Brant News: Mustangs Take CWOSSA Title

Team Photo - Sean Allen / Brant News

The Brantford Collegiate Institute Mustangs junior girls basketball team knew their rivals from the North Park Collegiate Trojans would come out hard and with confidence in the team’s fifth – and most important – match of the season. 

The Mustangs plan was to come out harder. 

“We knew they would come out hard,” Grade 10 player Maddie Sanderson said. “We had to be ready for that and we were." 

Playing for the regional CWOSSA (Central Western Ontario Secondary School Association) crown at Waterloo Collegiate Institute on Saturday night, the Mustangs staked themselves a 10-0 lead before the Trojans scored a point. 

The Trojans got within seven early in the second quarter, but would never get closer. 

The Mustangs claimed the school’s first CWOSSA girls basketball title with a 40-25 victory in the championship of the two-day, eight-team tournament hosted in Waterloo. 

“It feels great, we worked so hard all season,” Sanderson said. “It’s surprising it is the first (CWOSSA) title for the school, considering all the players we’ve had. Winning the first one feels pretty great." 

BCI opened the final on a mission. 

Sanderson stole the ball from the Trojans and dropped in a layup for the games first points. 

BCI’s Paige Bagshaw hauled in a defensive rebound on the next possession to set up a three-pointer from teammate Taylor Hill. Mustangs point guard Kennedy Chisholm stole the ball on the Trojans next possession to set up Bagshaw for a layup. 

Hill then drained her second three-pointer for a 10-0 score before the Trojans knew what hit them.

The Trojans would battle back to a 17-8 deficit at the end of the first quarter. 

Things were looking up briefly in the second quarter when North Park’s Amber Leggett blocked a Mustangs layup, stole the ball and set up teammate Noelle Adams for a layup. That made the score 17-10 for the Mustangs, but the Trojans wouldn’t get any closer. 

Hill closed the first half with five consecutive points on a jump shot and by hitting three-of-four shots from the foul line to make it 24-11 at halftime. 

The Trojans showed renewed energy to start the third quarter when Simran Grewal found an open Leggett to drive to the basket to open the scoring in the second half. But that momentum was quashed on the next possession when Bagshaw dove out of bounds to save an offensive rebound and the Mustangs fed the ball to Chisholm for a three-pointer. 

The Mustangs got points from five different players in an 11-7 third quarter to push the lead to 35-18.

The Trojans outscored the Mustangs 7-5 in the final frame, but it was a low-scoring quarter as the Mustangs worked time of the clock with quick passing in the offensive zone. 

The team started celebrating with possession of the ball as the final four seconds ticked off the clock on their 40-25 lead. 

North Park couldn’t punish the Mustangs at the line in the second half, shooting only five-of-13 on foul shots. 

Hill led the way for BCI with 16 points, including two three-pointers and a four-of-five from the foul line. Chisholm had eight points, two steals and an assist. 

“They worked hard as a team,” coach Ross Enslev said. “There was no go-to person throughout the season – this was a total team effort." 

Hill, Bagshaw, Sanderson and Chisholm all had double-digit scoring games during the tournament, with Hill, Sanderson and Chisholm taking turns leading the way for scoring. 

Enslev, Ron Jamula and Pat Woodburn coached the CWOSSA winning squad. 

Noelle Adams led the Trojans with seven points in the final, while Leggett had six. 

The Trojans’ Bria Yurczyszyn was held to two points by the Mustangs defence after she scored 37 points in the previous three games at CWOSSA. 

The two Brantford teams in the tournament were on a collision course for the final after a nail-biter for the Brant championship just nine days earlier. 

The Trojans had held a lead over the Mustangs entering the fourth quarter of Game 2 in the Brant final on Nov. 12, which the Mustangs erased with 22 points in the final frame to claim the local title. 

Both teams were granted entry to the AAA CWOSSA tournament. 

While the Mustangs marched to final undefeated with double-digit victories in all three games, the Trojans clawed their way to the championship and, ultimately, the silver medals. 

After losing to the Waterloo-Oxford Crusaders to open the tournament, the Trojans advanced to the semifinals with a 43-41 overtime victory against the Resurrection Phoenix from Kitchener on Friday. 

The Trojans then edged the Kitchener Collegiate Institute Raiders by a score of 46-42 on Saturday in the semifinal. 

Retrieved From:  http://www.brantnews.com/sports-story/6130094-junior-mustangs-take-cwossa-title/

Brantford Expositor: St. John's Student Signs NCAA Letter of Intent

Article By:  Expositor Staff

St. John's College student Kendra Van Leeuwen has moved one step closer to heading to the U.S. on a scholarship.

Earlier this year, Van Leeuwen made a verbal commitment to attend George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and play basketball at the NCAA Division I school for the Colonials. Last week, she signed her national letter of intent.

Van Leeuwen, a guard, will attend George Washington beginning in 2016. She will join Virginia's Harper Birdsong and Maryland's Kendall Bressee in what is being ranked by Blue Star Basketball as the No. 2 recruiting class in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

The five-foot-nine Van Leeuwen has been crucial in helping to lead SJC to four straight Brant County and Central Western Ontario Secondary Schools Association championships. She also has been named a junior and senior athlete of the year at St. John's.

"Kendra is a skilled combo guard who can really stretch the defence with her three-point shooting," George Washington coach Jonathan Tsipis said in a release.

"She can really create shots for others and will be very comfortable in our transition game.

"She has represented Team Canada on the junior national team and will continue to play for them during her time at GW. Kendra is a multi-sport athlete who is ultra-competitive and is the youngest of three collegiate student-athletes."

Van Leeuwen played for Canada at the 2014 Under-17 FIBA World Championships.

Retrieved From:  http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2015/11/18/sjc-student-signs-letter-of-intent

Saturday CWOSSA Results

Will be posted on the website soon; in the meantime, please head to my Twitter page for results.

Thanks!

CWOSSA Semifinals: Saturday

"A" games will be at Waterford & Simcoe; "AA" will all be at Pauline Johnson in Brantford; "AAA" will all be at WCI in Waterloo.

Winners of the below semifinals will advance to the CWOSSA finals.  The "A" finals, at Waterford, will be at 4pm (Junior) and 6pm (Senior).  "AA" and "AAA" will both be 6pm and 8pm tip-times, at the same site as the semifinals (PJCVS & WCI respectively).

A - Junior

Owen Sound vs. Woodland - 10am (WDHS)

Kincardine vs. Delhi - 10am (Simcoe)

A - Senior

Delhi vs. Peninsula Shores - 11:30am (WDHS)

Woodland vs. Kincardine - 11:30am (Simcoe)

AA - Junior

Bishop Mac vs. St. David - 9am

Galt vs. Simcoe - 10:30am

AA - Senior

Galt vs. Bishop Mac - Noon

Simcoe vs. St. David - 1:30pm

AAA - Junior

KCI vs. North Park - 9am

Brantford CI vs. WODSS - 10:30am

AAA - Senior

Resurrection vs. SJAM - Noon

St. John's vs. North Park - 1:30pm

Senior "AAA" Quarterfinal: North Park 48, JF Ross 22

The North Park Trojans put on a clinic in the Senior "AAA" quarterfinal nightcap at Waterloo Collegiate.

With tic-tac passing, great finishing inside, timely outside shooting and strong defense, the Trojans did it all in defeating the D10 champion JF Ross Royals by a 48-22 final.

The Trojans raced to a 30-14 halftime lead, and it certainly appeared as though North Park was headed to victory in the third quarter with JF Ross' offense unable to get on track.  The Royals managed just 8 second half points en route to their lowest output of the season against CWOSSA opposition.

North Park's Sarah Minutillo was particularly impressive with her ability to laser-beam passes to her teammates.  She finished with 9 assists, while also adding 8 points and 6 rebounds.

Brooke Cesar displayed a strong inside-outside game, knocking home two three-pointers as part of her 21-point, 6 rebound effort.

Grade 11 post player Sydney Adams was a force inside; she nearly racked up a double-double in the first quarter (8 points + 9 rebounds) before finishing with 12 points and a whopping 16 rebounds.  She also displayed a nice passing touch, with 4 assists.

I'm sure Adams also had at least 5 or 6 blocks on the interior, as well -- I didn't keep track of that stat, but she was certainly a disruptive force.

Rounding out the North Park scoresheet were contributions from Julia Rankin (4), Hattie Osborne (2), and Emma Mitchell (1).

JF Ross was led by Mya Leacock, who scored 9.  Catie Terrey added 6, while leading scorer Maddy Darling was held to 5.  Candice Geisel had the other 2 points for the Royals.

North Park advances to face Brantford rival St. John's in the second "AAA" Senior Semifinal tomorrow afternoon at WCI; tip time is 1:30pm.

JFR    07-07-04-04 = 22
NPC   15-15-06-12 = 48

JF Ross
M. Leacock    3-12 FG, 3-6 FT, 13 Reb, 1 Ast - 9 Pts.
C. Geisel        1-8 FG, 0-0 FT, 6 Reb, 0 Ast - 2 Pts.
H. Anderson   0-6 FG, 0-0 FT, 4 Reb, 1 Ast  - 0 Pts.
M. Darling     2-13 FG, 0-0 FT, 2 Reb, 1 Ast - 5 Pts.
A. Vuckovic   0-7 FG, 0-0 FT, 3 Reb, 1 Ast - 0 Pts.
-----
C. Terrey        3-9 FG, 0-0 FT, 5 Reb, 1 Ast - 6 Pts.
B. Nelson        0-4 FG, 0-0 FT, 4 Reb, 0 Ast - 0 Pts.
A. Sukhdeo     0-1 FG, 0-0 FT, 3 Reb, 0 Ast - 0 Pts.

Field Goals:  9-60 (.150).  Free-Throws:  3-6 (.500).  Three-Point Goals:  1-17, .058 (M. Darling 1-9, M. Leacock 0-1, A. Sukhdeo 0-1, C. Geisel 0-2, H. Anderson 0-4).

North Park
S. Minutillo    3-13 FG, 0-0 FT, 6 Reb, 9 Ast - 8 Pts.
D. Romany     0-2 FG, 0-0 FT, 3 Reb, 2 Ast - 0 Pts.
J. Rankin        2-5 FG, 0-0 FT, 1 Reb, 1 Ast - 4 Pts.
S. Adams       6-10 FG, 0-3 FT, 16 Reb, 4 Ast - 12 Pts.
B. Cesar         9-19 FG, 1-4 FT, 6 Reb, 2 Ast - 21 Pts.
-----
H. Osborne     1-2 FG, 0-0 FT, 1 Reb, 0 Ast - 2 Pts.
S. Rossi          0-5 FG, 0-0 FT, 4 Reb, 0 Ast - 0 Pts.
E. Mitchell     0-1 FG, 1-2 FT, 0 Reb, 0 Ast - 1 Pt.

Field Goals:  21-57 (.368).  Free-Throws:  2-9 (.222).  Three-Point Goals:  4-21, .190 (B. Cesar 2-8, S. Minutillo 2-11, D. Romany 0-1, H. Osborne 0-1).

Senior "AAA" Quarterfinal: Resurrection 47, Cameron Heights 39

The Resurrection Phoenix raced to a 16-point lead in the 4th quarter, and they needed almost every one of those points to hold on for their CWOSSA "AAA" Senior Quarterfinal win against Cameron Heights.

A late 12-0 run by the Gaels got them within 4 points and around a minute to go, before the Phoenix hit 4-of-6 foul shots down the stretch to seal the victory.

It was a back-and-forth first half, with Cameron leading 9-7 after the opening eight minutes before Rez rebounded to take a 19-15 lead going into half.

The Phoenix controlled the third quarter, outscoring Cameron Heights by a 20-10 margin and taking a 39-25 lead heading into the fourth.  Rez would score the quarter's first bucket, before a prolonged drought (and some Cameron Heights pressure) got the Gaels back in it.

As usual, Nina Farkic was at the forefront of that Cameron Heights rally, as she made several baskets including a three-pointer during the run.  Rez seemed a bit flustered by the Cameron pressure, and made several turnovers --- some forced, some not. 

However, the Phoenix remained composed enough down the stretch to salt away the victory from the foul line.

Grade eleven forward Jama Bin-Edward, who is receiving NCAA & CIS interest, had a spectacular outing for the Phoenix, pouring in 18 points and adding 17 rebounds and 2 assists.  Meghan Sharp recorded a very impressive 8 assist total, while also scoring 6 points.

All seven Phoenix who played hit the scoresheet.  The others were Patricia Enrique (8), Krissia Vasquez (6), Rachel Engel (5), Britney Haughton (3), and Maddy Antwi (1).

Nina Farkic had a game-high 19 points for Cameron Heights, while Jovana Zubic and Laura Weber added 5.  

Rounding out Cameron's scoring were Alexandra Smith (4), Andjela Stankovic (3) and Katrina Stickel (3).

Resurrection advances to tomorrow's CWOSSA "AAA" semifinals, where they will take on rival SJAM.  Tip time is 12pm at WCI.

Boxscore
RCSS   07-12-20-08 = 47
CHCI   09-06-10-14 = 39

Resurrection
J. Bin-Edward  7-12 FG, 4-6 FT, 17 Reb, 2 Ast - 18 Pts.
K. Vasquez     1-7 FG, 4-6 FT, 3 Reb, 2 Ast - 6 Pts.
B. Haughton   1-4 FG, 1-2 FT, 4 Reb, 0 Ast - 3 Pts.
M. Sharp         3-8 FG, 0-0 FT, 1 Reb, 8 Ast - 6 Pts.
R. Engel          2-7 FG, 1-3 FT, 4 Reb, 1 Ast - 5 Pts.
-----
P. Enrique       4-5 FG, 0-0 FT, 1 Reb, 0 Ast - 8 Pts.
M. Antwi        0-2 FG, 1-2 FT, 3 Reb, 1 Ast - 1 Pt.

Field Goals:  18-45 (.400).  Free-Throws:  11-19 (.579).  Three-Point Goals:  0-6, .000 (M. Sharp 0-1, M. Antwi 0-1, J. Bin-Edward 0-2, K. Vasquez 0-2).

Cameron Hts.
N. Farkic        8-25 FG, 0-0 FT, 6 Reb, 3 Ast - 19 Pts.
A. Smith        2-6 FG, 0-0 FT, 2 Reb, 1 Ast - 4 Pts.
J. Zubic          2-3 FG, 1-2 FT, 6 Reb, 0 Ast - 5 Pts.
A. Stankovic  0-9 FG, 3-4 FT, 3 Reb, 0 Ast - 3 Pts.
K. Stickel       1-9 FG, 1-6 FT, 6 Reb, 0 Ast - 3 Pts.
-----
L. Weber        1-3 FG, 2-2 FT, 3 Reb, 0 Ast - 5 Pts.
Carmichael     0-0 FG, 0-0 FT, 2 Reb, 1 Ast - 0 Pts.

Field Goals:  14-55 (.255).  Free-Throws:  7-14 (.500).  Three-Point Goals:  4-19, .211 (N. Farkic 3-12, L. Weber 1-2, A. Stankovic 0-2, K. Stickel 0-3).

"AAA" Tournament: Live Updates

Stay tuned to this post for live updates from CWOSSA "AAA", co-hosted by WCSSAA schools WCI & SJAM.

Friday Junior games will be at SJAM, with the Senior games being played at WCI.

Bold = Final Scores

Junior 1st Round
KCI 57, Orangeville 32 
Brantford CI 44, SJAM 19 
Resurrection 52, Centennial 40
WODSS 47, North Park 45

Junior 2nd Round
KCI 33, SJAM 28
Brantford CI 63, Orangeville 21
North Park 43, Resurrection 41 (OT)
WODSS 60, Centennial 21

Senior 1st Round
SJAM 55, Guelph CVI 26
St. John's 77, KCI 25
Resurrection 50, JF Ross 49
North Park 38, Cameron Hts. 31

Senior 2nd Round
SJAM 48, KCI 34
St. John's 60, Guelph CVI 18
Resurrection 47, Cameron Hts. 39
North Park 48, JF Ross 22

"AA" Tournament: Live Updates

Stay tuned to this post for updates from the "AA" CWOSSA tournament, being hosted by BCSSAA schools Pauline Johnson and Paris DHS.

This is an 8-team, modified double-elimination tournament (any loss after the first game results in elimination).

First Round - Friday (Junior)
Bishop Macdonell 44, West Hill (OS) 6 - FINAL
Simcoe 42, Norwell 7 - FINAL
St. David 40, Galt 32 - FINAL
St. Mary's (OS) 33, Wellington Hts. 11 - FINAL

Second Round - Friday (Junior)
Bishop Mac 40, Norwell 9
Simcoe 23, West Hill 17
St. David 42, Wellington Hts. 13
7:30pm:  St. Mary's vs. Galt 

First Round - Friday (Senior)
Bishop Macdonell 66, Sacred Heart 17 - FINAL
Simcoe 37, Wellington Hts. 24 - FINAL
Galt 51, St. David 42 - FINAL
Westside 46, St. Mary's (OS) 32 - FINAL

Second Round - Friday (Senior)
Bishop Mac 63, Wellington Hts. 14 - FINAL
Simcoe 34, Sacred Heart 22 - FINAL
Galt 52, St. Mary's 37 - FINAL
7:30pm:  Westside vs. St. David  

"A" Tournament: Live Updates

Stay tuned to this post for updated results from "A" CWOSSA.

This is a 6-team, pool play tournament, being hosted by NSSAA schools Waterford and Simcoe Composite.

Junior Girls
Woodland Christian 34, Valley Hts. 24 (FINAL)
Delhi 34, Emmanuel Christian 18 (FINAL)
Woodland Christian 30, Kincardine 29 (FINAL)
Delhi 21, Owen Sound 20 (FINAL)
Kincardine 49, Valley Hts. 15 (FINAL)
Owen Sound 26, Emmanuel Christian 8 (FINAL)

Senior Girls
Woodland 29, Waterford 13 (FINAL)
Delhi 29, Emmanuel Christian 20 (FINAL)
Peninsula Shores 47, Woodland Christian 23 (FINAL)
Kincardine 46, Delhi 32 (FINAL)
Peninsula Shores 44, Waterford 21 (FINAL)
Kincardine 52, Emmanuel Christian 17 (FINAL)

"AA" Tournament: Mini Preview

The "AA" tournament is tipping off today in Brantford (Pauline Johnson) and Paris (Paris DHS).

Junior games will be at PJCVS, and the Senior bracket today will be played in Paris.

Senior
Bishop Macdonell has won 11 -- yes, 11 -- CWOSSA "AA" senior titles in a row, and are seeking their 12th consecutive title this weekend.

They are certainly the favourites again this year, but perhaps less so than in years previous given that there are now entries from WCSSAA (Galt) and District 8 (St. David) in the field.

Those two teams will play each other in the first round, and you could argue that the team that loses that game will have the easiest road to the final --- as they would then avoid Bishop Mac until that time.

Here are my picks:

Round 1
Bishop Mac over Sacred Heart
Simcoe over Wellington Hts.
Galt over St. David
Westside over St. Mary's (OS)

Round 2
Bishop Mac over Wellington Hts.
Simcoe over Sacred Heart
Galt over St. Mary's (OS)
St. David over Westside

Semifinals
St. David over Simcoe
Bishop Mac over Galt

Championship
Bishop Mac over St. David

Junior
On the Junior side, there hasn't quite been the same level of Bishop Mac domination given Lourdes' success at the Junior level.  Of course, that means a D10 team has won 12 straight times dating back to 2002.

Again, like the Senior tournament, the biggest threats to knocking off the Celtics will be from St. David and Galt Collegiate -- with the loser of that game given the advantage of avoid BMAC until the finals.  

Provided they don't overlook anyone, I don't think the Celtics will have much trouble coasting to their 2nd straight "AA" title and extending the D10 streak this weekend.

Round 1
Bishop Mac over West Hill
Simcoe over Norwell
St. David over Galt
Wellington Hts. over St. Mary's (OS)

Round 2
Bishop Mac over Norwell
Simcoe over West Hill
Galt over Wellington Hts.
St. David over St. Mary's (OS)

Semifinals
Bishop Mac over St. David
Galt over Simcoe

Championship
Bishop Mac over Galt

CWOSSA "AAA" Senior: Preview & Predictions

Can anyone derail the St. John's Green Eagles?

That's the question being asked in advance of this weekend's AAA Senior Girls' tournament in Waterloo, where St. John's enters as overwhelming favourites to take the title and advance to the OFSAA tournament, where they were silver medalists in the AAA division a year ago.

Of course, there's seven teams that will play their hearts out to try to prevent that from happening, so let's take a look at the field:

Cameron Heights CI (Kitchener)
Last CWOSSA SG Championship:  None

The Gaels enter CWOSSA with one of the most dynamic players in the tournament on their roster -- PG Nina Farkic -- which alone should at least keep them competitive in each game.

As I mentioned in my WCSSAA preview, Jovana Zubic, Andjela Stankovic, and Katrina Stickel have all been solid complimentary options for the Gaels throughout the season.

The bottom portion of the draw is somewhat wide open, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Gaels get through to the semifinals, or sneak their way into the finals even.

Guelph CVI (Guelph)
Last CWOSSA SG Championship:  1995
Total CWOSSA SG Championships:  1

Despite not having won the D10 title since 1969, the Gaels are hoping that they'll be able to repeat the surprise CWOSSA championship of the 1995 Gaels on its 20th anniversary.

Of course, the earlier injury to double-digit scorer Abbey MacIntyre will certainly make it that much of a tougher task, although Jenna Falconer and Emina Bektic (who is also a double-double threat most games) have assumed some of those scoring responsibilities during GCVI's run to the D10 final.

Sydney Wilson, GCVI's PG, is a post-secondary level talent who is a lot of fun to watch.  Despite her size, she can stuff a stat sheet as evidenced in the D10 final where she pulled down double-digit rebounds and added 3 blocked shots.

John F. Ross CVI (Guelph)
Total CWOSSA SG Championships:  None

JF Ross' reward for winning D10?  A first-round game against an opponent (RCSS) that I had ranked higher than GCVI's first-round opponent (SJAM) during the season.

With Ross' height across their lineup, though, they can certainly create some match-up issues for their opposition.  Maddy Darling, their star scorer, is a guard-forward who they can even call on to play the PG spot on occasion.  She can hit the three, but is equally adept at driving the lane.

Athletic leaper Mya Leacock and forward Ana Vuckovic compliment a Ross front-court that is sure to amass their share of blocked shots throughout the tournament.

The Royals are deeper than the average CWOSSA team, and Catie Terrey has often provided a nice boost off the bench, as she did during the D10 finals.

Although Ross has been a bit of an "up and down" team at times this season, when they're on, they are a tough team to beat.

Kitchener CI (Kitchener)
Last CWOSSA SG Championship:  2009
Total CWOSSA SG Championships:  2

Certainly, nobody expected the Raiders to be in this position, given that they had to pull three significant upsets along the way.  They entered the WCSSAA playoffs as a #11 seed, before upsetting #6 Jacob Hespeler, #3 Grand River, and then defeating #5 Bluevale in a CWOSSA Play-In game.

In other words, KCI is playing with house money right now, and that's always a dangerous thing when a team can easily be overlooked but has nothing to lose themselves.

North Park CVS (Brantford)
Last CWOSSA SG Championship:  2012
Total CWOSSA SG Championships:  6 (all AAA)

The NPC Trojans were able to survive a dog-fight in the BCSSAA league and earn the league's second CWOSSA berth.  

Having returned only four players from a season ago, the Trojans have relied heavily on co-captains Sarah Minutillo and Brooke Cesar for the bulk of their scoring offense.

Of course, in a tough tournament like CWOSSA, the contributions of other options, like Julia Rankin and Hattie Osborne, will be paramount to the Trojans' ultimate team success.

A scrappy, well-coached bunch, the Trojans are certainly a team capable of springing an upset this weekend.

Resurrection CSS (Kitchener)
Last CWOSSA SG Championship:  1994
Total CWOSSA SG Championships:  1

Rez is a youthful squad that has had success this past season, but might be a year or so away from making a significant splash at CWOSSA.

PG Krissia Vasquez, F Jama Bin-Edward, and G Meghan Sharp are three key grade elevens who were members of Resurrection's CWOSSA junior championship team a season ago.  Rachel Engel and Patricia Enrique have provided solid leadership as returning veterans.

After slipping up against St. Benedict in their season finale, Rez clamped down defensively through the D8 playoffs, allowing just 21.5 PPG in the semifinals and finals.  If they can continue their defensive prowess, they are among the group of teams in this tournament that may be able to give St. John's a game.

St. John's College (Brantford)
Last CWOSSA SG Championship:  2014
Total CWOSSA SG Championships:  12 (10 AAA, 2 AAAA)

The St. John's Green Eagles enter CWOSSA as the overwhelming favourite to take home the title.

Having been ranked in the top three provincially by various sources throughout the season, the Eagles haven't been touched against other CWOSSA teams, often winning by 40 or 50+ margins.

Kelly Van Leeuwen, who has committed to NCAA D-1 George Washington University, leads the charge for the Eagles, who have a ton of talent on their roster.

Co-captain Madi Cohoon, fifth year players Leah Coon and Erin Dubois, as well as a couple of grade ten talents in Alaina McMillan and Kaitlyn Overeem, are among those that make the Green Eagles the deepest team in the tournament --- and one of the deepest teams in the province.

Sir John A. MacDonald SS (Waterloo)
Last CWOSSA SG Championship:  None

SJAM has been finding their stride late in the season, and it's been no surprise that it's coincided with the emergence of grade ten F Kate Moran as one of the true talents in the CWOSSA region.
Moran, who played for Canada's U-16 team this past summer, has really come on down the stretch as the 'Landers have roared past their opposition to the tune of (at least) double figures in each game.

Sharp-shooting veteran guard Milica Koprivica, plus rookies Joanna Bamberger and Griffin Lack-Shane, compliment an SJAM team that can put up some points in a hurry.

If they can win their first game and avoid St. John's in the second round, the 'Landers have a chance to make a deep run at this tournament.

Predictions
Like the junior ranks, there's one game on the senior side that certainly sticks out among the first-round games --- JF Ross vs. Resurrection.  I'd say Rez is a slight favourite given that they have more offensive depth, but Ross' size at every position could cause some issues.  Definitely a game to keep an eye on there.

Round 1
SJAM over Guelph CVI
St. John's over KCI
JF Ross over Resurrection
Cameron Heights over North Park

Round 2
SJAM over KCI
St. John's over Guelph CVI
Resurrection over Cameron Heights
JF Ross over North Park

Semifinals
St. John's over Resurrection
SJAM over JF Ross

Championship
St. John's over SJAM

CWOSSA "AAA" Junior: Preview & Predictions

We've come full circle.

After a decade (and a bit) of having the "AAAA" CWOSSA designation, we are back to a three-tiered system this year, "A" through "AAA".

For the most part, the "AAA" and "AAAA" designations have been merged under the "AAA" banner, which should make for some competitive championships in both girls' and boys' divisions this coming year.

I'll start my CWOSSA previews with a look at the "AAA" Junior Ranks.  Teams are in alphabetical order:

Brantford CI (Brantford)

Last CWOSSA JG Championship:  None

The Mustangs, who have been at the top of my CWOSSA rankings this season, enter the CWOSSA tournament as the favourites, after going undefeated against CWOSSA opposition. 

Of course, they did get a push from the North Park Trojans in the D5 championship series, having to come from behind in the second game to win (and take the series, 2-0).  That experience of a "close game" is actually a positive and should serve them well heading into CWOSSA.

The 'Stangs have been a nice story to watch over the last two years; I actually had them as my #3 ranked junior team last year but they had to play #1 Kitchener Resurrection in a play-in game to advance to (the 4 team) AAAA CWOSSA tournament. 

With veteran leadership and solid guard play, led by Kennedy Chisholm -- who is a great distributor and can also finish inside or shoot the three -- the 'Stangs certainly have the "championship make-up" of traditional CWOSSA winners. 

Forward Taylor Hill should be another strong performer for the Mustangs; she provides an inside presence but also can step out and hit the three-pointer.

BCI has done it with defense all season, and for other teams to have a shot they will have to manage themselves against a variety of changing defenses, including a stifling pressure defense that has given teams fits on occasion this year.

Centennial CVI (Guelph)

Last CWOSSA JG Championship:  None

The Spartans have had some injury issues this season, but still managed a 4th place finish in the competitive District 10 circuit.

Sabrina Smith has been a solid performer all year for the Spartans, with several 20+ efforts during league play, and is a double-double threat.  Abby Cain and Megan VanderMerwe -- who had a big game for CCVI during their quarterfinal win over ODSS -- are two other players to watch this weekend.

The Spartans don't have an easy road, playing Resurrection in the first round and then either Waterloo-Oxford or North Park in round two, but given their D10 experience (5 games against two of the top three teams in CWOSSA will have prepared them for tough opponents) they could certainly spring an upset if they are overlooked.

Kitchener CI (Kitchener)

Last CWOSSA JG Championship:  None

Fresh off of (in all likelihood) the biggest fourth quarter comeback in WCSSAA Junior Girls' final history, the KCI Raiders certainly have momentum on their side entering the CWOSSA tournament, where they will be seeking their first-ever title.

Although Grace Mickie has been KCI's top scorer throughout the season, they certainly can get timely contributions from others, as evidenced by Emily Smith's game-tying three-pointer as time wound down the other evening.  Natalie Armatage and Maggie McLean are others to keep an eye on.

The Raiders may be one of the hottest teams right now in this tournament, having beaten WODSS in the WCSSAA final and, last week, having held SJAM to just 20 points in a semifinal win.

North Park CVS (Brantford) 

Last CWOSSA JG Championship:  2009 (AAA)

Total CWOSSA JG Championships:  5 (All AAA)

If you're looking for a "darkhorse" at this CWOSSA championship, it might be the North Park Trojans, who have been a bit under the radar this year.

The Trojans have been in the shadow of their league counterparts, the Brantford CI Mustangs, but gave the 'Stangs a run for their money in the Brant County final.  

Simrand Grewal was a top performer for the Trojans during that best-of-three series, knocking in a couple of threes and leading the offensive effort.  Bria Yurczyszyn and Noelle Adams will also be instrumental to the Trojans' success. 

Orangeville DSS (Orangeville) 

Last CWOSSA JG Championship:  1988 (AA)

Total CWOSSA JG Championships:  1

It's been a while since we've seen the Bears in the CWOSSA championships, so congrats to them for again being featured in the tournament. 

Though they finished with a 6-8 record in the tough D10 league, they gave 3rd place St. James (losses by 1 & 6) and 4th place Centennial (losing in the QF by 1) a run for their money.  They will certainly be the underdogs in this tournament, but as those results show, they can't be overlooked.

Hannah Bellai, who put home several 20+ scoring efforts during the season, leads the Bears' charge, while Lindsay Grant is also one to keep tabs on. 

Resurrection CSS (Kitchener)

Last CWOSSA JG Championship:  2014 (AAAA)

Total CWOSSA JG Championships:  1

The Phoenix are technically defending champions, having won the AAAA title a season ago.  In the championship final last year, they got a great performance from (then grade 9) Delina Romano off the bench, while forward Buse Bin-Edward started in that game and is her usual imposing shot-blocking presence.  Both of them will provide big-game experience as grade tens.

Of course, they did graduate some serious offensive talent to the senior ranks, but their defense didn't skip a beat --- setting a D8 record for fewest points per game allowed in a season.  In fact, they also would have likely set a D8 single-game finals record (St. David had but 2 points after 3 quarters) before the Celts tallied 12 against the Rez bench late for a total of 14 (record was 13).

Grade 9 PG Sydney Gucker-Wickie might be the D8 league's MVP, and her ability to handle pressure against some of these teams will be key to Rez's success. 

Sir John A. MacDonald SS (Waterloo) 

Last CWOSSA JG Championship:  None

The Highlanders are back in the CWOSSA championships again this year, after a 3rd place league finish and a qualifying game win over Elmira.

The 'Landers will certainly have the home advantage and the crowd support on Friday, with first and second-round games being on their home floor.  This shouldn't be overlooked and could definitely help them pull a potential upset.

SJAM is also a very balanced team, with three different players having led them in scoring during their three WCSSAA playoff games -- Olivia Moreau, Madi Sherman, and Sarah Hardy.  Olivia Moreau is also a strong performer, having been the 'Landers 2nd leader in each of those three contests.

Waterloo-Oxford DSS (Baden)

Last CWOSSA JG Championship:  2003 (AAAA)

Total CWOSSA JG Championships:  4 (2 AA, 1 AAA, 1 AAAA)

One of the three teams that have earned an AA, AAA, and AAAA Junior Girls' title since 1983, the Crusaders will try to add another one to their tally this weekend in Waterloo.

Coming off a disappointing loss to KCI in the aforementioned WCSSAA final, I'm sure the Crusaders will be out to prove a point this weekend.

Rachael Beitz & MacKeely Shantz were' WCSSAA's highest scoring duo, and will be counted upon heavily in CWOSSA.  Of course, the 'Saders have other talented hoopsters -- including several who played last year on WO's AAA Silver Medalist team.  Madeline Woolvett, Molly Cameron, Madalyn Davidson and Madi Sadler are those to watch this weekend.

Predictions

There's a couple of interesting first-round match-ups, but the one that appears the most intriguing is certainly WODSS against North Park, two "top ten" CWOSSA teams that have been fairly close in my rankings throughout the season.

Again, keep in mind first-round winners play first-round losers in the second round (quarterfinals).  After that, any loss results in elimination.

Here goes:

Round 1

KCI over Orangeville

Brantford CI over SJAM

Resurrection over Centennial

WODSS over North Park

Quarterfinals

KCI over SJAM

Brantford CI over Orangeville

Resurrection over North Park

WODSS over Centennial

Semifinals

Resurrection over KCI

Brantford CI over WODSS

Championship Final

Brantford CI over Resurrection

....of course, anything can happen between now and Saturday evening and it would just take one upset to throw the whole draw out of whack.  Good luck to all teams!