Phoenix ready for huge challenge
The St. Francis Phoenix senior boys basketball team are about to find how good they are in comparison to some of the top high school programs in the province.
The Phoenix have joined the National Senior Circuit and will be playing in a series of top-level tournaments this fall in addition to their regular schedule in the Niagara Catholic Athletic Association.
“Part of our plan is to always try and find the highest level of competition we can for our guys,” Phoenix head coach Jon Marcheterre said. “It’s going to provide us with the competition to push us to be at our best and expose our guys to a different level of play.”
Marcheterre said the Phoenix competed in a tournament in the Bahamas last season against top-notch competition from the States, which really opened the eyes of the players.
“The guys got a serious wakeup call. We got our butts whipped,” Marcheterre said.
The Phoenix had been playing tournaments in the States, but changes to the rules has made it more difficult for the Phoenix to find competition south of the border.
“That avenue dried up,” Marcheterre said.
The Phoenix then came across the NSC online and did some research before applying.
“They had a National Junior Circuit last year with quite a bit of success,” Marcheterre said. “We kept an eye on it and started to see some of the programs who were becoming involved.”
Marcheterre said there are 11 teams confirmed for this fall including Cathedral from Hamilton, St.Thomas Aquinas of Oakville, Holy Cross of Woodbridge and Michael Power from Etobicoke.
“Looking at it, we might be the worst team in the circuit, but for us it’s a matter of being exposed to that talent,” Marcheterre said. “We’re talking some of the highest level of high school teams.
“We’re going to be in pretty deep, but it is an avenue for our guys to be seen by university coaches and that’s big.”
Marcheterre said his players are already champing at the bit to get in the gym.
“They’re excited. They’re ready to go,” he said. “I think from their standpoint, it’s an OFSAA tournament every month.
“I don’t see another AA school so we’re looking at AAA and AAAA calibre schools that we’re going to be playing against in a tournament fashion.”
Marcheterre feels the CSR is an avenue to keep players from jumping to prep programs.
“We haven’t had a lot of experience with but I can see it down the road with some guys,” he said. “Hopefully this will give guys pause when thinking about going to a prep program.”
The Phoenix are returning five of their top six players from last season with only Sam Braithwaite moving on.
With a strong roster and a legitimate shot at a gold medal at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) championships, Marcheterre, assistant Jeremy Dela Cruz and former coach Pat Sullivan, figured it was the perfect time to give the CSR a shot.
“We recognized we’re going to have to find the best competition we can find and the best opportunity for exposure,” Marcheterre said. “It’s a pretty cool opportunity for our guys.”
The CSR tournaments are slated for November, January, February, with a final national tournament in March just before OFSAA. Most will be held in the Toronto area with teams guaranteed four games per session. Cost is about $600 per session.
The Phoenix have eight OFSAA medals to their credit (one gold, four silver and three bronze) since 2002.
“We’re never cornered with our record or success or lack of success early on. It’s a matter of keeping our eyes on the end goal. Our end goal is to always be the best team we can be and guys maximizing their individual potential,” Marcheterre said.
SUPPORT US
On the right side of our web site, you will notice a yellow SUPPORT US button.
We are asking anyone who finds value in our work and is able to financially help us to click on the button and contribute whatever amount you feel is appropriate and can afford. There is no set amount. Any amount is appreciated.
The funds collected will be used to enhance and offset the expenses of running the web site.
