PICKERING  SET TO DEFEND QUAD 'A' TITLE

By Broadcastsports Staff                                                                                 Posted March 2, 2008

Toronto, ON - Eighteen teams, five games, three days, one prize, one Trojan nightmare.

 The OFSAA Boys Basketball Championship returns to Toronto after  a ten year hiatus. That Championship wrapped up in a packed Centennial College gymnasium with the Cathedral Gaels from Hamilton winning the Gold medal with a one point victory.

It may not be so close this time around if top seed Pickering Trojans have their way. They are the big bully on the court. They are talented, fast, athletic and deadly on a big floor.

They may also have  the best high School player in Canada in Devoe Joseph. He's headed to Minnesota this fall to join Tubby Smith's Golden Gophers.

The Trojans  are the defending OFSAA Boys Quad 'A' Champions, winning almost every significant tournament they entered this past season.

They have also beaten their closest rivals, #2 seed Eastern Commerce and #3 seed Henry Carr Crusaders by  ridiculous margins. They dusted  Eastern by 29 at the Silverfox and dumped shorthanded Henry Carr by 30 at the Mother Teresa Classic.

"We're pretty confident" says Pickering's Head Coach Jim Barclay. "Our goal was to repeat"

Pickering's the favorite" says Henry Carr Crusaders Head Coach Paul Melynk. "But seeds two to eighth" could give them a run"

Run is what the thundering herd do best resulting in over 50 wins But on two occasions this year they stumbled and got beat. Cathedral Gaels stopped them at a tournament in London, and Mother Teresa Titans shocked them earlier in the season. If the draw holds true they will not see either of them until the Final game.

The bottom of the draw could provide some good quarterfinal match-ups with #3 Henry Carr taking on  league rival #6 Mother Teresa while #2 Eastern could face #7 Cathedral in another. That sets the stage for a potentially bruising semi-final with the winner possibly facing the defending Champion Trojans for Gold.

"Its tough to face a league rival in the quarters" says Crusaders Coach Melynk. "One of us will be going home"

The Trojans have a more favorable draw. Potential quarterfinal match-ups would see them battle #8 Oakwood Barons while the other quarterfinal would pit #4 London Beal against #5 Father Goetz from Brampton.

"This why we played and won all those games" Barclay said. "We deserve our ranking"

Tournament Co-Convener Don Marchione agrees. "They are the defending champs and have proven it all year" said Marchione who also noted that for the first in years there was less negativity about the final seedings.

Playing five games in three days will be tough. The Coaches who can keep their players rested and hydrated will certainly have an advantage especially in the first two days.

Ontario Basketball Association Executive Roy Rana knows the drill well. He is the former Head Coach at Eastern Commerce where he won three OFSAA titles and lost a gut wrenching game to Pickering in last years final.

"You have to rest your players, especially in the early games" Rana said " Rana also noted that someone other than the best player on the team, usually steps up with a defining play.

He recalled the 2003 final in Hamilton. His best player Tristan Blackwood was suffering form severe cramps. Unheralded Larry Duncan came off the bench to hit a three pointer to win the game.

Notes:

Pickering is trying to join Eastern Commerce as the lone team to repeat as OFSAA champs since the Quad 'A' alignment was introduced in 2002. The Saints won it four straight from 1992 to 1995. They also went back to back in 1995 and 96 seasons. Other schools who have gone back to back includes Windsor's WD Lowe, WF Herman and Runnymede CI (twice).

Oakwood Barons legend Norman Clarke is helping to Coach the team. His son Julian is on the team.

Trojans Guard Corey Joseph may follow big brother Devoe to Minnesota next year. Teammate Justin Wiltshire is drawing interest from schools in Alberta, Ontario, Newfoundland, Ohio and Michigan

Top seniors playing in their final OFSAA: Devoe Joseph, Justin Wiltshire and Dwayne Smith - Pickering.  Keaton Cole - Eastern,  Rodel Grenaway - Henry Carr, Adam Jesperson and Arnold Mayorga - HB Beal

To Schedule and results visit www.ofsaa.on.ca

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