Leave the car at home

Track and field. Now that I have caught your attention, this is no April Fool's joke.

Plans are well underway for the annual Ontario high school track and field championships, which is set for June 4 to 6. Not only is it in Toronto, but at Varsity Centre - that outstanding facility on the campus of the University of Toronto. I am told there are various other events linked to this too. Who knows, maybe the Prime Minister will make an appearance along with an Olympic sprinter.

Track events will be superb, especially on that excellent facility. The javelin event won't be there, likely because that spear could end up on Bloor Street.  Every year, this event is at a secluded field somewhere nearby. Nope, no plans for it to be held at Queen's Park or in front of the Legislative Buildings.

I also understand that events will also be shown on the U of T's huge electronic board. While it may be hard to see on a sunny day, it could make for some fantastic viewing and even give marshals a few headaches in the likelihood of questionable calls.

Biggest problem: parking. There isn't any. It'll be bedlam down there. The emphasis is on getting athletes, and there could be about 2,500 for Canada's largest school meet, to use the Toronto Transit Commission. Should be interesting to see a pole vaulter or even kid carrying a javelin on the subway.

Anyway, just a heads up. People who appreciate getting a glimpse of future Olympians, well, they might want to make plans. Better yet, might be early enough to pull a deal with the folks in high rise buildings nearby to rent some space. It will be warm in June, smog too - and nothing better than watching from an air-conditioned building with some cool refreshments too.

Hang up the skates, hockey is done

Hockey is over, at least at the high school level in this part of the world.

The provincial folks were able to shove four Ontario hockey championships, something like 80 or more schools competing in three cities, through in one week. That's lots of hockey, and especially when nothing, with the exception of a few indoor soccer games and some badminton, is on the plate next week and the week after in the local world of high school sports.

If you missed it, some interesting things happened. Greater Toronto Area schools continued their remarkable year winning Ontario medals in sports - and hockey now is no different. Let's face it, the GTA is where things happen and you can now, if you desire, sing a few bars of "When The Saints Go Marching In".

St. Basil The Great, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Aloysius Gonzaga and St. Marcellinus have medals. They deserve it. St. Basil The Great, with 12 skaters and a girls' hockey program that started five years ago and didn't win a game, now has an Ontario gold medal. In fact, the first Toronto school to win a provincial championship in that sport. Big news for that school.

St. Thomas Aquinas, an Oakville school that had a boys' hockey team finish at the bottom of its' Tier Two Halton region league last year with one win, now has a provincial Single/Double-A level bronze medal. Goes to show you not to give up.

And St. Aloysius Gonzaga, from Mississauga, proved that being ranked No. 11 isn't all that bad after all - especially after going on to win the Ontario Triple/Quad-A boys' hockey championship. And with respect to provincial silver-medallists St. Marcellinus, another Catholic school and Peel champ, Gonzaga went one huge step further with Ontario bragging rights.

After about five months of high school hockey, time now to put away the competitive skates. Then again, the boys and girls on blades can do what the basketball folks are doing - planning high school all-star games for June and July. I'm not joking.

Hockey notebook from the North

Got to North Bay for the provincial high school boys' Triple/Quad-A hockey playoffs - and not without some excitement. Ever try driving, this time of the year, in the evening north of Huntsville - and on a major highway?

I'm driving the posted speed limit and a deer darts across the highway, about 15 metres in front of the car. It was like a blur. Few miles further, more. I thought I was at a deer convention. Dozens of them and, if people aren't careful, hitting one of them can be disastrous - and not just for the animal. I'm told lots of accidents around here because of that and it's a big concern.

All right, to hockey. Greater Toronto Area schools have won all four medals. Very impressive, even though No. 2-ranked Brother Andre went home early after failing to make the quarterfinals. Still to be determined, the order of the medals, with Saturday semifinals involving St. Mary of Pickering, Upper Canada of Toronto and the Mississauga tandem of St. Marcellinus and St. Aloysius Gonzaga.

I have heard people complaining about the trip to this city. Can you imagine how the team from Fort Frances feels after a 21-hour bus ride, winning one of four games? Then, the bus ride home.

Here's something for hockey trivia buffs: The local folks up here like Devan Turcotte, from St. Joseph/Scollard Hall. He scored two shorthanded goals in a game his team still lost, 8-3.

His father, Darren, played in the NHL for the New York Rangers and the former Hartford Whalers. One more item: 45 of 54 games played so far have included goals from special teams and 60 per cent of them decided the outcome.

Oh yes, congratulations to St. Basil The Great. I mean the girls' hockey team. A 2-1 overtime win over St. Michael of Stratford gave the Barons an Ontario gold medal, a first for a Toronto school. Not bad at all.

Highlights - on and off the ice

I'm in Orillia, at the Ontario high school hockey girls' hockey playoffs. No, not at Casino Rama.

From what I've seen, there's no shortage of high school female hockey players - and some very good ones too. Something like 40 school teams have spent the week playing for an opportunity to win a medal. Some have already gone home, while others are still in the hunt.

Unless I've missed them in my visits between arenas, haven't noticed many university recruiting coaches - other than a handful from the United States. I thought they had economic problems, but they certainly were flashing attractive scholarship offers around.

Some interesting surnames of players - McSorley and Brind'Amour. Not sure if they're related to those guys with NHL experience. Had a chance to see Taylor Horton, from St.Joseph high in St. Thomas. She played for Team Ontario at the national under-18 tournament. I think she's a future member of the Canadian Olympic team. Toronto's Thea Imbrogno, only in Grade 11, had fans on their feet, thrilled by her talent. She has scored the majority of goals for her St. Basil team - headed to the Final Four.

In addition to some dedicated people from this community, who have volunteered for hours to put on a great event, the fans have behaved. That is, with the exception of some visiting parents and friends. There was a bunch who were obnoxious and constantly screamed at officials.

Even got to see a playoff with no penalties - until the game ended with on-ice fisticuffs. Surprised too that no one from OFSAA was around to deal with the folks who brought noise-makers, a distraction and something not allowed at these kinds of events.

Just one final thing, before heading to North Bay for the provincial boys' hockey playoffs.

The Single/Double-A girls' championship, a thriller, went through regulation time, then a 10-minute overtime before being decided in a shootout. Yes, third round. Something tells me there should be a better way to determine a gold-medal champ than going to a 13th shooter.

Shh, the quiet days of April are coming

Just days before six schools will be awarded gold medals for winning their respective Ontario championships in the various levels of girls' and boys' hockey as well as curling, I was wondering about the quiet period that is approaching.

Yes, April. With respect to badminton and the handful of schools that still offer gymnastics, not much else really goes on in varsity sports. Don't think it has anything to do with Easter. Maybe it's a time for some students to boost grades and coaches, mainly teachers who volunteer their time with little credit from the boards of education, to do things that either get neglected or whatever.

Then, bedlam. Schools tend to squish in everything else - soccer, rugby, table tennis, archery, lacrosse, tennis, track and field, softball, touch football, rowing, cricket, water polo, baseball (once parks and recreation staff give thumbs up on use of municipal fields). Hold on, there's more - and you read this correctly - even high school mountain bike racing, rock climbing, dragon-boat racing and Frisbee in a span of some five weeks or so.

Hard to believe, eh?

I've never been able to figure out the logic behind a quiet April, because there are no exams. Maybe it's the weather. It really is too bad. At one time, students could also compete in a variety of sports to learn, have fun and improve social skills. Now, most regions restrict students to one sport per season. I am sure there is a good reason for that too.

All-stars draw raves and some vibes

So, by now, readers of the Star have had a chance to check our annual high school senior boys' basketball all-stars. If, by chance, someone walked off with your sports section, you can always catch the package on the Star's high school sports website.

And, no surprise, there are always critics and people with opinions. Far fewer than expected. Swamped is a better way of describing the number of comments, and overwhelmingly positive, on the selections. People thought we got the right guys. Just thought our selection committee, made up of reps from the university, college and high school coaching networks, deserves credit. Same for the game officials, fans and even players who were approached.

The consensus was that our Fab Five contributed in a very positive way to the success of their respective teams this season. Hey, four of the five made it to the provincial playoffs. Personal stats were good and, while not everyone is a Rhodes Scholar, these young men are in school, putting up solid grades and with plans to excel at the post-secondary level. Can't go wrong there.

Alwayne Bigby, from the provincial champion Eastern Commerce Saints, announced on Monday that he will attend Northeastern University in Boston. Yes, a scholarship - and a good school. Jonathon Tull at Pickering has good numbers in the classroom and on the hardwood and had to try to keep a team together after the coach went through some tough times. Adrian Tomlinson at West Hill, yes there were a few people who questioned his selection. We didn't. He scored more than 20 points in 38 games. Maurice Walker, from Mother Teresa, was on the Canadian junior national team. And Chadrack Lufile, from Assumption, did get praise for his year and does have physical and facial similarities to a guy named LeBron James.

Yes, lots of great players this year. These five really deserve to be at the top - and let's remember the solid coaching that helped get them there too.

Ontario hockey playoffs all over

March Break is over. Back to classes, or shall I say hockey practices - and playoff games too.

Yes, provincial championships this week. Instead of one Ontario final for girls and one for boys, OFSAA again has a variety of playoffs - thinking the more students participate, the better. Even if it means watering down the competition and not necessarily having the best teams in one location.

So, Single/Double-A boys' hockey is in Peterborough while Triple/Quad-A is in North Bay. Look at it this way, there could have been four playoffs if OFSAA followed its format for volleyball, basketball and soccer. Not sure why hockey is different? By the way, the girls' hockey is the same idea - but all games in Orillia.

Toronto teams will be in competition for gold medals, but it's those on the outskirts of the big city that are expected to win big. Our Lady of Mount Carmel from Mississauga, whose boys teams have won three OFSAA gold medals in the past seven years or so, has the No. 1 girls' team for Triple/Quad-A while St. Mary, from Pickering, is the school to beat in boys' hockey - same category. Still with me?

Raises the question, at least to some, whatever happened to schools from the Toronto public or Catholic Boards winning the Ontario championship? Could it have something to do with them not being as competitive anymore or having players also committed to rep teams?

My highlight reel of athletic success

Schools are getting ready for the March Break dash.

So, I thought it might be a good idea to beat everyone - to the best of the week performances, usually posted every Friday.

Athletes in hockey, basketball and wrestling get the nod this week - and some clutch efforts in pressure playoff games.

 

Mark Belvedere, St. Andrew's. Yes, he was on this list not too long ago. Can't overlook the Saints' tough forward who scored twice, including the winner with 43.8 seconds left in the first overtime period, for a 4-3 victory over Upper Canada in the deciding game of their best-of-three private school league hockey final.

Shamar Bennet, Eastern Commerce. First year at the powerhouse basketball school and he led the team in scoring in a 53-37 provincial quarterfinal playoff win over Catholic Central of Windsor. Then, the transfer from Loyola of Mississauga made sure people knew how good a player he is with a 16-point effort in the Saints' 38-36 gold-medal win over Toronto rival, Mother Teresa.

Rob Gagliardi, Pickering. He scored the winning points, on a well-executed play as time ran out, giving the Trojans a 38-36 win over Notre Dame of Welland in the bronze-medal game at the OFSAA Quad-A basketball playoffs. He's off to Canisius in the fall on a basketball scholarship. too.

Julie Hebert, Aurora. Top scorer on the team. So, why change the routine for the championship, right? Two goals for the Eagles star forward, a transfer from Sudbury, in a 3-1 win over Keswick to capture the York Region Tier One varsity girls' hockey championship. Now, it's off to Orillia for the provincial playoffs, taking with them a 17-1-1 over-all record.

Jackson Howe, Mowat. He scored two goals in a 3-1 semifinal win over Humberside and later added another goal in a 3-2 victory over Birchmount Park in the Toronto District School Board citywide boys' hockey championship game. Mowat now heads to North Bay for the provincial playoffs.

Thea Imbrogno, St. Basil. League championship on the line and all she does is score all four goals for her team in a 4-2 victory over Michael Power/St. Joseph for the Toronto District Colleges Athletic Association title. Now, it's off to the provincial playoffs in Orillia.

Omar Kanji, Upper Canada. Goalkeeper stopped 42 shots, but let one get by him in OT as the Blues dropped a thrilling 4-3 game to St. Andrew's in the Conference of Independent Schools Athletic Association final. Kanji and his teammates advance to the provincial playdowns in North Bay later this month as St. Andrew's had earlier chosen not to compete in OFSAA.

Mike Murray, Eastdale. While many people will remember him as a Toronto Star football all-star, now he's an Ontario gold medallist in wrestling. Nothing new, mind you, he's dominated in that sport for years. He won a third provincial gold medal - this time in the heavyweight category.

Mile Pajovic, Glenforest. Apparently, he also has a black belt in tae-kwan-do.This time, he wasn't on the mat - more like putting it through a basketball net. The youngster scored 37 points to lead his team to a 96-73 win over Chinguacousy in the Region of Peel junior boys' Tier Two league final.

Christian Turco, St. Michael's. He scored a goal in a 4-3 semifinal win over Country Day and then added another one in a 5-1 thumping of St. Andrew's in the private school junior hockey championship game.

Night of champions

It's over, finally.

Eight Ontario high school championships on Wednesday and let me get this right, nothing scheduled for tomorrow or Friday because teachers and students need that time to prepare for the upcoming March school break. I get it.

Surely, someone needs to figure out a better way to spread out so many provincial playoffs. I can just imagine a parent having two children in finals in different parts of the province. Or, a high school principal fortunate to have two or more teams competing and having to make a choice. Likely, staying at school.

Gold medals are coming to Toronto thanks to the performances of the senior boys' basketball team at Eastern Commerce. More about that later. And, I better not forget the Ontario Quad-A title won by the senior girls' volleyball team at Sir Oliver Mowat, upsetting top-ranked St. Michael of Stratford. There were a bunch of silver, bronze and copper medals, for second, third and fourth, which can be examined in the detailed results on the Star's high school sports website or even in the paper.

Yes, I have been in Windsor for the past few days, watching some great basketball - and the Eastern win over Mother Teresa, by the finest of margins, was a dandy. A 50-49 win, making it eight provincial titles for that small school in mid-town Toronto. Quite an accomplishment - and I better not forget that the Eastern girls basketball team also won an OFSAA title this year too.

I've had enough basketball for now. Watched parts of 14 games in the past 76 hours. Time to take a break and prepare for, ah, March Madness - more hoops.

High anxiety at basketball playoffs

Day Two of these provincial high school basketball playoffs are over — and not without some superb individual performances and upsets. One thing, for certain, I wouldn't want to be a game official at these playoffs, as honorable as the invitation is to call one of these games.

For something like $40 a game, these officials really do put up with lots of abuse from fans and even coaches, who don't always cover their mouths when uttering some words after questioning calls. Oh well, it can get nasty and especially in a sudden-death playoff. Guess these men and women with whistles are just doing their jobs and don't have any problems with high blood pressure.

Here in Windsor, lots of screaming by coaches at these Ontario Federation of Schools Athletic Association Quad-A playoffs. I witnessed several calls that could have gone either way and there were also the ones that officials seemed to overlook. I know teams are challenging for medals, but I just don't understand why coaches will think officials will change their mind..

Anyway, some great performances.

Matt Nuna had nine three-point baskets in a second-round win for Catholic Central of Windsor. His team had a total of 17. Later in the day, only four three-pointers for the same group in a 53-37 quarterfinal loss to Eastern Commece.

In another game, Adrian Tomlinson scored 22 points, but he fouled out in the third quarter and his West Hill teammates couldn't rally. Notre Dame of Welland won 60-52 in a huge upset.

Pickering squeezed out a one-point win over St. Anne's in a second-round game and the two-time defending OFSAA champs had 12 players score points in a 62-39 win over Notre Dame of Ajax.

Mother Teresa won 70-59 over a St. Marguerite d'Youville team that could have used the five players who didn't make the trip because of a school matter being handled by the principal.

Over in Ottawa, at the Triple-A playoffs, looks like I might be right about Vaughan and Martingrove getting medals. Josh Collins needed all his 27 points in a 55-54 buzzer beater win over Borden from Nepean while Martingrove coasted to a 72-49 win over Anderson with Matthew Wright firing 20 points for the winners.

 Time for some rest. More basketball on Wednesday with medal games.