St. Mary's and Resurrection having incoming seniors that should be able to contribute immediately --- more on that shortly!  

The St. Benedict Saints, with several returning D8 all-stars, initially looked to be the favourite on paper before stumbling (albeit while partially shorthanded) this past weekend over at Eastwood.  Of the 2011 D8 all-stars, 4th year G/F Dana Milani is the lone 1st team D8 all-star that will be returning this season.

Meanwhile, in "housekeeping news", St. David CSS will sadly not be fielding a senior team in the D8 circuit this year.  That said, the league will still be at 6 teams as Woodland Christian will be joining the league after playing in the D4 last season (4-6 record).

At any rate, I think that any one of St. Benedict, Resurrection or St. Mary's should be in contention to take the D8 title (and resulting "AAAA" CWOSSA) berth --- it will likely come down to who improves the most and is playing the best basketball come November!

Projected Senior Order of Finish
1.  St. Benedict CSS/Cambridge
2.  St. Mary's HS/Kitchener
3.  Resurrection CSS/Kitchener
4.  Monsignor Doyle CSS/Cambridge
5.  Woodland CHS/Breslau
6.  Rockway MC/Kitchener

D8 Preseason All-Star Team
Sydney Greulich - F, St. Mary's (3rd Year)
Alysha Hergott - G/F, St. Mary's (5th Year)
Sarah Schulz - G, Resurrection (3rd Year)
Dana Milani - G/F, St. Benedict (4th Year)
Hilary Ferguson - C, St. Benedict (4th Year)

Team Capsules

1.  St. Benedict Saints / Cambridge

Last Season:  3rd Place; lost semifinal @ Resurrection.

Key Returnees:  G/F Dana Milani (1st Team D8 All-Star); F Janelle Case (2nd Team D8 All-Star); C Hilary Ferguson.

Top Rookie:  Brooke Wanklin (averaged double-digit PPG for '11 junior team)

Outlook:  The Saints, who finished 3rd last season, are set to move up the D8 rankings with the majority of their squad back at SBCSS this season.

They'll be led offensively by Dana Milani, a slashing swingwoman who was a D8 all-star last season.  Hilary Ferguson patrols the paint and is a triple-double threat (points, blocks, rebounds) most evenings --- she came up a few blocks shy of one on Friday against KCI.

Brooke Wanklin moves up from the junior team to bolster the offense.

Sure, the Saints (while shorthanded --- including just 7 players against KCI) stumbled to an 0-3 record this past weekend at the Eastwood tournament, but I don't think that performance is reflective of their potential for this season.  I'll give them a mulligan there and peg them as the slight favourites in D8 heading into this season.

2.  St. Mary's Eagles / Kitchener

Last Season:  Undefeated Regular Season; def. Resurrection 48-29 in D8 final.

Key Returnees:  Alysha Hergott (Injured '11; Starter on '10 D8 Championship Team); Emma Jada (2011 D8 2nd Team All-Star); Linda Huynh; Monica Januszek, Jennifer Joseph, Laura Franco.

Key Losses:  Kaitlyn Schenck (D8 MVP - Graduated); Laura Boterman (D8 1st Team All-Star - Graduated); Shelby Dixon (D8 1st Team All-Star - Graduated); Natasha Stoyakovich (D8 2nd Team All-Star - Graduated).

Top Rookies:  Sydney Greulich (6'1" F), Laura Kay.

Outlook:  First, the good news:  the Eagles have about a half-dozen returnees from last year's D8 championship team.

Now, the bad news:  St. Mary's loses over 90% of their scoring offense (based upon the D8 championship game) and four District 8 all-stars from last year's squad.

Of course, they'll (gladly) welcome back Alysha Hergott, who returns after missing almost all of the 2011 season due to injury.  Needless to say, she'll be counted on a lot more for her scoring than in her previous years at St. Mary's.

The other key returnee is guard Emma Jada, a solid defender from the guard position who can also get some baskets when required.

As for the newcomers, the offense will be bolstered by grade 11 (6'1") rookie Sydney Greulich, who was actually recruited from the volleyball team for last year's junior team.  She contributed 14 points and 12 rebounds in last year's D8 junior final, and will again be a key offensive threat despite moving up to the senior ranks.

Gruelich didn't play due to an ankle injury this weekend at the Eastwood tournament, but she is expected to return to the lineup soon.

Laura Kay, another double-digit scorer from last year's junior squad, will also be expected to contribute immediately; their other top junior from last year, the athletic Angela Mercurio -- an OFSAA triple-jump gold medalist -- won't be playing basketball this season as she focuses on track and field.

In speaking with Head Coach Jeff Roth, he noted that "we are not nearly as strong as in years past but have the same goal --- to defend our D8 title.  This is a nice, hard-working group; they listen well and are very coachable.....I'm excited to see the progression that we can make as a team between now and November." 

3.  Resurrection CSS/Kitchener 

Last Season:  2nd; lost in D8 final to St. Mary's

Key Returnees:  Marley Neiscier (Starter on '11 team); Emma Higgins (6th woman on '11 team); Angelika Jarski.

Key Losses:  Jacqui Rodrigues (D8 1st Team All-Star - Graduated); Janelle Santi (D8 1st Team All-Star - Graduated); Danielle Duncan (D8 2nd Team All-Star - Graduated)

Top Rookies:  Sarah Schulz (D8 Junior MVP & leading D8 junior scorer in '11); Andrea Phillippi, Ellen McGowan, Laura Stern (all 3 were starters on RCSS '11 junior team).

Outlook:  Like St. Mary's, Resurrection loses a lot of their scoring offense from the 2011 team, while returning a handful of players that will be meshed with a nice crop of incoming rookies from the junior program.

Leading the way offensively will likely be one of those rookies, 5'9" G Sarah Schulz.  She poured in 20+ on several occasions last year, including a 24-point effort in the D8 championship game.  Marley Neiscier, who started as a grade 11 on last year's team, will aid on the offensive end as well.

Though I have RCSS 3rd in my "preseason rankings", they could certainly be making another appearance in the championship final if they can peak at the right time.

 4.  Monsignor Doyle CSS / Cambridge

Last Season:  4th; Lost D8 Semifinal to St. Mary's

Key Returnees:  Leah Flanagan, Jade Loehle

Key Loss:  Marley Gray (2nd Team D8 All-Star)

Top Rookie:  Taylor Fitzpatrick (2nd team D8 Junior All-Star '11)

Outlook:  The 'Stangs won't have a lot of competition for the D8's CWOSSA "AAA" berth --- as with the withdrawal of St. David, they're the only "AAA" team in the league (they'll still have to play a qualifier to qualify for the championships, of course).

MDCSS should again be playoff-calibre provided they get strong efforts from returning guard Jade Loehle and some additional contributions on the offensive end by Taylor Fitzpatrick.  The 'Stangs aren't as deep as the clubs above them, but they may be able to pull an upset or two if they are overlooked.

5.  Woodland Cavaliers / Breslau

Last Season:  Did Not Compete in D8 (4-6 in D4).

Key Returnee:  Rebekah Oosterhof

Key Rookies:  Emma Roorda; Kirsten Hofstee

Outlook:  It's certainly hard to project how a team such as Woodland will translate from the D4 to the stronger D8 league; however, I see them as being the slight favourite (on paper) to land the D8's "A" CWOSSA berth.

Look for Rebekah Oosterhof and rookies Emma Roorda and Kirsten Hofstee to provide the offensive spark.

6.  Rockway Flames / Kitchener

Last Season:  6th; Missed Playoffs

Key Returnee:  Emma Kschesinski (leading scorer in '11); Steph Veltri.

Outlook:  It could again be a long year for the Flames, who are in tough against much larger schools in the D8 league.  They won't get much help from incoming juniors (0-10, average score 51-9 against last year in D8) --- but I do expect a stronger overall performance than last season, especially with Kschesinski and Veltri returning.  The Flames and Woodland should have a good battle for the "A" CWOSSA berth.

Monday Picks

St. Benedict at Resurrection (5pm)
Mark's Pick:  SBCSS by 6

Needless to say, I was a bit surprised by St. Benedict's performance on Friday against KCI when I attended that game --- until I looked at their bench and realized they were missing a few key players.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Resurrection pull the upset as both teams shake off some early-season rust; that said, SBCSS appears stronger on paper so I'll go with them as my pick here.

Monsignor Doyle at Rockway (5:30pm)
Mark's Pick:  MDCSS by 12

The Flames have not won a D8 league game since the graduation of current UW star Laura Burnett (2009) and I look for that trend to continue here today at the hands of the MDCSS Mustangs.

SENIOR: Green Eagles Take Silver at 32-Team Purple & White Tourney

Despite a couple of key losses to graduation, the Brantford St. John's Green Eagles picked up right where they left off last season, claiming a silver medal at a high-calibre 32-team event down in London, ON --- the 55th annual "Purple and White" tournament co-hosted by Western University.

The Eagles got things started on Friday with a 42-33 victory over London's Regina Mundi, and then wrapped up Friday by taking out another CWOSSA "AAAA" school, Bluevale Collegiate, by a 55-38 margin.

This advanced St. John's through to the Elite 8 where they dispatched Sarnia Northern 42-40, thanks in part to grade-11 rookie Megan Thompson's buzzer-beater.

In the semifinal on Sunday morning, Tecumseh (Windsor) St. Anne's was no match for the Eagles soared to a 45-28 win.

This advanced the Eagles to the championship final, where they ran out of gas in the second half while dropping the title to Hamilton Westdale (54-36).  The game was tied at 25-25 at halftime.

Needless to say, with many "high profile" teams in attendance, St. John's has again solidified their position as a force to be reckoned with in CWOSSA and beyond.

Other CWOSSA teams that participated included Waterloo Bluevale, Waterloo CI, Brantford North Park and Brantford Assumption.  

Of those 4, WCI had the best results as they advanced through to the final 8 with victories over London Oakridge (50-23) and London Mother Teresa (48-43).  The win against Mother Teresa was a bit of revenge for the Vikes, who dropped the OFSAA bronze medal game to MTS last season.

Unfortunately for WCI, they dropped their quarterfinal game to Windsor St. Anne's 52-41 (of note: F Alex Klein missed that game due to a recruiting visit to D-1 Stetson University in Florida & WCI had only 7 players available).

Senior Girls: Southwood Takes Gold at ECI Tournament

The Southwood Sabres were not a kind fill-in at the Eastwood Collegiate Senior Girls' tournament this past weekend.

The Sabres defeated three other WCSSAA schools en-route to a tournament championship at the 8-team event hosted over at ECI.  

Southwood, taking the place of Sarnia St. Pat's (who were unable to attend), got things started on Friday evening with a 51-31 win over Waterloo SJAM.

The semifinal saw the Sabres get past an AAA rival, KCI, by a 34-25 score.  

Finally, Saturday evening's championship final saw Southwood get 15 from Nicole Barnard and 14 from Taylor White as they handled Grand River 49-38.  

Kailey Deboer (13) and Leticia Skeete (9) were tops for the Renegades on Saturday evening.

(FYI - You may recall White as a scoring phenom last year who has been moved up from SSS' junior squad where she pumped home 45 points in one contest last year.)

In the 3rd place game, KCI got 19 points from Christiana Koebel as they topped Kitchener St. Mary's 39-27.  The game was a bit closer than that score would indicate as KCI led by 3 at half (14-11) and after three quarters (24-21).

Waterloo's SJAM took the consolation title with a 38-28 win over Dundas Parkside.  The host Rebels got past Cambridge St. Benedict in the 7th place game.

Senior Girls: Purple & White Tournament (London)

Several highly-ranked CWOSSA teams are heading down the 401 today to the 2012 edition of the "Purple & White" Senior Girls' tournament.

In reference to the tournament name, much of the tourney's championship side action will be played at Western University's two gyms (Alumni Hall & Thames Hall).

Area CWOSSA teams scheduled to participate in this massive 32-team event include Waterloo schools WCI and Bluevale, and Brantford's North Park, St. John's and Assumption.

Here's a look at the whole bracket (Google Doc), but as for our CWOSSA squads' first-round matchups, we have: 

West Bracket (8 teams)
1:30pm (UWO) - Regina Mundi (London) vs. St. John's
3:00pm (UWO) - Bluevale vs. Kingsville

East Bracket (8 teams)
6:00pm (CCH) - Ingersol vs. North Park

South Bracket (8 teams)
3:00pm (JPII) - WCI vs. Oakridge
7:30pm (JPII) - Assumption vs. Lockerby

St. John's, Bluevale and WCI will play a second game later this evening as well.  Assumption and North Park's second-round game will take place on Saturday morning.

Needless to say, this is a very competitive field, top to bottom, with many teams that are "top ranked" provincially participating.  That being said, I'm expecting at least one of our CWOSSA squads to possibly break through to the semifinals and/or finals --- with a field this large, it will certainly partially depend on how the brackets play out, and what teams have the depth to win 5 games over the course of the weekend.

Senior Girls: Eastwood Tournament Set for This Weekend

The Eastwood Rebels are hosting their annual early season tournament this weekend in Kitchener, and for the first time in the last three years, I can guarantee you that the Rebels and St. Mary's Eagles will NOT meet in the championship final.

Of course, that's because the Rebs and Eagles will tip-off in the tournament opener this time around, scheduled for 2:30pm on Friday.  Both will be new-look teams after those two squads both made a CWOSSA "AAAA" appearance last season.

Returning starter Meagan Karai will lead the Rebels up front while Lori Stankiewicz will see an increased role in the backcourt. 

For St. Mary's, Alysha Hergott is back for her 5th year after missing last year due to an ACL injury.  She'll be joined by returning D8 2nd-team all-star Emma Jada, as well as a couple of key rookies including offensive threat Sydney Greulich and Laura Kay.

Other first-round games will include Kitchener Grand River against Dundas Parkside (4:00pm); an all-CWOSSA battle between Kitchener CI and Cambridge St. Benedict (5:30pm), and St. Patrick's (Sarnia) against Waterloo SJAM at 7:00pm.

The semifinals go on Saturday at 11:30am and 1:00pm, with the championship final at 7:00pm Saturday evening.

As for my pick?  The field seems really wide-open but I'll go with St. Benedict to get past St. Mary's in an all-D8 final --- but we'll see what Sarnia St. Pat's has to say about that after a 2nd place finish in the LSSAA last year.  Grand River might also be able to make some noise as well, given that they may be at an advantage in an early-season tournament with 4 returning starters from their 2011 team.

WCI's Klein Taking 3 Official NCAA D1 Visits in 3 Weeks

One of the key returnees on WCI's senior girls team, 6'2" F Alex Klein, is taking her 2nd of 3 official NCAA visits this weekend when she visits the campus of Stetson University, an NCAA D-1 school located in DeLand, Florida (a town located between Daytona Beach and Orlando on I-4).

Interestingly enough, if she chose to sign with Stetson, she wouldn't be the first-ever CWOSSA player to suit up for the Hatters as Alex Urosevic (Kitchener St. Jerome's '88) played at the school before finishing up his degree (and playing for) the University of Waterloo.

Stetson is a member of the Atlantic Sun conference.

Klein's recruitment has been heating up as she also went on an official visit last week to Iona College (New Rochelle, NY), another D-1 school that participates in the MAAC conference.

Next week, she'll be off to Bryant University (Smithfield, RI) which participates in the Northeast Conference (NEC).

Klein's busy schedule, though, means that she may be unavailable for some of WCI's early season tournament games.  The Vikes will be participating at the University of Western Ontario's "Purple & White" tournament this weekend; Klein will be playing in Friday's games but will be unavailable on Saturday.

Former WCI/Vermont Star May Kotsopoulos Joins UMass Basketball Staff

May Kotsopoulos, who starred on K-W area hardcourts in the mid '00s before enjoying a stellar career at the University of Vermont (NCAA D-1), has accepted a position as Director of Basketball Operations at the University of Massachusetts (D-1, Atlantic 10 Conference).

Here's the release from the UMass Athletics Website:

Former University of Vermont standout May Kotsopoulos joins the University of Massachusetts women's basketball staff as the Director of Basketball Operation for the 2012-13 season. Kotsopoulos, a star with the Catamounts under current UMass head coach Sharon Dawley, will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day functionality of the program. 

"We are thrilled that May has joined our UMass Women's Basketball Family," Dawley said. "She was a tremendous student-athlete and leader at UVM for four years. May will bring a winning attitude to the program and serve as an exemplary role model." 

Kotsopoulos played for Vermont from 2006-10 and assisted Dawley in bringing the program to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. An all-around player, Kotsopoulos averaged 13.7 points over a 129-game career with 124 appearances in the starting lineup. For her efforts on the court, Kotsopoulos was lauded by numerous organizations, including being named the America East Defensive Player of the Year in following the 2007-08 season and taking home three All-America East Team and four America East All-Defensive team awards. 

Paralleling her success on the court in the classroom, Kotsopoulos was named an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American in the 2009-10 season, secured a pair of ESPN The Magainze Academic All-District 1 laurels and was recognized three times as an America East Conference Scholar Athlete.

After completing her stellar collegiate career, Kotsopoulos was signed by the WNBA's Connecticut Sun in 2010 before playing professionally in Greece for two years. While overseas, Kotsopoulos was recognized on the Eurobasket.com All-Greek Team on two occasions while earning the organization's Greek League Newcomer of the Year in 2011. Kotsopoulos' success at the professional level earned the 5-foot-10 guard a spot on the Greek National Team in 2012. 

While in Ontario between seasons in Greece, Kotsopoulos stayed connected to the game and used her skills to assist the KW Lightning Basketball Organization as a volunteer. Kotsopoulos graduated from the University of Vermont in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

Senior CWOSSA Girls' Coaches: Information Request

I'm in the process of poring through last year's information, rosters, e-mails and stats to put together as complete a preview as I can for the 4 "major" leagues in CWOSSA --- D10, WCSSAA, D8 and Brant County.

Of course, with having to dig up information on approximately 30-40 schools, I can always use as much assistance as possible.  Senior coaches, please feel free to cut and paste the below into an e-mail (send it to me at mark@cwossabasketball.com)....it should only take a few minutes of your time!

School:

Coaches (Names):

Names of Key Returnees:

Names of Key Losses (Graduated Players):

Names of Top Rookies/Newcomers:

Coach's Comment/Thoughts on the Upcoming Season: