Braithwaite goes out in style
Sam Braithwaite concluded his high school basketball career in a memorable way Wednesday.
The 6-foot-4 standout with the St. Francis Phoenix netted 18 points to help Zone 4 defeat Zone 3 83-66 in the top 10 Niagara Regional High School Basketball All-Star Game. He was named the Zone 4 player of the game for his performance in the Governor Simcoe gym.
“It was obviously a big game because I knew it was going to be my last game of high school basketball,” the 17-year-old said. “I wanted to go out with a bang and I guess getting MVP shows that.”
Braithwaite has plenty of memories from a St. Francis career that included Standard tournament titles and Ontario Federation of Secondary Schools Associations medals.
“I going to remember St. Francis basketball and the hard work that you have to put in,” the 2018 Standard tournament MVP said. “It’s the stuff that people don’t see. They see the winning, but they don’t see us in the summer practising and grinding hard in the gym.”
Wednesday’s game was even more special for Braithwaite because his high school coaches, Jon Marcheterre and Jeremy Dela Cruz, were coaching the Zone 4 squad.
The feeling was mutual.
“It’s an honour for me to be able to coach in a game like this and it had that extra special ingredient of knowing that Sam was moving on and that it was his last game,” Marcheterre said. “To see him cap it off with an MVP in an all-star game makes me very proud of him.”
The St. Francis head coach has seen a lot of growth by the talented teen on and off the court.
“He went from being a Grade 10 kid on a senior team and he’s grown into a young man now,” Marcheterre said. “He has matured as a player and as a person.”
On the court, the Grade 12 student is much different.
“He understands when to take over, when to be selfish in an appropriate way and when to use his teammates,” Marcheterre said. “That was a big thing we saw this year.
“Last year he was more of a supporting player, but this year he had to step into the limelight.”
Braithwaite isn’t sure what his basketball future holds for him.
“I am going to take a year off of basketball because I am not ready to commit to playing at the college or collegiate level yet,” he said.
He feels like he needs to take a hiatus from the sport.
“I’ve been playing basketball my whole life and I feel like I need a break.”
THE SCOOP
Zone 4 83 Zone 3 66
Mick and Angelo’s/Johnny Rocco’s Players of the Game: Zone 4’s Sam Braithwaite with 18 points and Zone 3’s Reese Radobenko with 17 points.
Zone 4: Sam Braithwaite, St. Francis 18; Quinton Duemo, St. Francis 18; Igor M’Baya, St. Francis 16; Lucas Cino, Blessed Trinity 10; Max Grant, Governor Simcoe 6; Darren Johnston, Governor Simcoe 5; Zubeer Liban, Denis Morris 5; Mason MacEachern, Governor Simcoe 3; Noah Honsberger, Denis Morris 2; Colten Spencer, Thorold Golden Eagles, injured and didn’t play.
Zone 3: Reese Radobenko, Centennial 17; Shammar Campbell, Notre Dame 12; Cormac McMahon 9; Nick Murdaca, A.N. Myer 8; Jerwyn Tutanes, Saint Paul Patriots 6; Jacob Labonte, Jean Vanier 5; Nick Yioldassis, Centennial 4; Will Schmahl, Saint Paul 2; Jason Carter, E.L. Crossley 2; Andrew Zezela, Notre Dame, also played.
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