Area schools chasing championship medals
Lajeuness girls look to improve at OFSAA basketball tournament in Timmins
A spot at the OFSAA girls’ A basketball championship is nothing new for the Lajeunesse Royals.
Lajeunesse is making its seventh-straight OFSAA appearance and will be the No. 4 seed when the tournament opens on Thursday in Timmins.
“At this point, we are the only Windsor-area team still playing basketball,” Royals head coach Linda Carriere said. “We get an extra week and an extra big tournament.”
Aside from the Royals, two other area schools will be chasing an OFSAA medal starting on Thursday. The St. Anne Saints are at the boys’ AAA volleyball championship in Waterloo while the Leamington Lions will compete for a secondstraight year at the boys’ AA championship in Brockville.
Lajeunesse is looking to improve on last year’s fourth-place finish at OFSAA. The club won a silver medal in 2015 and a bronze medal in 2013.
“I think we’re due for gold,” said Carriere, whose team opens play on Thursday against No. 15-seeded Timiskaming at 9:30 a.m.
This is a much younger Lajeunesse squad than a year ago, but still very talented, led by Grade 9 point guard Jamilah Christian and her twin sister Ashanti Christian, who plays guard. Both are provincial team members.
Guard Maya Calongcagong is in Grade 12, but forward Olivia Scott is only in Grade 10. Grade 12 guard Haley Charbonneau along with Grade 11 forwards Tatyanna Wilson-Karikera, Mon’et Jaichon and five-foot-10 Megan Gahima all figure into Carriere’s rotation.
“We’re just treating this like another tournament,” Carriere said. “It’s a bonus tournament. Our goal was to win SWOSSAA and make it here and now we would love to medal.”
A year ago, Leamington saw its hopes of reaching the quarterfinals ended by a statistical tiebreaker for the spot.
Despite that performance, the Lions go into this year’s tournament as the No. 19 seed in the 20team tournament, but head coach Joe Youssef, who is in his 14th season, isn’t bothered by the ranking.
“I have no idea (about the seeding), but I think it’s because they’re so far away,” Youssef said of the Brockville selection committee. “I think it’s deceiving, but I think it’s hard to seed teams from all over Ontario.”
The Lions will get a quick idea of where they stack up when pool play opens on Thursday. The club plays No. 3 St. Catharines Eden at 10:30 a.m. and No. 9 Saugeen at 4:30 p.m. The team will finish pool play on Friday against No. 14 Peterborough Adam Scott at 10 a.m. and No. 8 Nepean Franco West at 1 p.m. The club needs a top two finish in its pool to qualify for Friday’s quarter-finals.
“Eden will be a good test to see how we handle nerves and compete,” Youssef said. “If we can get a good game, we’ll be OK and be able to surprise a few people.”
Power hitters Jeremiah Wiebe and Jordan Fehr return from a year ago along with right-side hitter Joshua Fehr. Middle Matthew Kroeker, who also went to OFSAA last year, is out with an injury suffered in the WECSSAA playoffs.
First-year senior Alex Stewart has filled his spot and Youssef will also look for production from libero Air Ku Poe and setter Anthony Fehr.
“I am hoping to make the championship playoff round and from there see what happens,” Youssef said.
St. Anne has peeled off fivestraight WECSSAA championships, but this is the team’s first trip to OFSAA since 2014.
The Saints head into tournament play as the No. 12 seed and will open pool play on Thursday at noon against No. 5 Hamilton St. Jean de Brebeuf before meeting No. 18 Harbord at 3 p.m. On Friday, the club faces No. 2 Mississauga at 8:30 a.m. and No. 15 Innisdale at 11:30 a.m. A top-two finish in the pool will advance the team to the quarter-finals.
“I don’t mind the pool we’re in,” Saints head coach Steve Burke said. “If can get out of Thursday 2-0, then we have a good chance of getting to championship round.” The club will lean on power hitter Shane Way with power Matt Bardoel and middle Logan Ondricko also playing key roles. Thomas Byrne, Matt Prsa and Jake Ray, who is in Grade 10, will see time at setter while Noah Rocheleau and Adrian Ianetti will be on the right side.
“Our net play is really, really good and if we establish net play and get teams thinking they can’t get it through us, that’ll be an advantage to us,” Burke said.
I have no idea (about the seeding), but I think it’s because they’re so far away. I think it’s deceiving, but I think it’s hard to seed teams from all over Ontario.