It’s back to OFSAA for Kenner
Rams edge Nicholson Crusaders to advance with 20-1 record on the season
The Kenner Rams senior boys basketball team is one step closer to its ultimate goal.
After placing fourth at OFSAA “A” last year, and with most of its team returning, Kenner set its sights on an OFSAA medal in 2024.
On Thursday afternoon they got a taste of the competition they’ll face with their hard-fought 64-61 win in the COSSA “A” final over Belleville’s Nicholson Crusaders before a loud and packed Kenner Collegiate gymnasium.
COSSA has been granted two OFSAA entries so both teams will compete March 6-8 in Welland. With a 20-1 record this season, their lone loss by one point in an exhibition game against Port Hope’s Trinity College School, the Rams are expected to be a high seed. Nicholson made them work for it. The lead see-sawed throughout, with Nicholson rallying from a nine-point deficit to make it 39-39 late in the third quarter and led 46-45 with six minutes remaining. They traded the lead down the stretch before Matthew Kathiravelu went baseline to put Kenner up by two and a free throw made it 64-61 with 16 seconds left. Nicholson twice missed shots to close the gap and Ashwin Bakirathan stripped the ball from Nicholson in the dying seconds. Two missed free throws opened the door for one final Hail Mary throw by Nicholson, which fell short. “That was amazing,” said Kathiravelu. “I think we just wanted it more. We’ve been looking forward to this game for a year. We knew it was coming. We had our hearts set on it all year. They never wanted to give up.”
“It was a great, exciting game,” said Kenner coach Fred Blowes. “They’re a good, solid team, wellcoached and a great program. We’d get ahead for a bit and they’d come back and we had to be resilient and step up our defence to allow us to get the ball back. We went to the bench a couple of times and did well and our leaders became our leaders in this game.”
Isaac Chandra led Kenner with 22 points, while Kavah Jalai-Sohi had 19 and Kathiravelu 13.
“It was a goal of ours from the beginning of the year to go back to OFSAA,” said Blowes. “We had this game marked on our calendar. We knew we’d probably meet Nicholson again. We kept getting games to get ready for Nicholson. For a Kenner team to go back-to-back years to OFSAA is outstanding. These guys deserve it.”
Nicholson was led by Greg Papakiriasis, with 23 points, and Josh Dover added 16.
“We had a lot of Grade 12s returning, as did Kenner, so it was pretty much a rematch of last year’s COSSA final,” said Nicholson assistant coach Justin Walsh. “Both teams are better as you could tell from the game. I think both teams will do well at OFSAA.”
The Rams also beat Trenton’s St. Paul’s in the semifinals, 72-35, led by Jalai-Sohi’s 11 points and Kathiravelu’s 10.
In the junior final, Nicholson turned the tables, defeating Kenner, 73-45. Kevin MannoosserilSaji led Kenner with17 points, while Jack Stitt topped Nicholson with
20.
It marked the last high school basketball game for Kenner coach Will Seeley, who is retiring at the end of this school year and was recognized at the end of the game.
“I had the privilege of coaching with Fred Blowes and Sean Quinlan,” said Seeley. “The thank you from the crowd and my players meant a lot. It’s always nice to be recognized by your peers.”
In semifinals, Kenner beat Prince Edward County, 85-49, led by Esaye Daniel’s 23 points while Payton Kidd had 15 and Mannoosseril-Saji
14.
Nicholson defeated the Norwood District Knights in both junior and senior semifinals. Scores were unavailable.