Chemong defeats Westmount in junior boys hoops

Westmount Public School had high hopes to take this year’s top spot at a junior boys basketball tournament, but fell short in their final game Wednesday.

Westmount lost 36-24 to Chemong Public School at Crestwood Secondary School.

They placed first in the tournament overall, winning three games and tying against Chemong earlier in the day.

Going into the finals, Westmount’s Brayden Boughton, 9, thought they had good odds of winning.

“We have a lot of good players, we have a good coach,” said Boughton.

Boughton was the only Grade 4 student to make the junior team this year.

“It feels good,” said Boughton of making the cut.

Teammate Ethan Brown, 11, also thought Westmount had a solid shot at taking the title.

“We need to keep up what we’re doing because we’ve got a strong defence, a strong offence and I think we can do it,” said Brown, a Grade 6 student.

Fifteen schools played in the tournament Wednesday, which was spread out between PACE and Crestwood.

Westmount coach Ryan Richardson saw his school take first place last year, when it was still a co-ed tournament.

This year, the tournament took on a new shape, moving from co-ed to separate divisions for boys and girls. Peterborougharea junior girls basketball teams are competing Thursday.

Richardson was hopeful his junior boys would come out on top this year, saying they had what it took.

Their defence had improved throughout the day, which is exactly what they needed to work on, Richardson said.

“They’re now starting to learn where they need to be on the court, the first game they were chasing kids everywhere ... now they’re starting to get a feel for the game,” he said.

Richardson brought along a few junior coaches – boys from the intermediate basketball team – to help out Wednesday.

“At Westmount, the kids are dying to coach, so it’s sort of a tradition,” he said.

Grade 7 student Cole Pottle was one of the junior coaches.

“I’m here to help the kids improve,” said Pottle, 12.

The junior coaches worked with the team between games, helping them with layups, defence and different plays.

“I love being around the kids. Honestly, they’re really fun to play with and to help out,” Pottle said.

CLIFFORD SKARSTEDT/EXAMINER Westmount's Cameron Donato pressures James Strath's Cooper Mann during the Kawartha Pine Ridge Elementary Athletic Association North junior elementary boys basketball tournament on Wednesday at Crestwood Secondary School. Westmount lost 36-24 against...