Highlanders cap a perfect season with boys 4A title
Holy Heart went 23-0 in provincial high school play, finishing things off… with win over Gonzaga
The Holy Heart of Mary Highlanders finished off an unbeaten high school basketball season Sunday by winning the School Sports NL provincial 4A boys’ crown in St. John’s.
The Highlanders got 34 points from Devin O’leary and 26 from Nic Fowler to hand the host Gonzaga Vikings an 81-59 loss in the final, capping off their year with a 23-0 mark.
Holy Heart was 18-0 entering the provincials, then ran the table at Gonzaga, including three round-robin wins and a 77-57 victory over Prince of Wales Collegiate Cavaliers in semifinal play.
Gonzaga downed the Fatima Royals of St. Bride’s 73-62 in the other semifinal Saturday.
The Vikings were up by five after the first quarter in Sunday’s final, but it was all Holy Heart after that, despite missing their starting point guard, Liam Chislett, who injured his ankle in the semifinal.
The 4As cap a great season for the Highlanders, who also won the Hall of Fame Cup, Keith Keating Memorial tournament and the Legend City Classic.
Holy Heart also played in the St. John’s Division I men’s league and was 7-12, and took part in tournaments in Montreal and New Brunswick this season.
Heart was tops in Division A with a 3-0 record after roundrobin play, but Fatima, Corner Brook Titans and Mobile Monarchs were all 1-2. The Royals advanced based on points for and against.
In Division B, the Vikings led the way at 3-0 followed by PWC at 2-1 Waterford Valley High of St. John’s at 1-2. Mount Pearl’s O’donel Patriots failed to win a game.
School Sports NL presented Sportsmanship Awards following the tournament are the winners were:
Eli Brown (Holy Heart), Jacob Ryan (Gonzaga), Braedan Mcgrath (Fatima), Devan Knight (PWC), Cody Power (Corner Brook), Noah Kinsella (Mobile), Taylor Van De Wiel (Waterford Valley) and Chris O’halleran (O’donel).
The team sportsmanship award went to Fatima.