Team by team look at Standard High School Basketball Tournament
The Standard High School Basketball Tournament is a fixture on the local sports scene.
For the entire week, the city’s attention focuses on boys high school basketball as teams vie to make it to Friday’s consolation and championship finals at St. Catharines Collegiate.
The tournament starts Monday with games at Thorold, Eden, Ridley College and Denis Morris before moving to St. Francis, Eden, Sir Winston Churchill and Governor Simcoe on Tuesday. From then on, all the games will be played at the venerable Collegiate gym starting Thursday with the consolation finals at 3 and 4:30 p.m. and the championship finals at 6 and 7:30 p.m. On Friday, the consolation championship will be contested at 5:30 p.m. and the championship game will be played at 7:45 p.m.
Top-seeded St. Francis will look to defend its title. The remaining eight top seeds in descending order are Welland Centennial, Sir Winston Churchill, Governor Simcoe, Denis Morris, Ridley College, E.L. Crossley and Greater Fort Erie.
The Standard tournament is also the unofficial kickoff to BP Sports Niagara’s high school boys coverage which will include league and playoff games in the Niagara Region High School Athletic Association and the Niagara Catholic Athletic Association as well as extensive coverage of the Tribune Tournament.
Below are profiles of the 16 teams competing in the Standard tournament
BLESSED TRINITY THUNDER
Number of returning players: 5.
Key returning players: Max Mosquite; Kyle Love, Patrick Alvarez; Daniel Marinelli; Lewis Marinelli.
Strengths: Team defence.
First game: Monday at 2:45 p.m. at Denis Morris vs. Governor Simcoe.
CENTENNIAL COUGARS
Number of returning players: 7-8.
Key returning players: PG Connor Joliffe, F Jacob Bray; G Kennan Larmond; G Reese Radabenko, F Carl Paulemont; F Tyler Dilts.
Key newcomers: G/F Nick Yioldasis
Strengths: Experience, well-balanced scoring; teamwork.
Weaknesses: Overall size and strength.
First game: Monday at 3:15 p.m. at Eden vs. Laura Secord.
DENIS MORRIS REDS
Number of returning players: 2.
Key returning players: Mitchell McArthur; Michael Cassidy.
Key newcomers: Noah Honsberger; Zubeer Liban; Max Grant; Michael Conlon.
Strengths: Four starters graduated from strong junior team; basketball IQ.
Weaknesses: Youth; size.
First game: Monday at 1:15 p.m. at Denis Morris vs. St. Catharines Collegiate.
EDEN FLYERS
Number of returning players: 3.
Key returning players: Ryan Gilbert; Micah Nieuwets; Jacob McMillian.
Key newcomers: Charlie Edgar; Ryan Ghosh; Eddie Zhou.
Strengths: Commitment to hard work.
Weaknesses: Experience at senior level.
First game: Monday at 1:45 p.m. at Eden vs. E.L Crossley.
E.L. CROSSLEY CYCLONE
Number of returning players: 5
Key returning players: Durieal Bell; Evan Dobbie; Liam Milan; Davison Shepherd; Graeme McKinley.
Key newcomers: Joshua Lahn, Tyler Dobbie; Hayden Milan; Ryan Dykstra; Ethan Mergl; Dalton Malaschenko; David Nunn; Frederico Roman-Holt; Remington Sturdy.
Strengths: Speed; ball movement; defence.
Weaknesses: Offence; size.
First game: Monday at 1:45 p.m. at Eden vs. Eden.
GOVERNOR SIMCOE REDCOATS
Number of returning players: 4.
Key returning players: Rahim Bardi; Alex Cochrane; Sean Climenhage; Darren Johnston.
Key newcomers: Dainon Bango; Mason MacEachern; Cal Anderson; Steve Christie.
Strengths: Experienced guards; scoring; intensity.
Weaknesses: Slow starts; defensive lapses; size.
First game: Monday at 2:45 p.m. at Denis Morris vs. Blessed Trinity.
GREATER FORT ERIE GRYPHONS
Key returning players: Ethan Vannatter; Bailey Wangler.
Key newcomers: Austin Ladoucier; Joel Coopman.
Strengths: Speed; athleticism
Weaknesses: Size; depth.
First game: Monday at 2:30 p.m. at Thorold vs. Governor Thorold.
GRIMSBY EAGLES
Number of returning players: 2.
Key returning players: Brodie Down; Nick Pasaluko.
Key newcomers: Jacob Baker; Mason Thiele.
Strengths: Character; team defence; transition play.
Weaknesses: Team offence; rebounding.
First game: Monday at 1 p.m. at Thorold vs. St. Francis.
HOLY CROSS RAIDERS
Number of returning players: 4.
Key returning players: Matt Ferron, Adrian Waszak, Kyle Dickson and Sebastian Balsom.
Key newcomers: Patryk Solomin, Tinashe Dandato and Omer Omer.
Strengths: Unselfish play, communication, hard work.
Weaknesses: Inexperience.
First game: Monday at 1:45 p.m. at Ridley College vs. Ridley College.
LAKESHORE CATHOLIC GATORS
Number of returning players: 6.
Key returning players: Issac D’Amico; Eric Veldman; Quinn Hill.
Key newcomers: Trey Moureau; Nic Qua.
Strengths: Size; experience.
Weakness: Bench depth.
First game: Monday at 3:30 p.m. at Ridley College vs. Sir Winston Churchill.
LAURA SECORD PATRIOTS
Number of returning players: 3.
Key returning players: Willie Seward; Devon Groves; Hussein Al-Harazi.
Key newcomers: Evan Craig, Kiefer Sonnenberg; Nathan Pennel; Josh Ramnarain.
Strengths: Defence; ball control; team unity.
Weaknesses: Rebounding; overall basketball knowledge and experience.
First game: Monday at 3:15 p.m. at Eden vs. Centennial.
RIDLEY COLLEGE TIGERS
Number of returning players: 4.
Key returning players: Kofi Osei-Opare; Dimitri Nitsopoulos; Alex Schramm; Jaden Kidd.
Key newcomers: Kenneth Anaebonam; A.J. Adeyemi; Alula Hilawe; Jordan Mitchell.
Strength: Speed on the wings.
Weaknesses: Lack a true point guard; size.
First game: Monday at 1:45 p.m. at Ridley College vs. Holy Cross.
SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL BULLDOGS
Key returning players: Ryan Benevento; Asim Serri; Diego Ruiz; Matt Johnston; Mo Esseri.
Key newcomers: Noah Garnace.
Strengths: Experience; speed in back court; solid big team
Weaknesses: Experience on the bench.
First game: Monday at 3:30 p.m. at Ridley College vs. Lakeshore Catholic.
ST CATHARINES COLLEGIATE SAINTS
Number of returning players: 5.
Key returning players: Robert Smith, Clayton Thomas-Harris.
Key newcomers: Chris Ceide, Noah Melason and Ronan MacNally.
Strengths: Good speed, athleticism.
Weakness: Inexperience.
First game: Monday at 1:15 p.m. at Denis Morris vs. Denis Morris.
ST. FRANCIS PHOENIX
Number of returning players: 6.
Key returning players: Tyrell MacLennan; Jack Riddell; Sam Brathwaite; James Hughes.
Key newcomers: Cam Van Hezewyk; Igor M’Baya; Mitch Demers.
Strengths: Depth, experience; shooting.
Weaknesses: Focus at times.
First game: Monday at 1 p.m. at St. Francis vs. Grimsby.
THOROLD GOLDEN EAGLES
Number of returning players: 5.
Key returning players: Colton Spencer; Alec Young; Loni Babjide; Jake Stirtzinger; Braydon Harietha.
Key newcomers: Cameron Klassen; Yvan Canlas; Elijah Patterson; Devon Maltby.
Strengths: Speed; athleticism.
Weaknesses: Height; inexperience.
First game: Monday at 2:30 p.m. at Thorold vs. Fort Erie.
