Redcoats seek respect
The Governor Simcoe Redcoats senior boys basketball team opens the 2018-19 basketball season with a chip on its shoulder.
“Last year, guys like Rahim (Bardi), Alex (Cochrane) and Dainon (Bango) were the Big Three part of our team,” Governor Simcoe point guard Mason MacEachern said. “Now teams think that because they are gone, we are not that good of a team any more. But all the guys on the team have a lot to prove and we are ready to do that.”
Simcoe opened the Niagara Region High School Athletic Association season Wednesday with a 59-48 victory over the St. Catharines Collegiate Saints.
The win was the first step in showing other teams what the Redcoats can do.
“I think it’s really promising,” Simcoe coach Shaun Feor said. “We have a new identity here at Simcoe. Losing Rahim, Alex and Dainon, they want to prove themselves and keep the program at a high level.”
MacEachern’s play will be important if the Redcoats want to get there.
“He started last year, but he was kind of under the senior guys’ wings,” Feor said. “Now it’s setting up that he’s our leader now and he’s the floor general.”
The Simcoe coach likes MacEachern’s game.
“He’s a solid kid with a good head on his shoulders and he’s a savvy point guard.”
The 17-year-old agrees he learned a lot from the veterans last season.
“I had a good couple of years learning from the older guys and I think it helped me a lot,” the Grade 12 student said. “Now I am ready to pass it on and help the younger kids.”
MacEachern is also hoping to take the next step in his own progression as a player.
“I want to become a better leader,” he said. “I need to be the leader of this team and make sure everything is set.”
Simcoe won the Cougar Classic last week, but is a little behind heading into next week’s Standard tournament.
“We’ve had a late start, for sure,” Feor said. “Our boys played in the football championship. It’s not an excuse but we are going to have some growing pains in the beginning, for sure.”
MacEachern was a wide receiver on the football team and he’s one of the players catching up on things.
“The biggest part is the cardio,” he said. “There’s a lot more running in basketball and it’s going to take a couple of weeks. It’s a different pace.”
The Saints’ pace gave the Redcoats all they could handle Wednesday and teams would be well-advised not to take the Saints lightly.
“We came out strong, but we made a couple of turnovers which cost us points early on and it was hard to come back from it,” Collegiate coach Allison Mauro said. “Next time, we know what we need to work on when we see them again.
“It’s only our first (league) game of the season and it’s only going be up from here.”
Collegiate boasts a mix of size and athleticism.
“We have 12 athletes on our team,” Mauro said.
Last week, Collegiate won the Laura Secord Invitational by defeating Secord, Hamilton Delta and Niagara Christian.
STATS PACK
Redcoats 59 Saints 48
Mick and Angelo’s/Johnny Rocco’s Player of the Game: Collegiate’s Tykree Llewellyn with 21 points.
For the Governor Simcoe Redcoats: Max Grant 14; Darren Johnston 12; Mason MacEachern and Victor Hayes 9; Steve Christie 6; Duncan Belliveau 3.
For the St. Catharines Collegiate Saints: Llewellyn 21; Clayton Thomas-Harris and Jerrell Plumandore 8; Joseph Waterman 4; Jahmar Kennedy 3; Nathan Taylor and Sheldon Brown 2.
Scoring by quarters: Simcoe 18-9-15-17=59; Collegiate 12-13-12-11=48.
