Flyers fly high in opener
Chad Thorpe is carrying on the family basketball tradition.
The 17-year-old, Grade 12 student is following in the footsteps of older brother Trent Thorpe, now at McMaster, as an impact player with the Eden Flyers.
Chad Thorpe scored 20 points to pace the Flyers past the Centennial Cougars 61-24 before at packed gym at Eden in an opening-round game Monday at the 59th Annual Standard Kully’s Boys High School Basketball Tournament.
“I was always playing basketball outside with my brother,” Chad Thorpe said. “We played one versus one and my dad would always join us too. We would always try and get outside and play as much as possible.”
Chad Thorpe was thrilled to finally be able to play in a Standard Tournament after the COVID pandemic wiped out the tournament the last two years.
“It’s phenomenal,” he said. “I haven’t played in this but I’ve seen my brother play in this multiple times. It’s great to be back playing ball. It’s a well put together tournament.”
Thorpe, who plays at the club level for the Niagara Rangers, fills a couple of key roles for the Flyers.
“We have a couple of leaders and my job is mostly to lead,” he said. “I try to run the offence as much as possible, try to facilitate and get guys open looks and then if we need another scorer, I’ll try and score the basketball as well.”
Adding to the family affair is Eden head coach Jonathon Thorpe, who has coached both his sons with the Flyers.
“If I say too much, I might get emotional but it’s awesome,” Jonathon Thorpe said. “The chance to coach both kids has been fantastic.
“Chad is such a fun player to coach. He’s after it. There’s never a moment he takes off, every possession, every loose ball he gets, he’s after it.”
Jonathon Thorpe was happy to get back into tournament action as well.
“It was a lot of fun for the guys playing in front of a full gym. They played well. You could tell they were ready to go for this week,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun and something I remember playing in as a high school student and something they will remember when they’re old like me.”
The Cougars were without Cam Larmand, Joel McDede and Colby DesRoches, which didn’t help their cause.
“Missing guys, it’s been tough,” Centennial coach Craig Maltais said. “Cam has been out the whole season and most of the players who are on this team were in junior last year so we’re trying to figure out the best squad going forward. This is only Game 4 or Game 5 for us so we’re trying to get the best mix of guys.
“It’s sort of a work in progress.”
Flyers 61 Cougars 24
Kully’s Players of the Game: Eden’s Chad Thorpe and Centennial’s Alex Bray.
For the Eden Flyers: Riley Stewart 21; Chad Thorpe 20; Caleb Stewart 9; Luke Johnson 7; VJ Phillips 2; Dylan Durlov 2; Maxim Tywoniuk 2; Rhys Weinart 2; Kai Schatz 1.
For the Centennial Cougars: Alex Bray 10; Timi Ijaodola 5; Max McNeil 3; Matt Millar 3; Jace Kupper 2.
Bulldogs 95 Saints 26
The No. 1 seed Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs had little trouble topping the St. Catharines Collegiate Saints in their opening round game.
Kully’s Players of the Game: Sir Winston’s Sawyer Neufeld and Collegiate’s Connor Hammond.
For the Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs: Mazen Yagubi 25; Brandon Plachy 10; Victor Obanure 9; Owen Cuthbert 9; Sawyer Neufeld 7; Jaxon Beaman 7; Brady Pupek 6; Mujeeb Omar 6; Quinn Johnston 4; Daniel Nunez Colome 3; Jared Cook 3; Will McApline 3.
For the St. Catharines Collegiate Saints: Rainier Agravate 8; Kajus Zilinskas 5; Colton Joyce 5; Connor Hammond 4; Mark Paguyo 4.
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