Cougars upset Marauders
The Centennial Cougars finally found a way to defeat the A.N. Myer Marauders.
The Cougars topped the Marauders 7-2 to capture the Niagara Regional High School Athletic Association Zone 3 baseball championship held at Oakes Park in Niagara Falls.
The win by Centennial ends a streak of what is thought to be 10 straight zone championships for the Marauders.
Centennial assistant coach Trent Bruzzese said the win was sweet revenge for the Cougars who lost to Myer in last year’s zone final.
“A year ago we had them 3-0 in the sixth inning and they got two in the bottom of the sixth and then walked us off 4-3 in the seventh,” Bruzzese said. “Our kids were so disappointed last year because they wanted to beat Myer. All we heard from tryouts and practices, that was the No. 1 goal.”
Bruzzese said finally getting over the hump was worth the wait.
“The reason our players were so excited with this win is that this was the challenge and team that we could not beat,” he said. “We came close several times but always came up short. Accomplishing this goal was so gratifying because of the amount of respect we have for A.N. Myer’s talented roster and well-coached team. This was an incredible win.
“We are just so proud of our entire team with the effort, dedication, commitment, and execution to achieve this goal. But hopefully we are not done and we continue to have success at the next level, SOSSA.”
The Cougars, who last won a zone title in 2010, will take on the Zone 4 representative at the Southern Ontario Secondary School Association playdowns May 30 in Dundas. The Zone 4 title will be decided May 22 when Governor Simcoe plays Sir Winston Churchill while West Niagara takes on Eden in the semifinals. The winners then meet for the Zone 4 title.
Hayden Cupolo pitched four innings of shutout ball in the win while Matt Millar finished up the final three innings.
Jaxson Bruzzese led the offence with two hits, a walk and two runs scored while Tristan Gullion also added two hits. The team also played solid defence.
The Cougars advanced to the final defeating St. Jean-de-Brebeuf, E.L. Crossley and Greater Fort Erie in playoff action. The Marauders topped Fort Erie, Crossley and Westlane. A regular season tournament provided the seeding for the playoffs.
Members of the winning team are: Henry Allen, Jaxson Bruzzese, Vincent Cupolo, Hayden Cupolo, Spencer Brown, Landon Brown, Callum Brown, Kelsey Stayzer, Mason Beaver, Kyle Zenga, Colby DesRoches, Stirling Koppejan, Jordan Wright, Tristan Gullion, Brayden Kingston, Mason Saxton, Bradley Thomas, Tytan Worrell, JJ Waller, Matt Millar, Dylan Lariviere and Alan Al Yacubi.
Head coach: Stefan Snopek. Assistant coaches: Trent Bruzzese and Stephen Beaver.
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