Vet leads Phoenix to unbeaten regular season
The importance of Allen Kalonji can’t be overstated on a Saint Francis senior basketball team that boasts three Grade 9 starters.
“He has been really good at trying to teach these guys what it is like to be playing senior,” Saint Francis head coach Jon Marcheterre said. “He was the only senior player left for us and he is important for us on a daily basis because he sets that standard in terms of working hard through practice and commitment to defence; the things that are a hallmark for our senior team.”
Knowing where he fits in on the team has allowed Kalonji to help the Phoenix finish the Niagara Catholic Athletic Association with an unbeaten record, following a 63-38 road victory over the Denis Morris Reds Monday.
“He recognizes the Grade 9s are talented and they are going to allow us to do what we want to do. He didn’t take any sort of back seat as a leader even though the ball doesn’t always go through him on offensively,” Marcheterre said. “As a 12B guy coming back, he might have thought the spotlight was going to be on him but he never acted in that way. He was humble and he appreciates having these young guys around.”
The 18-year old has embraced his role on the team.
“It is a lot different. I have always played with a lot of older guys like Igor (M’Baya) and Quinton (Duemo) and this is my first year as a leader,” he said, after scoring nine points in Monday’s win. “We have a lot of great young guys and it is a learning process for me. I love being a role model for these guys and doing what I got to do.”
The six-foot guard is applying the lessons he learned from M’Baya and Duemo.
“Off the court, they were down to earth guys and we were always having fun. But on the court, you could tell it was a different type of mentality. They were guys who would tell you if you weren’t doing things right and that you had to be better.
“Those are the sort of guys coaches want and need and I am happy doing that and showing guys in the same way.”
Kalonji came back for his 12B year mainly to play basketball.
“We were robbed last year by COVID and we were also supposed to host OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations),” he said. “I knew I was going to have a much bigger role and I didn’t feel like I was done.”
Monday’s game was a matchup of two unbeaten squads with both teams coming in with 6-0 records.
“It was a good game and it was tough,” Marcheterre said. “It was physical and we need these kinds of games to remember what it is like to play tooth and nail and fight for a win.”
He was impressed with the effort put forth by the Reds.
“They played hard, they have some size, they play physical game and their point guard (Dylan Maltby) is a nice player. Coming in off the game versus Notre Dame, it was two tough games in a row and it was nice to have that opportunity.”
Denis Morris head coach Michael Doodeman was happy to see how his team matched up against the powerful Phoenix.
“They are a very good team, they are developed basketball players and it was a great test for our team,” he said. “We had a week of practice off and we missed a lot of shots but we showed heart at times. It wasn’t our best but we can compete with them.”
Doodeman is pleased with the progress his team has made as the season has wore on.
“We were a bit scrambly but we always play as a team,” he said. “That has what had been drilled in during the season.”
STATS PACK
Phoenix 63 Reds 38
Cat’s Caboose Player of the Game: Saint Francis’ Andrew Enns with 27 points.
For the Saint Francis Phoenix: Enns 27; Quinten Ethier 12; Allen Kalonji 9; Jack Ciocca 7; D.J. Conway 4; Nixon Provenzano 4.
For the Denis Morris Reds: Dylan Maltby 16; Mike Ukiomogbe 13; Max Barnowski 3; Alex Gonzalez 2; Josh Kaufman 2; Josh Matthew 2.
