Phoenix juniors cap unbeaten season with SOSSA crown
The Saint Francis Phoenix junior boys basketball team captured the Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association A championship with a 73-47 victory over the St. Jean-de-Brebeuf Lynx.
The Phoenix built quarter leads of 30-13, 51-22 and 66-36 to record the victory.
Scoring for the Phoenix were Marley Smith 14, Jalen French 10, Carter Ethier 8, Liam Williams 7, Sadiekie Hayden 7, Michael Arewa 6, Christian Ibrahim 5, Ethan Oais 4, Sam Riddell 3, Andrew Cheng 2 and Max Cataldo 1. Also contributing to the win were Adriaan Alderson and Josh Othman.
Scoring for the Lynx were K. Balabyekkubo 11, P. Tage 9, J. Brisebois 8, T. Brisebois 7 and J. Lee 2.
Saint Francis advanced to the final by defeating Dundas Valley 82-45.
Scoring for the Phoenix in the victory were Riddell 19, Arewa 14, Ethier 13, French 10, Alderson 8, Williams 6, Ibrahim 5, Othman 2, Cheng 2 and Cataldo 2.
Saint Francis finished the season with a perfect 29-0 record and tournament victories at the Mike Sullivan Tip-Off Invitational, Notre Dame Blue and Gold Invitational, Jami Memorial, Father Kennedy All-Catholic Tournament and the Resurrection Luke Santi Memorial Tournament.
Last season, the Phoenix went 24-1 on the way to winning SOSSA and the Mike Sullivan Tip-Off Invitational, Notre Dame Blue and Gold Invitational and the Resurrection Luke Santi Memorial Tournament.
The Phoenix have now won 10 SOSSA championships in the last 15 years and multiple tournament championships all over Ontario.
“We are successful at Saint Francis because we are adamant about developing a program.We’ve had continuity within our coaching staff for more than 15 years,” coach Rich Anderson said. “We place an emphasis on teamwork, dedication to the program and striving for excellence in the classroom and on the court. Because of these high expectations, our athletes know they must perform each and every day.”
Players know what they are getting into when they join the Phoenix program.
“We practise every day during the season, we expose our athletes to high-leverage games through tournaments or exhibition games, we have a strong alumni base which supports the current team in many different ways and our message has been consistent for years,” he said. “We believe in what we do, the way we do it and how we treat our student/athletes.”
