In the opening round, held in Hamilton: …………………………………………………… The top-seeded Scarborough Lester B. Pearson Bengals clubbed the unseeded Toronto St. Michael’s Blue Raiders 66-46 as Richie Lyte scored 18. Clint Macdonald paced the Blue Raiders with 26. …………………………………………………… The 8th-seeded Mississauga Westwood Wildcats defeated the unseeded Burlington Lester B. Pearson Patriots 43-35 as Greg Walker scored 20. Wildcats coach Mal Simms told the Burlington Spectator that “it was an ugly game. We always play a pressure defence and usually counterpunch for a turnover basket although that wasn’t the case tonight.” Dennis Lay led the Patriots with 9 (also reported as 8). Craig Emuss added 4. Patriots coach Vern Lucyk said “we certainly didn’t show the offensive skills that we can. I thought we played a good Defensive game and rebounded well. But you win with 35 points. We’re just not shooting and we’re going aggressively to the rim.” …………………………………………………… The 3rd-seeded Etobicoke Martingrove Bears whipped the unseeded Sudbury LaSalle Lancers 56-37 as Shawn Grey scored 23. Chris Kurlicki and Don Quesnelle each notched 9 for the Lancers. …………………………………………………… The 2nd-seeded Toronto Oakwood Barons stomped the unseeded Sarnia Northern Vikings 73-49 as Oneil Kamaka scored 27. Peter Kratz led the Vikings with 11. …………………………………………………… The 4th-seeded Brantford St. John’s Green Eagles clipped the unseeded Ajax Pickering Trojans 60-50 as Nick Poulimenos scored 15. Kirk Salesman led the Trojans with 18. …………………………………………………… The 6th-seeded Belle River St. Anne Catholic Saints clipped the Belleville Nicholson Crusaders 66-51. “We sit around all day waiting to play and then they throw us a second-round game at 10:30 in the morning,” Saints’ coach Larry Loebach told the Windsor Star. “They’re trying to get the local teams playing in prime time to draw the crowds. We’re not happy about it, but we have to live with it. … This is a big step up for us after AA, but the kids are working hard. Every team here is good and they’re all bigger, so we’ll just have to see how it goes from here.” The Saints led 30-29 at the half. Jamie Mingay paced the Saints with 20. Rob Andrukonis added 18. Greg Sine led the Crusaders with 11. …………………………………………………… The 5th-seeded Niagara Falls A.N. Myer Marauders dumped the unseeded Kingston Collegiate Blues 55-45 as Nick Medic scored 25, Greg Newton 16 (also reported as 17), Clark Wincott 7, Jay Newton 4 and Mike Pirker 2. Jay Newton drew a charge from Damal Ray with 2:30 to play, which fouled the latter out of the game. He’d hit four treys in the second half. Nick Medic iced the win with three free throws and Greg Newton punctuated it with a slam dunk. Marauders coach Bob Coull told the Niagara Falls Review that “sometimes players play differently when they’re up by 20 points. Players think they can just fire away and you can’t do that. We got ahead by 21 and stopped doing what we did to get there.” John Platenius led the Blues with 15. Damal Ray added 14. Blues coach Hans Garsch told the Kingston Whig-Standard that “we were suffering from a little stage fright.” The Blues trailed by 18 late in the first half when Garsch called a timeout to tell his troops to stop worring about Newton blocks. “I figured, hey, we’re not taking the shot we want to make because we’re thinking this guy is out and he’s going to stop us.” The Blues responded with a 7-0 run the draw within 33-20 at the half. The Marauders led 38-35 after three quarters and were ahead 47-45 when Ray fouled out. The Marauders closed it out with an 8-0 run. Garsch said “we really picked our intensity up (in the second half). We played our heart and would out on defence.” …………………………………………………… The 7th-seeded Hamilton Hill Park Rams dispatched the unseeded Orleans St. Matthew Tigers 72-61 as Ryan Muise and James Akrong each scored 13 and Peter Van Elswyk 12. Rams coach Ken Ormerod told the Hamilton Spectator that “first games are always tough in a tournament.” Muise said “the advantage our team has is that we have more size than most of the others here (but could have done better on the defensive boards).” Brayden White led the Tigers with 19.
In the second round: …………………………………………………… The Sudbury LaSalle Lancers stunned the 8th-seeded Mississauga Westwood Wildcats 48-45 as Mike Scott scored 14. Sean Stevens led the Wildcats with 15. The Wildcats (coached by Mal Simms) also included Greg Walker, Isaac King, Alvin Noel, Brent Bradshaw. …………………………………………………… The Belle River St. Anne Catholic Saints clipped the Toronto St. Michael’s Blue Raiders 72-57. The Saints led by 10 at the half and by four after three quarters before pulling away in the final frame. Jamie Mingay paced the Saints with 20. Rob Andrukonis added 15, John Grgicak 12 and John Silva 10. Clint Macdonald led the Blue Raiders with 15. The Blue Raiders (coached by Greg Paolini, assisted by Mr. Vitullo and Mike Gleeson, and managed by Avram Reindorf) included Otis Jason Santiago, Brian Heaney, Pat Gleeson, Mike Zavershnik, Carl Riley, John Kim, Gamal Smith, Sal Barbara, Kevin Scott, Linas Underys and Fernando Chien. …………………………………………………… The 3rd-seeded Etobicoke Martingrove Bears edged the Burlington Lester B. Pearson Patriots 53-48 as Shawn Gray scored 20. Dennis Ley led the Patriots with 20. The Patriots (coached by Vern Luyck, assisted by Larry Angus) also included Ryan Fabi, Craig Emuss, Brian Vanzanden, Steve Fraser, Adrian Baker, Sonny Ingram, Mark Moroz, Chris Pagonis and Adam Jackson. …………………………………………………… The 7th-seeded Hamilton Hill Park Rams nipped the Ajax Pickering Trojans 43-42 as Ryan Muise and Peter Van Elswyck each scored 12. The score was knotted at 7 after one quarter, at 17 at the half and at 26 after three quarters. The Rams trailed by three with 34 seconds to play but Van Elswyck notched a bucket in the paint. Trojan guard Vince McDonald was fouled but his missed his free throws. James Akrong nabbed the rebound for the Rams with 19 seconds to play. Ryan Muise drove for the winning layup. Trojans Kirk Salesman missed a desperation heave at the buzzer. Kirk Salesman led the Trojans with 15. The Trojans (coached by Ron Parfitt, assisted by Finbar Strachan) also included Jason Baker, Andy Jackson, Vince McDonald, Glyn Bancroft. …………………………………………………… The top-seeded Scarborough Lester B. Pearson Bengals clipped the Belleville Nicholson Crusaders 54-42 as Dave Small scored 16. Greg Sine led the Crusaders with 12. …………………………………………………… The 2nd-seeded Toronto Oakwood Barons dumped the Kingston Collegiate Blues 73-60 as Oneil Kamaka scored 22. Damal Ray led the Blues with 17. The Blues (coached by Hans Garsch) also included Rob Austen (Ausken?), Andy Hawkins, John Platenius, Paul McRae, Adrdern, Richards, Chris Gibbs, Uzonba, Brown and Tetzloff. …………………………………………………… The 4th-seeded Brantford St. John’s Green Eagles dispatched the Orleans St. Matthew Tigers 79-65 as Nick Poulimenos scored 13. James Trofimczuk led the Tigers with 22. The Tigers also included Brayden White, Mike Smith, Jamie MacKinnon, Mike Robichaud, Jason Palmer, John-Kevin Flynn. …………………………………………………… The 5th-seeded Niagara Falls A.N. Myer Marauders stomped the Sarnia Northern Vikings 75-41 as Greg Newton scored 37, while nabbing 10 boards, Jay Newton 13, Nick Medic 9, Ryan Foster 4, Mike Pirker 43, Lou Stranges 4, Jim Riddell 2, Jeff Scherle 2, Jamie Coull 1, Clark Wincott 1 and Ryan Crawford 1. Matt Cook led the Vikings with 9.
In the quarterfinals, the top-seeded Scarborough Lester B. Pearson Bengals defeated the Sudbury LaSalle Lancers 60-50. The Bengals notched 9 points in 52 seconds and an 18-0 run to out the win. LaSalle led 17-16 after the opening quarter and took a 33-30 edge into halftime after hitting five treys. But the Bengals press undid the Lancers in the second half. “We really believed we could do it and our game plan seemed to be working,” LaSalle coach Jim Hann told the Toronto Star. “For a while I thought about those Miracle Mets. Then (came) the turnovers, they stepped up their defence and (Pearson) exploded.” Lancer post Chris Kurlicki said Lasalle was “shook up” by the 9 quick points. “They picked up their game and we were exhausted from the physical pounding.” Pearson coach Dave Lake said his troops were lethargic early. “I’ve never seen a team shoot three-pointers as well as they did. Our kids just decided they wanted to play and when (LaSalle) turned the ball over, we picked up the intensity.” Dave Small led the Bengals with 20. Dennis Barham added 13. Chris Kurlicki led the Lancers with 13.
The 4th-seeded Brantford St. John’s Green Eagles defeated the Niagara Falls A.N. Myer Marauders 59-53 in overtime as Nick Poulimenos scored 20, Dan Pace 15 and Pace 10. The score was knotted at 49 after regulation after Green Eagles guard Sean Dorsey missed the front end of a one-and-one with four seconds to play. The Marauders missed a chance to win it when Jay Newton was called for an offensive foul with six seconds to play. In overtime, Nick Medic hit two free throws to knot the score at 51 but the Green Eagles exploded for eight unanswered points. The Marauders led 14-12, 26-21 and 40-34 at the quarters. Greg Newton led the Marauders with 26, while nabbing 17 boards. Jay Newton added 11, Nick Medic 8, Jamie Coull 3, Clark Wincott 3 and Lou Stranges 2. Marauders coach Bob Coull told the Niagara Falls Review that “I thought we played really hard with a lot of heart. … Wished Medic shot the ball better in the first half. We could have used his points in the first half.” The Marauders (coach Bob Coull) also included Mike Pirker, Jeff Scherle, Ryan Crawford, Ryan Foster and Jim Ruddell.
The 3rd-seeded Etobicoke Martingrove Bears defeated the Belle River St. Anne Catholic Saints 53-37. “They’re very physical and they beat us up inside,” Saints coach Larry Loebach told the Windsor Star. “The game was fairly officiated. But it was still rough and they’re just bigger, stronger and more experienced than us.” The Bears were paced by 6-7 guard Andrew Taylor who scored 20. Shawn Gray added 12. “The kids played hard and we justified our seeding but we just didn’t have the power to match up inside against Martingrove,” said Loebach. Jamie Mingay and Rob Andrukonis each scored 12 to lead the Saints. The Saints (coached by Loebach) also included John Grgicak, John Silva.
In the last quarterfinal, the 2nd-seeded Toronto Oakwood Barons clipped the 7th-seeded Hamilton Hill Park Rams 65-54 as Greg Francis scored 23. Oakwood led by 10 at the half. Francis told the Hamilton Spectator that “everyone is so low on energy at this point, the tournament is really gruelling. With so many games so close together, you never feel fresh.” Peter Van Elswyk led the Rams with 21. The Rams (coached by Ken Ormerod, assisted by Dave Ormerod and Flavio Bottoso) also included James Akrong, Paul Lowe, Terry Petrie, Mike Williams, Guo Wu, Paul Burleigh, Joel Evelyn, Mike Lavery, Ryan Craven, Sean Patchett, Lyndon Johnson, Darren Gibbons and Ryan Muise.
In the semis, the 4th-seeded Brantford St. John’s Green Eagles defeated top-seeded Scarborough Lester B. Pearson Bengals 68-63 as Dan Pace scored 22. Pearson led 37-34 at halftime but were outhustled on the boards in the final 10 minutes. Richie Lyte paced the Bengals with 17.
In the other semi, the Toronto Oakwood Barons defeated the Etobicoke Martingrove Bears 45-42 as Greg Francis scored 30. Shawn Gray led the Bears with 26.
In the bronze medal match, the top-seeded Scarborough Lester B. Pearson Bengals nipped the 3rd-seeded Etobicoke Martingrove Bears 57-54. “This game was just some fun. The one we needed to win earlier just didn’t happen,” Kenrick Hopkinson, who scored 26, told the Toronto Star. “The loss (in the semis) will be something that sticks in the mind for the rest of my life. Guys were crying and blown away, that’s something our team wasn’t used too, but life goes on.” Martingrove led 27-25 after one quarter and 45-41 at the half. Hopkinson paced the Bengals with 26. Shawn Gray, who scored 26, missed two bonus shots with 30 seconds left and Pearson up by one. Hopkinson put it away with a bucket. “This was the last game for many of us and both teams just decided to fool around,” said Bears guard Andrew Taylor. “The important games were over with in the morning and I felt the referees gave the two of us (Pearson and Martingrove) the shaft. It’s the old story, everyone is gunning for Toronto.” The Bears (coached by David West) also included Andrew Taylor, Chuck Tallon, Rowan Beckford and Lennie Izzard. Pearson finished 39-4 on the campaign.
In the final, the 2nd-seeded Toronto Oakwood Barons defeated the Brantford St. John’s Green Eagles 58-36 to capture their first provincial crown. The Barons defence was exceptional, while Greg Francis dominated on the offensive end of the floor, scoring 26. Oakwood jumped to a quick 9-0 lead but held only a one-point edge at the half. Francis caught fire in the third frame, while Oakwood’s defence allowed just five points in the third quarter and nine in the final eight minutes of the game. The Barons went on a 14-0 run while St. John’s could only muster four points in 12:20 of the second half. Oakwood finished (35-6) on the season. Coach Terry Thomson told the Toronto Star that “we’ve been close before and sometimes had real good teams and didn’t win, but this was terrific. The guys played great defence and Francis was something else; he’s a class act who produces and deserves a championship.” Francis, who scored 25, said he was determined to win it for Thomson, who retired after the season. “It’s been a long drought and I wanted him to go out on top, too. I appreciate everything he’s done; now we’ll both go away happy.” John Poulimenos led the Green Eagles with 6.
The bronze medalist Scarborough Lester B. Pearson Bengals: Andrew Taylor; Richie Lyte; Kendrick Hopkinson; David Small; Dennis Barham; Kingsley Robinson; Jermaine Bruce; Dwayne Hopkinson; Courtney Hunt; Edwin Davis; Tim Wilson; Tyson Bahadur; Leslie Isaac; coach Dave Lake; assistant Phil Lawn
The silver medalist Brantford St. John’s Green Eagles: John Poulimenos; Nick Poulimenos; Dan Pace; Ryan Hammerich; Kelly Ireland; Sean Dorsey; Steve Anwan; Mike Petrella; Gregor Davidson; Chris Dawson; Mark Bennett; Joe Bielek; Martin Sedkowski; Jamie Truckel; coach Steve Van Leeuwen; coach John Dennis
The gold medalist Toronto Oakwood Barons: Greg Francis; Oneil Kamaka; Geary Thomlinson; Reid Beckett; Gabe Gonda; Kevin Jobity (ruled ineligible to play at OFSAA because of transfer rule); Chris Confaria; Wayne McKoy; Kwame Manu; Kumal Davis; Nesry Abdulvahman; coach Terry Thomson; assistant Ernie MacMillen; assistant Jack Vecchio