Top Ten Athletes - Despite Exam Interruption

I was never a big fan of exams. Tests, yes. Projects, yes. Multiple assignments, yes. They all give students more options to get to the next grade while one bad exam could blow a course.

Why am I mentioning exams? Simple, those darn things have shut down high school sports in the majority of schools for almost two weeks. Yikes. Teams are building for sports championships or coming off very good individual performances - and then this moratorium.

Well, there was still enough to come up with our performances of the week - and we had some darn showings too. Here we go:

Matthew Beckford, Monsignor Johnson. He's a 6-foot-4 centre - on the junior basketball team. Only in grade 10, he has been the top scorer on the squad for all but one game. Averaging 27 points a game, he had 28 in an 80-43 thumping of Marrocco/Merton in a league game.

Ryan Bennett, Bishop Allen. His senior basketball team, after losing several players for various reasons, has a 2-7 record. He scored a personal best and school-high 44 points in a 97-92 double overtime win over St. Basil. Toss in 32 more in a four-point loss to Monsignor Johnson.

Tony Crema, Crescent. Yes, a hockey player who has made opposing players look like pylons. He's at a private school that charges over $20,000 a year for tuition. On the ice, he had four goals in a 9-1 thumping of Holy Trinity. His team is in fourth place in the CISAA Tier Two league.

Jenna Dingeldein, Martingrove. A former school athlete of the year, she scored the only goals of the game in a 2-0 league win over York Mills. Nothing new for this elite skater, who played in the National under-18 womens hockey championship last year.

Jenny La, York Memorial. She's the captain of the junior volleyball team, now 4-2. On the defensive side, she made some great plays off the net and also had six consecutive serves (some were aces) in the Mustangs win over George Harvey - 25-22, 24-26,15-8.

Abi Moody, Malvern. Her school junior volleyball team is 8-0 and also champs of the York Mills and Woburn tournaments. A power hitter, she was solid in a 25-18, 25-16 sweep of Northern in a league game. She's also on a club team that finished fifth in Canada for players 15 and under.

Nerquaye Netty, Father Redmond. The only thing I know about this senior basketball player is that he leads his team in scoring in almost every game - win or lose. He had 21 points in a 61-46 win over St. Mary`s and 26 in a three-point loss to Michael PoweréSt. Joseph.

Matthew Rubinoff, Appleby. Saw him play hockey and he`s always hustling. He scored in the Blue Dogs gold medal hockey win over Gilmour (Gates Mills, Oh.) at the MacPherson Tournament. Also scored against St. Francis (Buffalo, N.Y.). Next up: the Bur Bear tourney - and he`ll score.

Patrick Street, Richview. A dangerous player on the basketball court. He`s quick, smart and when he`s on his game, look out. Only 13 points, but stellar defensive job, in a 57-27 win over West Humber. He had 23 points in a six-point loss to Martingrove in the Richview tournament final.

Stef Thomson, Trinity. Not only did she score three of her team-leading 30 goals in a 4-2 hockey win over Havergal, but she`s the only female hockey player to score more than 100 goals in the 116-year history of her private school. Team captain and academic honours student too.

Comments

[Nehemiah]

You always seem to add some colour and glitz to these athletes. I thank you very much for doing this as, for many, there would be no other form of national media attention. God bless you and the Toronto Star.

[Mr. J.P.]

This is the first time that I have replied to a website or forum of this kind and I had to do so because it's so nice to see young athletes recognized for their love of sports. Not everything is making the spotlight, getting the big money, fueling egos and often getting into trouble because people get so much that they don't know what to do with their wealth. My nephew is one of those you have chosen and he has already received telephone calls and comments on Facebook about what the Toronto Star has done for him. Keep it up. There are people who care about this more than the pages of pro garbage.

[J. Cheung]

Jenny was a great choice. You really know how to cheer up people.

[Jim O'Brien]

Sounds like you did not do well at exam time.
At least you have your priorities right, school first and sports second.
The way you have treated so many schools, giving them notoriety whereas other newspapers ignore future readers, maybe some of these schools will allow you to re-write those exams that you had trouble with several years ago.
I do say that with respect and some humour.

[The Cherry Man]

So you are the guy who went to school with me many years ago. Wasn't so sure until I saw your mug shot.
Less hair and a different colour, but you do look very much the same.
I am glad to see you are doing so well. Even back then, you always had time to help school buddies and teammates.
Nice work Grossy,

[Bob Johansen]

It would appear to me that very few of those schools that you singled out are what people would call elite sports schools.
To all those people who like to snicker and snipe at you, they're idiots.
I am among the many who like the way you try to portray a diverse group and show fairness. To those who can't take the heat when you catch them doing things wrong, well that's just too damn bad. Play with fire and you will likely get burned.

[Brent]

Nice to see thes young people recognized.
Now, can the Star do anything to get more stories of these youngsters in the paper.

[Coach Johnny]

I have had rthe pleasure of watching Dingledein and Thomson. They can play on my team any day.
Kudos for singling them both out.

[Admirer]

Ryan is well deserving of this honour.
Nice to see that the fine people at the Toronto Star took the time to find out about him.
It just goes to show everyone that you can play a game and do well without getting caught up with all those hullabaloo teams that take sports for more than it really is at the high school level.

[Orville W.]

I really enjoyed reading this list of athletes.
Even with the school rest period for exams, I get the impression that all of these athletes are winners in the classroom too.

[Jesse]

Four females, six males.
Guess the guys are better athletes

[A. Craig]

I know you are always open to suggestions.
So here is mine. Why not have three lists?
One for the elite athletes. One for those who are learning a sport. One for coaches who somehow deserve to be recognized.

[Juno]

Love the recognition given to these student-athletes and have apprecited your contributions to high school athletics for years. That being said, what was the purpose of including this "He's at a private school that charges over $20,000 a year for tuition "with Tony Crema's section? The amount he pays for tuition has nothing to do with his accomplishments on the ice and was a very poor inclusion in an otherwise excellent piece. Seriously David, am I missing something? Why does that matter at all? Needed to get your word count up... fill space? I don't know. Please explain.

[Big John]

Wow. Seems like someone doesn't like you mentioning anything that he believes shouldn't be mentioned.
If I were you, better bow down because this person sounds very angry.
You better delete that girl from Trinity (oh, a private school) doing something no one else has ever done in 100 years. That shouldn't go on.
Looking back, you should remove the kid raising money for multiple sclerosis at Country Day (something tells me that it is another private school)
That hockey player last week at St. Andrew's (my friends son goes to that school and paid lots of cash), he's from Quebec. Don't need to tell anyone that.
Golly Dave, I really do not know how you put up with some people who write in.
Ignore him.

[JKP4]

Big John I think you missed the Big Point.
The post seems to be referring to the fact that this private school student's athletic exploits really have nothing to do with how much the school charges for tuition. It doesn't sound like they are taking anything away from private school athletes but simply wondering why the money is even mentioned because it really has no correlation with the athletic feats. Private schools have provided some of the best high school athletes and the tuition they pay has nothing to do with that... so I guess the point was why is it being included in the write up. I don't know. Just my two cents.

[Big John]

I don't see what all the fuss is about and I sure wish Mr. Grossman jumps in with his comments but I think he likes to stay out of these discussions because people will go on and on.
Look, who really cares whether mentioning the tuition ties in with sports unless its people like you who are too sensitive for some reason.
If that's what it costs, big deal. You seem to want to dictate what should and should not be said.
Maybe Mr. Grossman should stick to balls and bats, skates and sticks and nothing else or it might upset people. Just reading some sports stories, that slightly go off topic with things so I guess people like you would have a beef about them also?

[Dobber]

Have to laugh at some of you guys.
Just read that piece and maybe I will complain that he made fun of opposing players calling them pylons.
That shouldn't be in the story.
Pylons have nothing to do with hockey.