OFSAA volleyball
Bluevale, Forest Heights carry local hopes at championship
WATERLOO REGION — Pre-tournament rankings suggest the Bluevale Knights and Forest Heights Trojans will face an uphill challenge at this week’s all-Ontario high school volleyball championship.
The 20-team Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations triple-A tournament opens Thursday at RIM Park in Waterloo, with the two local entries facing higherseeded opponents in their opening games. Bluevale, which is seeded No. 13, takes on No. 7 Neil McNeil of Toronto in its first encounter; and No. 16 Forest Heights faces No. 6 St. Marcellinus of Mississauga.
“We can’t focus on our ranking, we’re going to go in there and beat who we can beat, and maybe find an upset somewhere along the lines,” said Knights head coach Jeremy Meissner, whose team advanced to OFSAA by defeating the Preston Panthers in the gold-medal game of the Central Western Ontario championship.
Forest Heights is in as tournament host and hasn’t played since losing to Preston in the semifinal playoff round of the Waterloo County (WCSSAA) league on Nov. 9.
York Mills Collegiate of Toronto is the No. 1 seed, followed by Mississauga Secondary School at No. 2, Uxbridge Secondary School at No. 3 and Oakridge Secondary School of London at No. 4.
The Knights are led by the one-two punch of Joshua Janzen and Trevor Carlson, who are both Grade 12 left-side hitters. The rest of the starting roster features Minos Kotzambasis (setter), Colin Hobson (libero), Kristian Kumbers (middle), Max Hutchison (middle), and Denzil Horst (middle).
The Knights, who played just one tournament this fall, defeated the Panthers 3-0 (2520, 25-20, 25-18) in the CWOSSA final. That win came just three days after Bluevale fell 3-2 to Preston in the WCSSAA final, a crushing defeat in which the Knights won the first two sets, but couldn’t close out the match.
With OFSAA around the corner, the WCSSAA final is just an unpleasant memory.
“OFSAA is the pinnacle for these kids, so it’s nice to have this opportunity, they’re floating pretty high,” said Meissner.
“The challenge is finding some focus this week to make sure it’s not just about the enjoyment of being there, but trying to win some ball games as well.”
Forest Heights head coach Lynn Vicic, who is also the tournament co-convener with Bryan Stover of Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School, goes into the competition with modest expectations and is hoping her team has what it takes to reach the consolation final.
“WCSSAA wasn’t as strong this year as it’s been in the past … our goal is to finish in the top of the bottom half,” she said. “The top teams will be strong and I expect this will be a very good tournament.”
The big three of left-side hitter David Peet, right-side hitter Robert Huntley and middle Joel Pearcey will lead the Forest Heights’ attack. And Zack Mua (setter), Ethan Ionnidis (left-side hitter), Cole LaRose (setter), Justin Yee (libero) and Jared Letoile (middle) are expected to see plenty of floor time.
Pool play will be contested Thursday and Friday at RIM Park, as well as quarter-final playoff action on both the championship and consolation sides.
The festivities move to Sir John A. Macdonald and Forest Heights Saturday, with the consolation final, bronze-medal match and championship match all at SJAM.
Elsewhere, the Woodland Cavaliers and Rockway Flames will compete at the OFSAA single-A boys volleyball championship in the Greater Toronto Area.
Woodland is the No. 11 seed for the 20-team tournament and Rockway is No. 14. Louis Riel Secondary School of Ottawa is the No. 1 seed, ahead of Toronto District Christian High School and Durham Christian High School of Bowmanville.
In basketball, the Sir John A. Macdonald Highlanders are the No. 15 seed at the 16-team OFSAA girls triple-A championship in Guelph. SJAM, which lost the CWOSSA final to Brantford Collegiate, opens Thursday morning against No. 5 St. Patrick’s of Sarnia. Cardinal Newman of Stoney Creek is seeded No. 1, ahead of Notre Dame College of Welland and St. Joseph’s College of Toronto.
Woodland will represent CWOSSA at the 18-team CWOSSA girls single-A basketball championship in Timmins.
The Cavaliers have the No. 5 seed and open the tournament against No. 17 Red Lake District High School. O’Gorman High School of Timmins is the No. 1 seed, ahead of MacDonald Cartier of Sudbury and Jean Vanier of Welland.