High School Sports blog

Trojans tops in WCSAA girls volleyball

The WCSSAA senior girls volleyball league resumes on Tuesday with one round of games to wrap up the regular season and then the fun really begins.

The sudden-death playoff qualifying round will follow two days later with the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th best teams in the 16-team league slugging it out for the right to compete in the quarter-finals.

Huron Heights, Eastwood, KCI are out of contention, while Glenview Park is likely to join them. That much is certain.

We also know that Forest Heights (11-0) will finish first, followed by Sir John A. Macdonald (10-1) in second, with Grand River (9-2) and Jacob Hespeler (9-2) destined to finish in either third or fourth, depending on the outcomes of their final games. These four teams have already qualified for the playoffs and will bypass Thursday's qualifying round.

Those four will also likely battle for the WCSSAA championship, with Forest Heights obviously being the favourite because of regular-season wins over SJAM and Grand RIver. Jacob Hespeler won't face Forest Heights unless they meet in the playoffs. The Hawks' two losses were against the Highlanders and Renegades.

Perhaps most interesting to watch will be the races for the CWOSSA berths that are up for grabs. Forest Heights, Grand  River and SJAM -- with WCI (7-4) and Cameron Heights (6-5) as outside possibilities -- will duke it out for the two quad-A berths, while Jacob  Hespeler will go against Galt (8-3), Southwood (6-5), Waterloo-Oxford (5-6), Elmira (4-7) and Preston (4-7) for the three triple-A berths. The Hawks and Ghosts look to be locks, leaving four teams fighting it out for the other spot.

Down the road, we also know that Forest Heights will host the OFSAA quad-A championship tournament and Jacob Hespeler will host the triple-A tourney.

 

 

 

Phoenix tops in D8 girls volleyball

The District 8 senior girls volleyball league has been dominated by the Resurrection Phoenix but there are a number of questions that remain to be answered.

The fun starts again on Monday, Feb. 6 when the first-place Phoenix (11-0) take on the second-place  St. Mary's Eagles (9-2). What we'll see then is how much of a gap exists between the league's top teams and perhaps what we'll see in the league's championship game on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 8 p.m.

The Phoenix scored a 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-21) win over the Eagles in their first meeting on Dec. 12 and look to be the best bet to win the championship game and represent D8 at the CWOSSA quad-A championship tournament.

If Resurrection makes it to CWOSSA, they'll once again attempt to get over the hurdle and defeat WCSSAA teams like Forest Heights, SJAM and Grand River -- a very tall order.

The St.  David Celtics (7-4) have already clinched the CWOSSA triple-A berth and are also the only team to win a set against Resurrection this season -- two sets actually in a recent 3-2 loss. The's only other triple-A school, Monsignor Doyle, is out of the picture with a 1-10 mark.

The best race -- albeit a slow one -- is a three-way skirmish between the little guys as the Woodland Christian Cavaliers (4-7), Rockway Flames (3-8) and  Pere Rene de Galinee Chevaliers (3-8) are after a berth in the CWOSSA single-A tournament.

Woodland has matches remaining with Rockway, St. David and Pere Rene; Rockway has matches with Woodland, St. Benedict (6-5) and St. David; and Pere Rene must play St. David, St. Mary's and Woodland.

It looks to be Woodland's berth to lose.

*  *  *

From the strange-but-true department, a Utah school board won't allow Draper Corner Canyon High to use Cougars as its mascot. Turns out the name might be offensive to middle-aged women.

I am not making this up.

Check out the story on Yahoo Sports.

 

 

Draper (Utah) Corner Canyon High

 

The

 

 

Highlanders positioned for girls hockey repeat

The Sir John A. Macdonald Highlanders are in position to repeat as WCSSAA girls hockey champions but there are a number of teams standing in their way.

With only two regular-season games remaining, the Highlanders top the Tier 1 standings with a 7-1-2 won-lost tied record  for 16 points. Their only blemish was a 6-3 loss to the Elmira Lancers way back in mid-December.

The Resurrection Phoenix (7-3-0) and Elmira (6-2-2) are tied for second with 14 points, while the Jacob Hespeler Hawks (5-4-1) and St. Mary's Eagles (5-4-1) are next with 11.

The St. David Celtics (4-6-0), Bluevale Knights (2-6-2) and Southwood Sabres (0-10) round out the eight-team upper tier.

Tier's 1 top four teams receive a bye into the quarter-finals. The bottom four teams will face off against the best four teams from Tier 2 in a playoff qualifying round.

Unless something crazy happens, the Tier 2 participants will be the Grand River Renegades (10-0), Preston Panthers (6-1-2), Huron Heights Huskies (5-3-2) and WCI Vikings (5-2-2).

* * *

One thing that truly separates the girls game from the boys game is the difference that one player can make -- be it an outstanding forward or a top-notch goaltender. That's why predicting which team will win the league championship is simply an educated guess.

All of the top teams are blessed with players that can make a difference. SJAM has reigning MVP Taytum Clairmont and Laura Baker, Resurrection has Carly Payerl and Elmira has 2010 MVP Kaitlin Doering.

So in the end, the difference will likely be goaltending, just as it was last year when St. David reached the final, thanks in large part to having Jennifer Gilligan between the pipes.

* * *

The battle for the Tier 1 qualifying round byes should also be an interesting one. SJAM is already through, but beyond that, all bets are off. Rez has tough games remaining against Jacob Hespeler and Elmira, Elmira has SJAM and Rez, Jacob Hespeler has Rez and St. David, while St. Mary's has Southwood and SJAM.

Too close to call.

* * *

The Renegades, led by scoring whiz Mary Worndl, are clearly the class of Tier 2 and will face Southwood in the playoff qualifying round.

It should be an interesting match-up, even if it's a 10-0 team against an 0-10 team.

Worndl, meanwhile, has to be the favourite for MVP, despite the fact she's playing in the weaker tier. The Grade 10 winger has 27 goals in nine games and no one else is even close to matching her in that department.

Considering the Renegades have only scored 63 goals in total -- including an 8-1 win over Monsignor Doyle that Worndl missed -- and her numbers are hard to ignore.

* * *

Here are the latest individual stats from convener Bert Udema of Forest Heights, keeping in mind several teams have yet to submit game sheets.

* * *

One of my best sources at St. Mary's -- actually it's my neighbour's kid and my dog Barney's favourite teenager -- tells me players on the boys hockey team are not happy that I predicted they will finish in fifth place in the regular-season standings.

In her words: "You have a lot of angry Mary's hockey players."

Tell you what boys . . . I'll say I'm sorry if I'm wrong.

* * *

Monday's best of the week blog is finally complete. i hope you'll go back and check it out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trojans on course to top boys hockey standings

We have a couple of weeks to kill before WCSSAA and District 8 play resumes in early February, so let's take a look back at what we already know and what we can expect.

We'll get things rolling with WCSSAA boys hockey.

What we know is that the championship is truly up for grabs as six, maybe seven teams have a realistic shot of reaching the final that will be played in late February and early March.

We also know that the Forest Heights Trojans (8-0-2) can clinch first place in the regular-season standings with wins in their two remaining games. It won't be easy however, as the Trojans end with games against fourth-place St. Mary's (8-2-0) and seventh-place Resurrection (5-4-2).

The Sir John A. Macdonald Highlanders (8-0-3) are currently first in the standings but have only one game remaining, an extremely tough contest against the third-place Waterloo Collegiate Vikings (7-1-2). The high-flying Vikings close out  with Huron Heights (4-7).

The St. Mary's Eagles, who are  tied with WCI in the standings, close with Waterloo-Oxford (3-8) and  Forest Heights.

The Elmira Lancers (7-3-1) are in a tie for fifth with the Grand River Renegades (7-2-1), the team most likely to jump into the top four in the standings by season's end. The Rens close with games against Galt (2-8-1) and St. Benedict (4-6-0), two teams with losing records that shouldn't pose much of a threat to the defending champions.

The Lancers have only one game remaining, against Bluevale (4-5-2).

The top four teams get to pass on the playoff qualifying round and for my money, I'm going with Forest Heights to finish first, followed by WCI, SJAM and Grand  River. (Yes, I just made predictions for how the final regular-season games will go.)

There's very little suspense at the other end of the standings as we already know that Preston (0-11), Cameron Heights (1-10) and  Galt (2-8-1) are out of playoff contention, while Waterloo-Oxford is likely to join them.

The eight-team playoff qualifying round will be played on Tuesday, Feb. 14 with Team 5 vs. Team 12, Team 6 vs. Team 11, Team 7 vs. Team 10 and Team 8 vs. Team 9.

* * *

Hockey convener Brian Millar of Grand  River also released the scoring leaders list, which shows Mike Schnurr of St. David and Max Reiber of St. Mary's leading the way with 24 points, followed by Blake Heatherington of WCI and Brandon Verasamy of  Grand River.

Here are the latest stats, keeping in mind that several game sheets have yet to be submitted to Millar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Record height for Cameron grad

That's Cameron Heights graduate Erika Fiedler going up and over at 4.01 metres during a recent pole vault competion in a photo provided by SJAM teacher/University of  Guelph coach James Sniatenchuk. Fiedler recently  beat former Canadian Olympian and Grand  River graduate Dana Ellis' record at a Jan. 13 Can-Am meet at the University of Windor. The previous mark was 4.00 set in 1999 while Ellis was at the University of  Waterloo. Fiedler currently attends the University of  Guelph and is in her third  year of engineering. She won bronze at last year's CIS championship in Sherbrooke,  Que., and hopes to improve on that this year in Manitoba.

Best of the week

 

Enjoy this video while I'm working on an abbreviated weekly list of top performers. It really is a remarkable shot, even though he scored it on his own basket.

* * *

Gabe Vidal, Galt: The fifth-year post player rang up 29 points as the Ghosts downed the Huron Heights Huskies in an important triple-A matchup in the WCSSAA senior boys basketball league. The six-foot-two Vidal has been one of  Galt's most consistent players  this season as they fight for one of three available berths at CWOSSA.

Jacob Whibbs, Monsignor Doyle: The Grade 10 centre has posted six points in his past three games, including two goals in a win over Bluevale, as the Mustangs have clinched a playoff spot in their first-ever season of WCSSAA boys hockey. Against Bluevale, he was one of only two centres available, meaning he played  about half the game for  Doyle.

Ryan Douse, WCI: The Grade 12 centre had a three-goal outing as the  Vikings scored an 11-3 win over the St. David  Celtics in WCSSAA boys hockey play. A smart player and great leader that has been a great addition to the team, he played  triple-A midget hockey in Waterloo last year.

Dani Elgadi, WCI: THe Grade 12 forward, who is  only playing his third year of organized basketball, had two impressive outings in WCSSAA boys play. He put 23 points in a 57-53 win over Cameron Heights and also posted 22 in a 69-39 win over  Waterloo-Oxford. An all-star at the recent Saints Invitational tournament in Cambridge, he is averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds per game. 

Laura Baker, Sir John A. Macdonald : The Grade 12 forward scored scored in both games last week as the Highlanders stayed on top of the Tier 1 standings in WCSSAA girls hockey league play. SJAM beat Jacob  Hespeler 3-2 and followed that up with a 5-0 win over Southwood. She also plays rugby at SJAM as well as suiting up for the Waterloo Ravens midget AA team.

Jen Woods, St.  David: The Grade 11 middle blocker was blocking, diving for balls and assumed a leadership role as the Celtics pushed the Resurrection Phoenix to five games in District 8 girls volleyball league play. They were the first two sets Rez had given up all season. The Celtics  followed up the performance with a 3-1 win over Monsignor Doyle. An important player on both the rugby and basketball teams, Woods has been nominated in the past for St. David's athlete of  the year. 

Kristann Weins, Grand River: The Grade 12 middle took her already strong game to an even higher level last week as the Renegades recorded 3-0 wins over Waterloo-Oxford and Cameron Heights in WCSSAA senior girls volleyball league play. A strong blocker and an upbeat performer, she cranked up the offence last week as the Renegades improved to 9-2 in the standings to remain in a third-place tie with Jacob Hespeler. Weins has responded well to a significantly increased workload over the past eight games with injuries to teammates.

Kayleigh Hutt-Taylor and Beth Walker, Southwood: Both turned in outstanding performances as the Sabres recorded a 3-0 win over Preston and 3-2 win over Huron Heights in WCSSAA senior girls volleyball play. Hutt-Taylor is a Grade 11 setter with an oustanding serve, while Walker is a Grade 12 power hitter that brought the big hits when they were needed. She also had a strong service game going.

Angela MacDonald, St. Mary's: The Grade 10 forward had a three-goal performance as the  Eagles topped the  Resurrection Phoenix 8-7 in WCSSAA girls hockey. She also plays midget 'AA' hockey for the Kitchener Jr. Rangers and was a field hockey player at St. Mary's in the fall.

 

Ackie, McWhinnie to play in Texas game

Two members of the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks football team -- one current and one future -- will play for Team World at the third annual International Bowl in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 1.

Preston High School grad Chris Ackie, who had an oustanding rookie season at WLU, will be joined by current Sir John A. Macdonald student Andrew McWhinnie on the 46-man roster. McWhinnie will suit up for the Golden Hawks in the 2012 OUA football campaign.

The game will be televised on the CBS College Sports Network.

* * *

Last call for the best of the week submissions to mbryson@therecord.com and stay tuned during the exam break as I plan on taking a look at what to expect in hockey, basketball and volleyball when the seasons resume.

 

 

 

 

Turtle derby for CWOSSA berth

Obviously, not all the pictures that are snapped by Record photographers make it into print.

This is one of them, a simple yet effective picture of Grand River's Mary Worndl taken during Wednesday's WCSSAA girls hockey game against Huron Huskies.

I asked Phil Walker to snap a few pictures of the Renegades captain and this is one that didn't get used.

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Finding it hard to get excited about the two-team "battle" for the CWOSSA triple-A berth that will be awarded to either St. David or Monsignor Doyle in District 8 senior boys basketball?

No?

I feel the same.

In case you missed it, the Celtics stayed alive on Wednesday with a 42-30 win at Monsignor Doyle.

The Celtics improved to 2-7 with the win and have one regular-season game remaining against 1-7 Rockway. The Mustangs, meanwhile, are 2-5 and have games remaining against St. Mary's, Resurrection and  St. Benedict.

In the predictable world of D8 basketball, we know that Doyle is finished winning and is not going to beat the Eagles, Phoenix or Saints. So it's St. David's berth to grab; simply beat Rockway on Feb. 13 in the final game of the schedule and the CWOSSA berth belongs to the Celtics.

St. David would also nail down the fourth and final playoff position with a win over Rockway.

But...

Let's suppose for a second that Rockway wins, a genuine possibility as the Flames already own a 60-56 win over the Celtics. We'll then have three teams with 2-8 records and D8 officials will use a tiebreaker of some sort to determine which team gets the fourth and final playoff position.

No matter what, it would seem that St. David would get the CWOSSA berth in the event of a three-way tie, having beaten the Mustangs by 12 and losing to them by just six earlier in the season.

Which raises the obvious question: Should a team with a 2-8 record that might not even be in the league playoffs be going to CWOSSA, especially when there are better triple-A teams in WCSSAA that won't be going?

The answer to that, of course, is no. 

Sadly, we all know how to solve this problem, but few seem interested in doing so.

 

 

Vikings look to be the real deal

The WCI Vikings made an emphatic statement on Tuesday with their 11-3 win over the St. David Celtics at Albert McCormick.

WCI looks to be the real deal, suggesting Thursday's WCSSAA boys hockey game between the VIkings and first-place Forest Heights Trojans should be a fun one to watch.

The game is 3:15 p.m. faceoff at  the Activa Sportsplex.

* * *

A quick look at the WCSSAA boys hockey league standings suggest a wide-open race for the championship, with as many as six teams in the hunt.

At the bottom of the standings, meanwhile, Cameron Heights and Preston are both out of playoff contention while time is running out on others. Galt, St. Benedict and Waterloo-Oxford appear to be the teams battling it out for 12th and a berth in the playoff qualifying round.

* * *

The Grand River Renegades can clinch first place  in Tier 2 of the WCSSAA girls hockey league with a win over  Huron Heights.

The Renegades (9-0) appear to be destined for a playoff qualifying match with the Southwood Sabres (0-9), the basement dwellers in Tier 1.

* * *

The Forest Heights Trojans and WCI Vikings both scored come-from-behind wins in WCSSAA senior boys basketball play on Tuesday.

The  Trojans rallied from a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit to down the Sir John A. Macdonald Highlanders 61-57 and the  Vikings erased an 11-point, third-quarter deficit in a 57-53 win over the Cameron Heights Gaels.

* * *

A big result in WCSAA girls volleyball league play on Tuesday as the Forest Heights Trojans downed the Sir  John A. Macdonald Highlanders 3-1.

The  Trojans improved to 10-0 with the win, while  SJAM dropped to 9-1.

It was a game I had intended on taking in, but somehow marked it down as being scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

Oops.

* * *

It's a big game tonight with a huge local connection in the NCAA's Patriot League as Bucknell (3-0) faces Lehigh (2-1).

Bucknell is led by St. David grad Bryson Johnson, while Bluevale grad Stefan Cvrkalj is coming off the bench for Lehigh.

 

 

Rez girls finally have a blemish

A couple notes from Monday's round of District 8 games.

First off, Resurrection's senior girls dropped their first sets of the regular season in a 3-2 win over St. David. The Phoenix are now 10-0 won-lost, winning 30 sets and dropping two.

The St. Mary's Eagles, meanwhile, rebounded from the disappointment of falling in the final of the  Saints Invitational by laying a 61-41 beating on St. Benedict in senior boys basketball play.

Alex Thompson had 21 points for the winners, who it appears will only be challenged by the  Resurrection Phoenix for the D8 title.

On Wednesday, Monsignor Doyle (2-4) can lock up the D8 league's berth at triple-A CWOSSA with a win over St. David (1-7).

The Mustangs close out with losses (yes, we're that certain) to St. Benedict, Resurrection and St. Mary's and will finish with 3-7 record if they beat the Celtics.

The Celtics will only have a game against Rockway remaining and would finish no better than 2-8.

St. David, however, would have the edge if they close out with wins over Doyle and Rockway (1-6), having previously beaten the Mustangs this season.

* * *

In WCSSAA girls hockey, it was a big day for St. David's Amanda Chiarello, who had a five-goal effort in a 6-3 win over Southwood in a Tier 1 game.

It been a tough year for the 0-9 Sabres, who made two straight OFSAA appearances in 2009 and 2010.

SJAM and Resurrection stayed tied at the top of the standings with 14 points after both recorded wins. The Highlanders edged the Jacob Hespeler Hawks 3-2 and the Phoenix topped the Bluevale Knights by the same score.

Grand River stayed  in control at the top of the Tier 2 standings with a 3-1 win over  Forest Heights.  The Renegades are 9-0 and six points  ahead of second-place Preston, which has one game in hand.