Ten Great Performances

Back from spending time with the family to mourn the loss of my mother-in-law.

Trying to pick up the pieces from the past week can be tough, so please forgive me if I leave a name out that you think should be recognized in our look at some of the best individual performances by high school athletes from the past seven days. And, as always, you can add names.

One more thing. Got to like the coaches who suddenly surface in the playoffs asking for special attention. Ah, where were they during the season? And, how about the coaches who also disappear when their teams - lose a game. I had always assumed there is more to coaching than winning games.

Now, 10 of the better showings of the week.

Keiran Brennan-Hinton, Etobicoke School of the Arts. He loves oil painting and has been accepted next year for university by major art schools at Yale and Columbia. On the ice, he can score goals too. Try six in 10-2 thumping of Runnymede in a Toronto District School Board Tier Two hockey game.

Justin Edwards, Anderson. He's a former athlete of the year at the Whitby school. Basketball is his specialty. He scored 19 points in a 79-56 Durham Region senior basketball league game. What's also interesting is that he has scored more than 2,000 points in his high school hoops career.

Seth Evershed, Michael Power/St. Joseph. I remember telling you about this kid when he played junior basketball. He's even better as a senior. Scored 24 points in a 72-58 Toronto District Colleges league win over a far from shabby Father Henry Carr team. Then, he pumped in 23 in a 98-61 thumping of Bishop Allen.

John Gage, Richmond Green. Still a relatively new school, hit has only won two games all season in boys' hockey. Forget that, it was his winning goal, in double-overtime of a sudden-death quarterfinal over Unionville, that put the Tier Two team in the York Region Final Four.

Danielle Gagne, Mayfield. She plays piano, is a part-time hockey instructor, raises money to help people with leukemia and is an honours student in school. On the ice, she's the backbone of her Peel Region girls' hockey team (now 8-1). Scored in a 7-0 win over Loyola and again in a 7-0 victory over St. Marcellinus.

Genie Gokhman, Mackenzie. Could be wearing a medal, if not at the Ontario wrestling finals then certainly at the Toronto District School Board championships. She won the 44 kilos at the North Region final and has finished third at the Cadet Provincials. And, she's only in grade 9.

Ilya Manukov, Lakeshore. He's had his share of silver medals in wrestling and, in his final year of high school, wants to leave with the Ontario gold medal in the Unlimited category. Just missed it last year, taking home a silver. Having won his West Region title, next is the Toronto District School Board finals. Bet on gold.

Miquel Martin, Downsview. He's got talent. Yes, basketball again - and he's junior age too. Fifteen times this year, he's scored 25 or more points in a game. He also almost out-scored two opposing teams last week. Had 43 in a 75-46 win over Emery and then scored 39 in an 86-36 clobbering of Victoria Park.

Nicholas Poon, York Mills. He won three individual races - the 100-metre breaststroke, 50-metre freestyle and 100-metre individual medley. Then helped the medley relay team also finish first at the North Region swim qualifiers. Now, off to the Toronto District School Board citywide finals.

Matthew Wright, Martingrove. He's been on this list before and many people believe he's one of the top basketball players in the Greater Toronto Area. He scored 19 points in a 58-53 semifinal win over Silverthorn. A few days later, he came back with 19 more in a 75-59 victory over George Harvey in the West Region final.

Comments

[Anderson]

Poon is a great choice. The kid will win at the Toronto finals.

[Fred]

Nice to see a variety of sports listed since there tends to be a heavy load of hockey and basketball.

[Mr. Fleming]

Glad to see you back. I am one who can say that I sure missed your blogs and I agree that it's a sad state when coaches come out of hiding when their teams are winning.
If it wasn't for the students, I'd ignore those coaches.

[Jennifer]

After reading your short write-up about Danielle Gagne, you've done such a great job that I think you might want to consider writing a bigger story.
It's not too often that we come across young people who have done so much and they deserve to be highlighted.
And I am not related to her at all.

[Gus]

I don't know how you put up with it Mr.Grossman.
It's really a shame that you have to deal with coaches who only like to see things their way. These are selfish individuals who should not be coaching kids.
I have always believed that school sports are an opportunity to learn and develop. It's not where winning is the ultimate.
Coaches who like to come out of hiding when their teams are winning in the playoffs are in to it for themselves more than for the students.
There are so many great coaches who volunteer their time and do so well. I remember my coaches who received very little credit. And then there are the other coaches who pretend that they are God's gift to coaching.

[Paddy]

I really enjoy reading this and learning about some very impressive young people. Thank you for all the work in highlighting them. If it wasn't for your newspaper, they would probably get nothing.