WCSSAA: Tuesday Picks

YTD:  80-8 (.909)

It wasn't the greatest of days for me last Thursday, as a mediocre 5-3 picks record nearly dropped me below the 90% mark on the season.  I now have my work cut out for me to try to maintain that 90% mark, as I can afford only one incorrect selection today.  Here goes:

WCI (11-0) at Eastwood (1-10)
My Pick:  WCI by 35
A rematch of last year's WCSSAA championship game, but things have certainly changed (at least for the Rebels) since that point.  Also is one game that won't have any bearing on the playoff picture, as the Vikes have already locked up 1st spot while the Rebs have been eliminated.

Preston (4-7) at Southwood (8-3)
My Pick:  SSS by 12
I certainly think the Panthers are better than their 3-8 record, and with Ashley White on their roster, they are a team that most squads would like to avoid in the first round of the playoffs.  Possible playoff preview here, but SSS can do their best to avoid playing PHS again with a win here today.

Waterloo-Oxford (10-2) at SJAM (3-8)
My Pick:  WODSS by 15
The Crusaders will have a depleted front-line for this one, as I hear that Alisha Glendinning, Kyla Burrough and Hope Eagleson will all be out due to injuries sustained in a weekend tournament.  Of course, with Maddy Horst and Becca Payne on the floor, I think that the Crusaders will still pull out a win here.

Huron Heights (1-10) at Galt (2-9)
My Pick:  Galt by 6
Look for the Galt Ghosts to close their season with a win although (see next post) it likely won't be enough to get them into the playoffs.

Glenview Park (0-11) at Jacob Hespeler (10-1)
My Pick:  JHSS by 25
I have a feeling the Jacob Hespeler Hawks will want to secure the win early, and then rest their key players in advance of the playoffs.  Look for JHSS to lock up the #2 seed with a big win here.

KCI (6-5) at Elmira (6-5)
My Pick:  EDSS by 9
The Lancers have been playing great lately, so I'll give them the edge here in what is a key game on Tuesday.  Winner takes the #7 seed in the WCSSAA playoffs, while the loser will still likely finish 8th.

Forest Heights (5-6) at Grand River (5-6)
My Pick:  GRCI by 8
I'll go with the Rens to pick up the home win and finish with a .500 league record, provided they can contain Blair McNaughton today.

Cameron Hts. (8-3) at Bluevale (9-2)
My Pick:  BCI by 8
Game of the day for sure, with the winner getting a first-round bye.  I'll go with the Knights, especially at home, but it'll be interesting to see if the Gaels come back with a renewed focus after blowing a late lead at home to Elmira.

D8: Monday Results

Senior

Resurrection 46, Monsignor Doyle 16
My Pick:  RCSS by 33
The Phoenix cruised past the MDCSS Mustangs on the road yesterday to remain atop the D8 standings with a perfect 8-0 mark.  Scoring details weren't immediately available.

St. Mary's 43, St. Benedict 25
My Pick:  SMHS by 22
Sydney Gruelich (10) and Monica Januszek (9) paced a balanced Eagle attack in this one, while Brooke Wanklin and Hilary Ferguson netted 9 each for the Saints.

Senior D8 Standings
1.  Resurrection 8-0**
2.  St. Mary's 8-1**
3.  Woodland 4-4*
4.  St. Benedict 4-5*
-----
T5.  Rockway 1-8
T5.  Mons. Doyle 1-8

** - clinched home semifinal game
* - clinched playoff berth

Junior

St. Benedict 46, St. Mary's 30
As usual, Kayla Leusink (25) and Afifa Salaad (16) provided a serious offensive punch for the Saints in this one; Brittany Gulic and Becca Siewert were both in double-figures for SMHS with 10 apiece.  Despite the loss, St. Mary's clinched a playoff berth on Monday due to the next result.....

Resurrection 50, Mons. Doyle 29
RCSS' Celia McGlynn matched the Doyle output on the afternoon, pouring in a D8-high 29 points.  Kelsey Caza added 10 more for Rez, while Yasmeen Smith had 11 for the Mustangs.

St. David 44, Woodland 20
Bobbi-Sue Hentges had 12 and Clara Dunne 7 for the Celts as they officially locked down 3rd place in the D8 standings.  Julianna Thomson had 12 for Woodland.

PRDG 26, Rockway 24
The Chevaliers picked up their 2nd win of the year over their D8 rivals, thanks to 8 each from Silvie Carruthers and Christine Boileau.  Several Flames had 4 points, including Danielle Weicker, Katarina Klassen, Emilie Vos and Lindsay Mustard.

D8 Junior Standings
T1.  Resurrection 11-1**
T1.  St. Benedict 11-1*
3.  St. David 9-3*
4.  St. Mary's 7-5*
-----
T5.  Mons. Doyle 4-8
T5.  Woodland 4-8
7.  PRDG 2-10
8.  Rockway 0-12

** - clinched home semifinal game
* - clinched playoff berth

D10: Tuesday Picks

YTD:  39-6 (.867)

Today and Thursday are the final two dates on the D10's regular season calendar, and it doesn't seem like there will be too much drama as we wind down the season.

Actually, all playoff spots could be solidified if today's games go according to form.....although that is an "if".

Bishop Mac (12-0) at Orangeville (1-11)
My Pick:  BMAC by 27
The Celtics will move to 13-0 today at the expense of the ODSS Bears.

St. James (8-4) at Lourdes (10-2)
My Pick:  OLOL by 10
St. James would need two wins over their final two outings to move up from the #4 seed, while Lourdes can secure the #2 spot with a win here today.  I look for the Crusaders to prevail.

Guelph CVI (3-9) at CWDHS (4-8)
My Pick:  CWDHS by 8
Should be a relatively close affair out in Fergus, and I'll go with the Falcons here.

Centennial (1-11) at JF Ross (9-3)
My Pick:  JFR by 27
The Royals will officially secure the #3 seed with a win today and a St. James loss.  I think they'll at least handle their part of the equation here. 

D8 Monday Picks

YTD:  11-7 (.611)

Two games on the D8 schedule today:

Resurrection (7-0) at Mons. Doyle (1-7)
My Pick:  RCSS by 33
The Phoenix will use this contest to get ready for a big showdown with rival St. Mary's on Wednesday.  

St. Benedict (4-4) at St. Mary's (7-1) 
My Pick:  SMHS by 22
A game that could also be a preview of a first-round D8 playoff match-up.  St. Mary's has already clinched at least 2nd spot in the D8 standings, but will improve their overall record with a win today.

Brantford Expositor: Upsets Can Happen --- And They Do

The Expositor's Darryl Smart gives his two cents on the BCSSAA playoff format change in today's opinion piece:

One of the greatest moments in March Madness history came when an elated Jim Valvano ran onto the court in celebration just after Lorenzo Charles dunked the ball at the buzzer to give the North Carolina State Wolfpack the NCAA men's basketball championship.

It's a moment that's shown every year when the Madness begins, and is a symbol of anything is possible if you just play the game, no matter who you are, or what you did to that point.

That season, the Wolfpack lost 10 regular-season games and were written off when the post-season began.
But something happened.

After capturing the ACC championship to earn a berth into the NCAA tournament, they went on a magical run that ended with that memorable image of Valvano in absolute ecstasy.

On February 9, 1980, the U.S. Olympic hockey team took on the Soviet Union at Madison Square Garden prior to the 1980 Winter Olympics. The Soviets were heavily favoured to win the gold meda. During exhibition games prior to the tournament, they were 5-3-1 against NHL teams, including a 6-0 win over the NHL All-Stars.

That night, the final tune-up for both teams before the Olympics, the Soviets thumped the young Americans 10-3.

A couple of weeks later, the Americans turned the tables, and Mike Eruzione's goal with 10 minutes left gave his team a 4-3 lead they would never give up, creating one of the greatest moments and greatest calls in sports history.

“...five seconds left in the game,” commentator Al Michaels said. “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”
It was another moment in sports where the impossible happened. The unbeatable Soviets were not only defeated, but beat by a group of players that, according to many, weren't good enough to skate on the same ice as them.

"Unless the ice melts, or unless the United States team or another team performs a miracle, as did the American squad in 1960, the Russians are expected to easily win the Olympic gold medal for the sixth time in the last seven tournaments," New York Times columnist Dave Anderson wrote the day before the game.

Last week BCSSAA announced that the scheduled Brant County senior girls’ basketball quarter-finals were scratched. Instead, the top four teams after the regular season have been paired off to set up the semifinals.
While the four semifinalists rest up for Thursday's games, the other two teams (Paris and Pauline Johnson Collegiate) will play a friendly game in lieu of a quarter-final on Tuesday.

The reason for the change is that all teams thought the quarter-finals were foregone conclusions because of previous scores.

While some think this makes sense and is a great solution to the lack of parity in the league, it sends the wrong message, especially when these games were already and have always been on the schedule.

Just because there seems to be an unbalance within the league this season, isn't a reason to change on the fly.

There's a reason playoff formats were created, because nothing is ever a sure thing, even if you're a last seed.

Just ask the Los Angeles Kings.

If Valvano and his Wolfpack would've listened to what people on the outside thought and just scrapped the idea of playing it out with nothing to lose, they would've never won the first game of the ACC tournament, let alone win the whole thing to earn that berth to the NCAAs.

High school is about learning life lessons and so is sport, regardless of the level. Adversity and perseverance are things coaches, teachers and parents preach to their kids and athletes.

That can't be something taken lightly. It's a responsibility we all have, to ensure the next generation has the same type of resolve that was handed down to us. Just because a blowout is expected isn't a reason to change the schedule. What happens if both teams expected to win do so, but the games are close?
Those results would have profound effects on the players heading into next season. Instead of shedding doubt before next season even begins, it sheds optimism.

And what if what was expected didn't happen? Like I've said before, nothing is a sure thing.

The numbers on the scoreboard are only that, numbers. The real wins and losses comes from dealing with defeat, learning to win with dignity and grace, and being humble regardless of the result. These are all life lessons we learn, not only at school, but on the street, and in sport.

Retrieved From:  http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2012/10/28/upsets-can-happen----and-they-do

Weekend Wrap-Up: Bishop Mac Wins ACS Invitational

Senior:  Celtics Take Out Lions For Title
The CWOSSA #5 Bishop Mac Celtics knocked off my current #3 senior team in CWOSSA, the Brantford Assumption Lions in the finale of the Assumption Invitational this past weekend.

The Celtics posted a 47-36 win after extending their 23-20 halftime lead after both the third (37-28) and fourth quarters.

Bishop Mac is currently undefeated in D10 play.

Junior:  North Park Tops WCI For Crusader Crown
The CWOSSA #2 North Park CVS Trojans picked up their second win over WCI in tournament play this season, knocking off the #4 Vikings by a 36-27 score in the final of the Crusader Invitational hosted by Our Lady of Lourdes in Guelph on Saturday afternoon.

North Park defeated CWOSSA #7 Bishop Mac 34-27 in one semifinal, while the Vikes got past CWOSSA #10 Assumption 33-25 in the other.

Bishop Mac defeated Assumption handily in the third place game.

On the consolation side, Bluevale (who lost to Assumption in their opener) squeaked past the host Crusaders 44-41 in one consolation semifinal, while Waterloo St. David beat Jacob Hespeler 47-17 in the other.  

St. David went on to defeat Bluevale 43-27 in the consolation final.

CWOSSA Alums Key Fanshawe's win over UWaterloo 
Fanshawe College defeated the University of Waterloo by an 86-67 final on Saturday afternoon in an exhibition game at the Waterloo PAC.

I wasn't there, but I heard that former Eastwood CI star Boyd Vassell was on fire and likely had a triple-double on the afternoon (or somewhere close).  Unfortunately, can't find a boxscore online at this point to confirm it.

Fanshawe's roster features four former CWOSSA players:  Troy Barnes (HB Beal '09 via Kitchener St. Mary's), Osama Qahwash (Grand River '11), Vassell (Eastwood '09) and Bryan McDonald (Galt CI '08).

 

Lourdes Junior Tournament - This Weekend

A pretty strong field has been assembled for the Crusader Classic this weekend, hosted by Our Lady of Lourdes in Guelph.

In fact, North Park (#2), WCI (#4), Bishop Mac (#7), and Assumption (#10) are all top-10 CWOSSA teams participating, while Jacob Hespeler, St. David, Bluevale and host Lourdes round out the field.

The draw is as follows:

Friday, Oct. 26
Noon - North Park vs. Jacob Hespeler
1:30pm - Bishop Mac vs. St. David
3:00pm - Lourdes vs. WCI
4:30pm - Assumption vs. Bluevale

Consolation Semifinals:  6:00pm & 7:30pm

Saturday, Oct. 27
Championship Semifinals:  9:00am & 10:30am

7th Place:  Noon
Consolation Final:  1:30pm
3rd Place:  3:00pm
Championship Final:  4:30pm

Senior CWOSSABasketball.com Power Rankings: Week 6

Our top 3 teams (WCI, St. John's and Assumption) stay put for another week, while the middle teams in the rankings saw some significant shifts.

The jump of the week goes to the Jacob Hespeler Hawks, who slide back up three spots after beating WODSS yesterday.

Here's this week's edition:

1.  Waterloo CI Vikings / Waterloo
Last Week:  #1
The Vikings demolished the (then) unbeaten WODSS Crusaders on Tuesday by 39 points.  That's all you need to know.

2.  St. John's College Green Eagles / Brantford
Last Week:  #2
The Eagles wrapped up first place in the BCSSAA standings by getting past North Park on Tuesday.  They'll open up the playoffs against Brantford CI in the semifinals next week.

3.  Assumption College Lions / Brantford
Last Week:  #3
No change this week for the Lions, who will need to take care of North Park in the BCSSAA semifinals before setting their sights on taking out the Green Eagles in the Brantford finals.

4.  Jacob Hespeler SS Hawks / Cambridge (AAA)
Last Week:  #7
The Hawks have been up-and-down these rankings on a weekly basis; this week, they're back up as a result of a strong home win against Waterloo-Oxford.

5.  Bishop Macdonell HS Celtics / Guelph (AA)
Last Week:  #5
The Celts will face a big test to remaining undefeated next Thursday at home against Lourdes.  I'm thinking that they'll get it done, but look for those teams to battle it out for the D10 title and the "AA" CWOSSA berth.

6.  Waterloo-Oxford DSS Crusaders / Baden
Last Week:  #4
An 0-2 WCSSAA week drops the Crusaders down, although they've faced a brutal schedule lately with (arguably) the top three teams excluding themselves in a row --- Bluevale, WCI, and Jacob Hespeler yesterday.  Expect them to finish 3rd with a win over SJAM on Tuesday.

7.  Bluevale CI Knights / Waterloo
Last Week:  #6
The Knights actually had a great week, with two huge wins, but I have to put them down one as a result of Jacob's win over WODSS.  The Knights' game against CHCI could have huge CWOSSA implications, so keep an eye on that one.

8.  North Park CVS Trojans / Brantford (AAA)
Last Week:  #8
The Trojans capped their season with a comfortable win over Pauline Johnson last night.  They shouldn't be overlooked in the Brant County playoffs, although I do think their best chance at a championship might be at "AAA" CWOSSA.

9.  Southwood SS Sabres / Cambridge (AAA)
Last Week:  #10
The Sabres have reeled off 6 league wins in a row to put themselves in position for a top-5 seed.  Definitely a team that a lot of WCSSAA coaches wouldn't want to meet in the qualifying round, or the quarterfinals.

T10.  Our Lady of Lourdes CHS Crusaders / Guelph (AA)
Last Week:  NR 
The second Crusader team in the rankings, Lourdes creeps back in as a result of another solid week in league that saw them pull off two more wins.

T10.  Cameron Heights CI Golden Gaels / Kitchener
Last Week:  #9
Yes, the Gaels did beat Southwood earlier this year, but the Power Ranking is a "snapshot" in time and based on how I feel the teams stack up at this point.  As such, CHCI's loss to Elmira yesterday and a challenging win against Grand River drop them one spot this week.

Honourable Mentions
Resurrection CSS / Kitchener
John F. Ross CVI / Guelph
St. James CHS / Guelph

Junior CWOSSABasketball.com Power Rankings: Week 6

Not much change in this week's junior rankings, with the top 7 teams staying as they were a week ago.

Slight change in the 8-10 spots, with Assumption sliding down and KCI (big win over Bluevale yesterday) and Resurrection (44-42 loss to CWOSSA #3 St. John's this week) both moving up a position.

Here's a look:

1.  Grand River CI Renegades / Kitchener
Last Week:  #1
The Rens haven't dropped from the #1 spot yet this season, and should wrap up a perfect WCSSAA season next Tuesday against Forest Heights.  The scary thing is that there's a lot of good grade 9 talent on this squad.

2.  North Park CVS Trojans / Brantford (AAA)
Last Week:  #2North Park, the top "AAA" school, just completed their perfect season over in the BCSSAA league.  Right now, I have them as a clear favourite in AAA CWOSSA.

3.  St. John's College Green Eagles / Brantford
Last Week:  #3
Captured the SSS Tournament although they did get a battle from Rez in the semifinals.  Lost a close regular-season affair to #2 NPC (by 5) as well.

4.  Waterloo Collegiate Vikings / Waterloo
Last Week:  #4
The Vikes will have a bit of a lay-off until the playoffs as a result of a "bye" on the final date of the WCSSAA calendar.  They outscored their opposition 73-17 this past week in league play.

5.  Guelph CVI Gaels / Guelph (AAA)
Last Week:  #5
The Gaels remain at the top of the heap in a very competitive D10 league this season.  Their balanced scoring attack will be key to helping them make a deep D10 (and possibly CWOSSA AAA) run.

6.  Elmira DSS Lancers / Elmira (AAA)
Last Week:  #6
Big win yesterday against Cameron Heights for the Lancers, who will take on KCI in their regular-season finale next Tuesday.  Both those teams look like good bets to reach the "AAA" tournament.

7.  Bishop Macdonell Celtics / Guelph (AA)
Last Week:  #7
CWOSSA's top "AA" school has been flying under the radar, but they're keeping Bishop Mac's strong tradition alive.  They wrapped up a "top 4" D10 seed with two wins this week.

8.  Kitchener CI Raiders / Kitchener (AAA)
Last Week:  #9
Our fourth consecutive "AAA" or lower team in the rankings, the Raiders got past Bluevale yesterday and earned themselves a first-round WCSSAA bye in the process.  They appear to be coming together at precisely the right time.

9.  Resurrection CSS Phoenix / Kitchener
Last Week:  #10
A close loss to St. John's (44-42) and a win over a tough St. David team in league play is enough to give the Phoenix a bump up to the #9 spot this week.

10.  Assumption College Lions / Brantford
Last Week:  #8
The Lions will enter the BCSSAA playoffs as the #3 seed; of course, this team would probably be top 3/4 in almost every CWOSSA-based league.  Brantford is that deep in girls' basketball.

Honourable Mentions
St. James / Guelph
St. Benedict / Cambridge
Bluevale / Waterloo
SJAM / Waterloo
Cameron Heights / Kitchener

WCSSAA Senior: Playoff Picture Comes Into Focus

To sum it up:  not a good day on the picks front yesterday.

After getting 5 wrong to this point in the season, I coughed up 3 incorrect selections yesterday, although I'm not going to lose much sleep over Jacob Hespeler's win over WODSS and Galt getting past Eastwood in what were clearly the two tightest matchups on paper heading into Thursday.

What was an eye-opener, though, was seeing CWOSSA #9 Cameron Heights upset at home thanks to a furious comeback by Elmira (now 6-5).  The Lancers trailed by 10 (44-34) with about 3:00 to go, however, a two and three consecutive three-pointers by three different players (Bailey Bond, Amy Hachman, and Julia Frey) actually gave the Lancers a 46-44 lead with :30 left.

Following a nice Hunter Johns reverse lay-up to tie the score, Krista Wiens was fouled under the basket with 3.2 seconds to play and calmly drained both of her free throws for the win.

Wiens had 18 and Hachman 13 for EDSS, while Liz McLellan (16), Johns (11) and Tyshaine Page (10) were double-digit scorers on the day for Cameron.

Here's the other recaps:

Bluevale 58, KCI 28
My Pick:  BCI by 16
The Knights rolled at home on Thursday, backed by great outings from Natalie Bishop (18) and Sarah Hamm (17).  Isabelle Mills had 7 and Olivia Nelles 5 for the Raiders.

Galt 31, Eastwood 28
My Pick:  ECI by 2
Should have gone the other way on this one, but it was indeed a close one down in Cambridge.  Ashlyn Beckman had a game-high 15 for Galt, with Megan White chipping in 5.  Sam Legue had 10 and Meagan Karai 6 for the Rebels.

Southwood 46, Forest Hts. 38
My Pick:  SSS by 9
The Sabres continue to move up the WCSSAA standings thanks to their 6th straight win.  Taylor White had 18 and Nicole Barnard 16 in this one for Southwood, while Blair McNaughton (18) and Sara Potter (11) led FHCI.

Grand River 58, Preston 45
My Pick:  GRCI by 6
Jamie Noonan (15), Leticia Skeete (11) and Kailey DeBoer (11) were all in double-digits for the Rens, who seem to be finding their offensive stride at the right time, averaging 56.0 PPG in their last 4 (and against decent competition like WODSS and CHCI, too).  Ashley White had a huge individual effort for Preston, with 27 points, while Breanna Johnson added 9.

SJAM 37, Glenview Park 29
My Pick:  SJAM by 13
The 'Landers firmed up their grip on a playoff-berth, but haven't quite secured it yet.  Malena McCrossan-Moses poured in 23 on Thursday for SJAM, while Jocelyn Kivell (9), Desiree Thompson (8) and Justine Schwier (8) paced GPSS.

WCI 68, Huron Hts. 28
My Pick:  WCI by 45  
Alex Klein had 16 and Erin Helsby 13 as the Vikes locked up the #1 seed in WCSSAA (as expected) with a win on Thursday.  Rachel Wilkinson had 7 and Jenna Gangl 5 for HHHS.

Jacob Hespeler 53, WODSS 45
My Pick:  WODSS by 3
The "Game of the Day" certainly lived up to its billing as the Hawks pulled it out down the stretch in front of a raucous home crowd.  Brooklyn Wright poured in 21 while Candice Wright had 11 for JHSS; Maddy Horst was unbelievable in defeat for WODSS as she poured in 35 --- yes, 35 --- points.  Becca Payne added 5 for the Crusaders.

WCSSAA Senior Standings
1.  WCI 11-0**
2.  Jacob Hespeler 10-1**
T3.  WODSS 9-2**
T3.  Bluevale 9-2*
-----
T5.  Cameron Hts. 8-3*
T5.  Southwood 8-3*
T7.  KCI 6-5*
T7.  Elmira 6-5*
T9.  Forest Heights 5-6*
T9.  Grand River 5-6*
T11.  Preston 3-8*
T11.  SJAM 3-8
-----
13.  Galt 2-9
T14.  Eastwood 1-10
T14.  Huron Hts. 1-10
16.  Glenview Park 0-11

** - clinched first round bye
* - clinched playoff berth 

Playoff Picture Analysis      
WCI has locked up top spot, while JHSS has essentially clinched the #2 spot (they have 0-11 GPSS remaining).

WODSS should take 3rd, assuming they beat SJAM --- they have tiebreak wins over Bluevale and Cameron Heights.

Bluevale and Cameron Heights play on Tuesday, with the winner taking 4th.  If Bluevale wins, Cameron would drop to 6th while SSS (if they beat Preston) takes 5th.

If Cameron Heights wins, then Bluevale and Southwood would be tied for 5th (and we'd need to look at the tiebreak scenarios as they haven't played each other this year).

After that, KCI and Elmira play --- to sort out 7th spot, while Forest Heights and Grand River, currently tied for 9th, battle for that position.

Preston has clinched (wins over SJAM & Galt); however, the final spot is still up for grabs if SJAM loses to WODSS and Galt beats Huron Heights.  Again, we'd have to look at the tiebreakers on that one.

My Prediction:
1.  WCI
2.  JHSS
3.  WODSS
4.  BCI
5.  SSS
6.  CHCI
7.  EDSS/KCI winner
8.  EDSS/KCI loser
9.  GRCI/FHCI winner
10. GRCI/FHCI loser    
11.  Preston
12.  SJAM

WCSSAA Junior: Rens, Vikes, Lancers and Raiders Lock up First Round Byes

I can tell you who won't be playing in the qualifying round of the WCSSAA playoffs.

That's because the top 4 seeds have been locked up after yesterday's action, although the 3rd and 4th spots won't be officially confirmed until the Elmira Lancers (10-1) and KCI Raiders (9-2) meet in their regular-season finale.

Grand River (11-0) will be the #1 seed entering the playoffs, after a 48-27 win at Preston yesterday afternoon. 

Tara Deboer netted 11 for GRCI with Caroline Lorkovic and Maya Day adding 6 each.  Avery Levert had a game-high 12 for the Panthers, with Kristen May adding 6.

WCI locked down the #2 WCSSAA seed by easing past Huron Heights 38-13.  Isabella Kellerman (10) and Olivia Bender (9) were the top Vikes on Thursday, while Buse Celik (6) and Emma Jewitt (4) topped HHHS.

WCI has a bye on the last date of the season and will finish with an 11-1 record.

Elmira (over CHCI) and KCI (over Bluevale) also picked up wins yesterday to cement first-round byes.  

Meanwhile, all 12 playoff berths in the 14-team WCSSAA league have now been accounted for as well.

Here's a look at the WCSSAA scoresheet:

KCI 44, Bluevale 34
KCI:  Alia Hazineh 14, Frances Campbell 14
BCI:  Maddy Fielding 13

Elmira 44, Cameron Hts. 35
EDSS:  Nicole Cressman 12, Sydney Jones 11
CHCI:  Salome MeKasha 9, Nina Farkic 5

SJAM 35, Glenview Park 27
SJAM:  Taylor Trush 9, Perry Gasteiger 8
GPSS:  Kristin Hall 11, Katie Krulicki 6

Jacob Hespeler 40, WODSS 27
JHSS:  Jasmine Ramcharan 15, Shianne Riggan 11
WODSS:  Payton Hofstetter 12, Rylee Mitchell-Becker 7

FHCI (SSS) and Galt (ECI) picked up bye wins.

Now, here's a look at the standings.  For good measure, I've included WCI and Preston's "bye wins" in the final game of the season.

WCSSAA Standings
1.  Grand River 11-0**
2.  WCI 11-1**
3.  Elmira 10-1**
4.  KCI 9-2**
-----
5.  SJAM 8-3*
T6.  Cameron Hts. 7-4*
T6.  Bluevale 7-4*
T8.  Forest Hts. 6-5*
T8.  Jacob Hespeler 6-5*
10.  Galt 5-6*
11.  WODSS 4-7*
12.  Huron Hts. 3-8*
-----
13.  Preston 2-10  
14.  Glenview Park 1-10 

Playoff Breakdown
Grand River - Clinched #1 Seed
WCI - Clinched #2 Seed
Elmira/KCI Winner - #3
Elmira/KCI Loser - #4

As for the teams that will be competing in the "qualifying round", here's how their last games look:

SJAM (8-3) can wrap up 5th place overall by defeating WODSS (4-7).  

Cameron Heights and Bluevale (both 7-4) will play on Tuesday, with the winner getting (at least) 6th and the loser likely taking 7th. 

I expect Jacob Hespeler (6-5) to defeat Glenview Park (1-10) in their finale which would likely leapfrog them over Forest Heights (6-5) who play undefeated Grand River in their finale.  This would give JHSS a home playoff game.

Galt could also move to .500 by defeating Huron Heights; however, they have lost to both Jacob Hespeler and Forest Heights so they likely won't move up from that 10th spot.

My Prediction:
1. GRCI
2. WCI
3. EDSS/KCI Winner
4. EDSS/KCI Loser
----
5. SJAM
6. BCI/CHCI Winner
7. BCI/CHCI Loser
8. JHSS
9. FHCI
10. GCI
11. WODSS
12. HHSS             
    

  

Brantford Expositor: Junior Trojans Enjoying an "Amazing Season"

Article By:  Darryl G. Smart

There's one word to describe the North Park Collegiate Trojans junior girls basketball team - dominant.

On Thursday, the young Trojans capped an incredible and somewhat improbable perfect Brant County regular season after a 24-8 victory over the Pauline Johnson Collegiate Thuderbirds.

"It's been an amazing season so far," Trojans' Halle Sitarski said. "It's one of those things that's just happened."

Prior to the season, Sitarski, Gabrielle Marton and the rest of the Trojans had no idea what kind of a season it would be after a middle of the pack regular season and early exit from the playoffs a year ago.

"We wanted to win pretty bad, especially after last year," Sitarski said.

"We weren't sure how we'd do. After the first couple of games we realized what we could do. Honestly, we didn't expect to do as well as we did. We just clicked."

And that's very apparent when you watch this team that has aspirations of winning not only the Brant county title, but the Central Western Ontario Secondary Schools Association AAA championship.

Thursday's game against the T-Birds was a microcosm of the Trojans' season, as they slowly but surely pecked away at their opposition with a combination of solid defence, and unselfish offence that has run rough shot over its opposition throughout the 10-0 run.

But if you ask the players, there's been more to the Trojans' success than just a combination of talent and great coaching.

"Our team has really become a family," Sitarski said. "Every one of us has gotten really close. Whether it's being there for each other if someone needs to talk, or just with their school work, we're all really good friends."

She said the best part about the season hasn't been the winning, it's been going to school with each other and going to the gym to play basketball together.

"Being there for each other has made this a great year," Sitarski said. "We've all had our own battles this year whether it be with basketball or something else. Even with these problems, we've gone even further. To be honest, I'm really proud of our team. We've gone through so much this year and every single one of the girls has been there for each other."

Marton said that closeness shows on the court.

"There's so much communicating when we play, and I think that's been a huge difference," Marton said. "That closeness we all have has really helped us."

While the all for one and one for all attitude has elevated the Trojans to new heights, one of the other keys to this season's success has been familiarity.

"A lot of us have played since we were young," Sitarski said. "The experienced players have done a great job helping the new players out, getting them used to the team and become experienced themselves."
And now that the Trojans are a perfect 10-0 in Brant and the playoffs are upon them, there's one thing to do.

"We want to win," Marton said.

"Everything we've done has been great so far, but we all know we want to do. There's lots of work left."

IN THE PAINT: On Thursday, it was confirmed that BCSSAA has changed its senior playoff schedule. 

Quarter-finals were originally scheduled for Tuesday. Instead, the top four teams in the regular season will begin semifinals Thursday, with BCI at SJC, and NPC at ACS. Those games will start at 7 p.m. The junior quarter-finals will go as planned Tuesday, with Paris at BCI, and PJC at ACS, with SJC and NPC awaiting the winners for the semifinals Thursday. Both games are at 5:30 p.m.

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Junior
North Park 24, Pauline Johnson 8
NPC: Sarah Minutillo 4, Julia Rankin 2, Larissa Hill 4, Gabrielle Marton 4, Hattie Osborne 2, Halle Sitarski 6, Arden Grob 2. 
PJC: Adrianna Blitterswyk 4, Kayla Mackenzie 2, Cassie Pakula 2

Assumption 45, Brantford 20

St. John's 40, Paris 15
SJC: Rebecca Mackinnon 11, Jen Garner 7, Bridget Kwasnik 6. 
Paris: Courtney Boehmer 6, Avery Hamill 5. 

Senior

Assumption 53, Brantford 22
ACS: Nicole Shea 10, Alex VanDyk 12, Naomi Samuel 4. 
BCI: Rachel Adkins 14, Jenna Schonbacher 4, Brooke Newsome 4. 

St. John's 46, Paris 23
SJC: Porianna Bautista 9, Bridget Monkman 9, Megan Thompson 11. 
Paris: Alex Forsyth 8, Marlie Stevens-Keresturi 4, Kenzie Coombe 4.

North Park over Pauline Johnson

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