Flying into SOSSA
Been there, done that.
The Eden Flyers made it 15 Zone 4 AA senior boys volleyball titles in a row sweeping the Holy Cross Raiders 25-18, 25-12, 25-9 on their home court Monday.
The Flyers now advance to the Southern Ontario Secondary School Associations (SOSSA) playdowns at McKinnon Park in Hamilton next week.
The Flyers had a quick and reserved celebration following the sweep, seemingly more concerned with the bigger prizes ahead.
“We try to stay in control, win or lose,” Eden coach Bill Markham said. “These guys are really disciplined that way.
“We have a big vision, a big dream, so this is a part of that step process.”
Grade 12 student Daniel Ridings summed it up succinctly.
“It’s part of the process,” he said.
The Flyers captured silver at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) championships last season and have their sights set high again, but realize they first must get through SOSSA.
“We plan our schedule to hopefully play every team we’re going to see at OFSAA,” Markham added. “That’s a good gauge for us. We’ve been able to see what we think are the top teams and we’ve performed very well.
“We’re going in knowing we have to play our best and confident if we play our best and everyone does their part, we’ll be very successful.”
The Flyers used their depth Monday, rotating players in and out of the lineup.
Markham feels that depth will be key as the competition gets tougher.
“It’s really important, not only because guys can get tired, but they can also get injured,” he said. “If you haven’t developed someone to fill a spot, then you’re really in trouble when you get to OFSAA.
“Truth is, I can put any one of these guys on the floor and he can succeed.”
Ridings agrees.
“It’s great to have a great bench behind us to give us some rest if we need it,” said Ridings, who plays at the club level with the Niagara Rapids. “OFSAA can be a long day and we can count on the guys to do the job.”
Markham appreciates what Ridings offers.
“He’s brings length. He’s obviously tall and strong and he’s a level-headed kid,” he said. “He’s very coachable.”
Markham said the key is not only to work hard, but work smart.
“What we work on is not only hitting the ball hard, but also being smart and know what we’re doing and what we’re trying to accomplish. We’re trying to execute our game plan regardless of what’s happening on the other side of the net.”
Ridings is looking forward to getting over the hump after last season.
“We know if we can play the way we can we can beat any team. It’s just a matter of how we’re going to play that day,” he said.
He credits hard work for the programs continued success.
“(It’s) the commitment of the players. We practice every day and have tournaments every weekend. The coaches are also a big part of it. They take their time and they’re really great.”
Eden has already won a number of tournaments this year, including the University of Waterloo tournament which included AA and AAA squads.
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