Mercy Mercy Me.

I think it may be time to dig into the music archives and find the album again - the one titled "What's Going On?" and the song by Marvin Gaye called "Mercy Mercy Me".

Then, the song should be played to some coaches, teachers, students, administrators and others who don't seem to understand when enough is enough. I have touched on this before, and received lots of support, but it appears as if a re-enforcement of the message may be necessary.

What happened to sportsmanship at the school level? Don't coaches know how to control a game, especially when one team is far more superior, and things can get ugly when another team is whipped?

Yes, I know some leagues and schools have a variation of the Mercy Rule, a rule that allows a lopsided game to come to an end - and fast.

I still can't figure out why the Region of Peel Secondary School Athletic Association introduced a weird rule in rugby limiting a point differential reporting score to be misrepresented by a maximum of 50, when in fact scores are much worse. Stop the game, if that's the only way, after it becomes apparent that another school team is about to get its pants kicked.

In the past 24 hours, listen to these scores from games in the Greater Toronto Area and, I am told, there are more like this. But, coaches haven't even submitted them to their leagues. Wonder if they forgot or just might have flushed faces.

What do you think of these recent games?

• Fourteen tries by Upper Canada players in a 92-0 shellacking of Hillfield/Strathallan in a junior boys' private school rugby game.
• Loretto College defeated Marrocco/Merton 21-0 in a varsity girls softball game in the Toronto District Colleges Athletic Association league.
• Stephen Lewis, the school and not the politician, whipped John Fraser 25-0 in a Peel Region varsity boys' baseball game.
• St. Marguerite d'Youville apparently saw nothing wrong in a 16-1 win over Cardinal Leger - and this was a junior boys' soccer game in Peel Region.

Time to get serious. As bad as the optics are for the team winning, and things do come around, the problem is with athletic associations that are allowing this to happen when action should be taken - be it fines or even suspending a school team for a period of time to get the message understood.

The reality: nothing will get done. It's too close to the end of the season and the year-end banquets and parties. For students, memories do linger over those outrageous scores coming in a learning environment.

Tough Picking Athletes of the Week

This was one tough week to pick 10 student athletes for my list. Start with regional track and field finals, then toss in league playoffs in various sports and how about superb individual performances in regular season games. Yikes. Could easily have had 25. To those on the list, congratulations. To the rest, keep up the great work. Now, to the athletes - and listed alphabetically rather than by achievements.

Shemar Anglin, Bill Crothers. Impressive young man. Watch him run, and he fits the description. Listen to him talk, very articulate and caring. On the track, quick. At the York Region track and field finals, first place in the junior boys' 100 metres (11.51), also in the 400 metres (44.96) and helped the 4x100-metre relay team to victory (52.01). Also, very considerate of his teammates and appreciative of his coach.

Andre Ford-Azonwanna, Cardinal McGuigan. You have read in the Star about how fast this 14-year-old can run. Electronically timed in 10.89 seconds over 100 metres a few weeks ago, he won the same event at the TDCAA finals in 11.44 but hampered by cold, wind and puddles on the track. First also in the 400 metres (51.78), a league record, and the 200 metres at 22.55.

Adelaide Burgess, Parkdale. Alright, so I admit bias in support of my alma mater. But, hold on. After five defeats in soccer, the girls' game, the Panthers finally broke the goose-egg. Yes, she scored the goal in a 1-0 win over Monarch Park in their Toronto District School Board game. In case you ask, Monarch Park had a 4-1 record before the game.

Brittany Crew, Birchmount Park. Three events and three first-place finishes in the shot, javelin and discus for this Grade 10 athlete at the Toronto District School Board East Region track and field final. Some background information: she's also got a 93 per cent average, is a member of the elite athlete program and is part of the school anti-bullying team.

Ryan Forletta, King City. He's a pitcher on the Lions varsity boys' baseball team. Plays for a rep team too. But, sticking to high school, he could be a factor in this perennial favorite winning the York Region title again. His pitching beat Westmount, then 13-0 over Mulock - where his bat also helped with a grand slam.

Jordan Hill, Sinclair. I am told that he might be the among best right-handed throwing pitchers in GTA high school baseball. With a 4-0 record, his latest wins were 5-1 over St. Mary (Pickering), 8-0 over Pickering and 13-0 over Northern (Toronto). He has verbally committed to Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kansas

Laura Kosiba, Father Redmond. How about a junior-age athlete winning the steeplechase, a 1,500-metre race that tends to attract the older runners? She won this race in five minutes, 50.77 seconds at the Toronto District Colleges Athletic Association finals. She also won the 3,000 metres and 300-metre hurdles. Now, off to the Metro Regionals.

John Krzyszkowski, Port Credit. His school coach said a guy like this comes along "once every 10 or 20 years". He may be right. Trying to give his school some attention, the Grade 10 athlete did just that. Record throws in the discus (56.86 metres) and shot put (16.64) at the Peel  track and field finals. He's aiming for one more - the javelin - this week.

Dylan Mundy, Uxbridge. The Tigers might have the best high school boys' rugby team in Ontario - and he's on it. He was a member of the Rugby Canada National mens under-17 team that played games in Wales. He once attended Sutton High, and was a hurdler and member of the track team. For Uxbridge, four tries in a 53-0 rugby win over Pine Ridge.

Natasha Tyzler, St. Joseph/Wellesley. She's been on this list before and also one of our former female athletes of the week. In softball, she just keeps getting better. Since last week, add three more home runs and two grand slams in TDCAA league wins over Dante Alighieri (19-8) and Marrocco/Merton (20-0)

Busy, Busy Times in School Track and Field

What a week in high school track and field - as if the gusty winds, rain and cold wasn't enough to create havoc for student athletes.

Some really superb individual performances and some disappointments. Some teams dominated and others fizzled in pressure situations. Some surprises at the Toronto-area Public, Catholic and private school finals - all qualifiers for the Metro Regionals. This is when the cream of the crop shine in the big city, but organizers don't keep any records to compare performances of past. Bizarre.

Got around to thinking of the ole' days when I was fortunate to see many high schoolers live out dreams to compete for Canada internationally - and even at the Olympic Games. Fast forward and I would wager some of these kids today will be wearing Canadian red and white very soon.

Lots of pre-race attention the past few days for 14-year-old Andre Ford-Azonwanna, the grade 9 sprinter at Cardinal McGuigan High in Toronto, who covered the midget boys' 100 metres in 11.44 seconds at the TDCAA finals. He was disappointed with the time, but the weather was less than ideal - including puddles on the Etobicoke Centennial Stadium track. It also didn't help that several members of his track team and spectators chose to fight in the stands just before his race, which may have thrown him off a bit. Two weeks ago, Ford-Azonwanna ran the 100 metres in 10.89. Not bad at all.

Some people were quick to tell me about Brandon Bobb, also 14 years old and a student at Saint Charles Garnier in Whitby. They claim he ran the distance in 10.84 at the Paul Dwyer mini-meet in Oshawa. Maybe so, but it was hand-timed; Ford-Azonwanna was electronically timed.

Still, should be quite the race at the provincial finals.

Father Henry Carr, St. Michael's and Birchmount Park appear to have some teams stacked with talent. Carr coach Peter Miller does a great job and he should be happy with the 24 medals won by his team and three records at the TDCAA finals. I also enjoyed watching grade 10 star Akeel Lynch from St. Michael's, not sure if he's better at track or scoring touchdowns for his school team. Birchmount Park's athletes did very well at the Toronto District School Board East finals. There was U.S. College bound Aaron Brown and Merid Seleshi, but triple field event winner Brittany Crew was my pick.

York Region, Durham Region and Peel Region all have their meets, along with the Metros, before everyone scatters for the Victoria Day weekend.

I also wonder what lies ahead for sprinter Joel Odosa, from McGuigan, who got the heave-ho by organizers for being the aggressor in that fight mentioned above. He`s a great athlete and one of four on the midget boys' 400-metre relay team that could be the fastest in Ontario.

But, he didn`t run the relay in the TDCAA final. The team, with a sub, placed second and still advances. Here's the interesting part. Odosa can still be re-instated for the Metros. That decision rests with either the McGuigan school administration, the TDCAA - or both.

Stay tuned. When I know, so will you.

Sportsmanship - and the Right Score, Please

Sometimes I really wonder what really does go through the mind of people who coach the high school game.

Coaches tell me they are worried about the esteem of players who may be offended by seeing their teams get routed in a game. They’re also concerned about the optics of seeing a high school result, shall I say a blowout, not looking good for the image of the team or the school.

Maybe that should be running through their mind as they watch players dominate and pile up points?

Schools still allow for lopsided scores, post it on their own school and athletic association websites, but there is this also a hush about telling anyone else.

Here are some scores that I really do wonder about and how, when education and sportsmanship are so important and repeatedly communicated to every school by athletic associations, coaches still allow the final results to be, I think, just a bit too much.

In rugby, Senator O'Connor beats St. Basil 61-3 in a senior boys' game in the Toronto District Colleges Athletic Association TDCAA  league. Some will debate that this score is acceptable. How about Forest Hill crushing York Mills 104-0 in one of the most lopsided scores in Toronto in years? If you don't believe the score, check the Toronto District School Board website.

In Peel, a fair chunk of scores have stopped at 50-0 – like Streetsville over Stephen Lewis. But that wasn’t the score on the field.

I find it interesting that the Region of Peel Secondary School Athletic Association now has a Fifty Point Rule. It’s in their playing regulations on rugby, one line under Section 7H. I am told that coaches wanted the rule but scores, regardless of a Tier system in place, still allow teams to beat others by more than 50 points.

What the Peel rule means is that once a score gets out of hand, it will still get recorded as a 50-point win. So, doesn't matter if a girls' or boy's rugby team beats another school by a ridiculous score - it's officially noted as a maximum 50-point margin. I assume this is a version of the Mercy Rule.

My thoughts on this are straightforward. I would prefer that coaches become creative and find a way of keeping the scores more reasonable and make the school game more educational. I am not so sure I like reporting a game score that is not really the one that happened on the field.

Performances Worth Highlighting - Again

I do listen.

Several people suggested that I hold off picking my top 10 athletes of the week until the weekend ends allowing for tournaments and last minute information coming in from schools. Alright, let's see what happens.

So, here we go. No need for trumphets or firecrackers. The 10 for this week made plenty of noise with their display of excellence in sport. People keep writing and asking why I don't list them in numerical order instead of the alphabet approach?

I did say that I listen. Some times the ideas are good. This one, not so. In response, it's very difficult in high school sports - and with a variety too - to list them 1 to 10 without offending someone.

Fraser Aird, Campbell. Soccer is his game and, from what I have been told, this youngster can play the game. He's been on a provincial team and now he's scoring goals for his Toronto high school junior boys' team. He had five goals in a 7-2 win over Lester B. Pearson

Fabienne Chan, Richmond Hill, She's now a provincial gold medalist in badminton - and accomplished it in her first appearance at the Ontario high school playoffs. She had lost a few days earlier in the Canadian under-19 Singles playoffs and - with an injured hand - was unbeatable and swept the Ontario final.

Valaine Confesor, Cardinal Newman. A two-time junior athlete of the year at her school, she's a four-sport athlete. She scored the winning goal in a 5-1 soccer victory over St. Joseph's, but also claimed the gold medal in the table tennis finals.

 

Conor McCann, Malvern. I saw him play in a Toronto rugby game and was impressed at how he took control with his talent, power and physical strength. Four tries and five converts in a 52-7 senior boys' win over Riverdale. He's also on Canada's under-17 rugby squad.

 

Connor Panas, Etobicoke. Great pitching performance in an 11-5 win over Weston. He helped out with the bat too - a home run - in that Toronto District School Board league game. Baseball runs in the family. His older brother Ryan was a Toronto Star MVP and former OUA rookie of the year playing at Wilfrid Laurier.

 

Kayla Picanco, Loretto. Yes, second week on this big list. She has to be the top soccer scorer in the Toronto high school game. In her last three games, try 18 goals. That includes five in a 7-3 poounding of Don Bosco in their Toronto District Colleges Athletic Association varsity game.

 

Victoria Powers, Denis O'Connor. Rarely hear much from this Ajax-area high school, but this lacrosse player is creating attention. Six goals in a 10-2 Durham Region win over Paul Dwyer. She had six more, same day, in a 13-10 loss to Holy Trinity.

 

Alex Schweinberger, Huron Heights. For one of those rare times, I'm at a loss for words. Don't know much about this young man, other than he's a rugby player and can kick. He converted all seven tries in a decisive 49-0 win over Markville in a York Region junior game.

 

Daisuke Suzuki, Forest Hill. He has the same name as the Japanese songwriter and actor, but our guy is a former high school athlete of the year. Played four sports for the Falcons. Now, it's baseball - and he's a pitcher with wins over Oakwood (8-1) and Harbord (9-0)

 

Natasha Tyzler, St. Joseph's/Wellesley. Opposing softball teams keep pitching to the '09 team MVP and she keeps hitting - home runs. She had three home runs and 12 RBI in her last two games. Big hit was a grand slam in a 22-13 victory over Community Hebrew.

Those Were The Days

They say times keep changing – but many people believe it’s not always for the better. In some cases, I agree.

I sure wish high schools were as gung-ho about sports as in the past.

Back in the ‘80s, coaches did everything they could to bug me about their schools, athletes and teams.

They took their lumps – win, lose or tie.

I remember when people - like football coach Clarke Pulford at Northern, basketball coach John Petrushchak at Runnymede, track coach Bruce Smith at Central Tech, hockey coach Gary Jobe at Monarch Park, baseball coach Mike Thorpe at Brampton Centennial - and the list goes on and on - would pick up a phone and have a conversation with me about anything in high school sports.

We didn’t always agree, but still spoke.

We spoke about whether it's right to pay coaches, kids attempting to cheat and the consequences, coaches letting students play sports even though grades were border-line and on and on.

Even Chinguacousy wrestling coach George Apostolou wouldn’t hide when I wrote about him tossing a kid against the side of a bus for being mischievous. Yup, he got in trouble. Jack Leitch had some words with me when I asked what game officials did with their earnings – but we still continued talking and are friends. Ian LeMarquand, a Principal, didn't like when I wrote about a hockey team booted out of his Father Goetz tournament because some players spent the afternoon drinking alcohol. But, Ian knew I had a job to do.

People had opinions – and they still do. That’s fair. But they did what they could to get media attention for their students - and took their lumps too.

Things appear to have changed. There are some great coaches out there. Some think they’re that close to the pros. From what I see, some, well, just filling time, too. Lots of folks are sensitive and fidgety. Many are worried about political correctness, not sure whether to tell people that their team lost a high school game. They’re concerned about saying the right thing, liability and what happens if a student is injured while a teacher is coaching.

Event planning is not the same. I remember the days of the Red Feather football game and the huge attraction. Now, at the Rogers Centre, the numbers are disappointing for a football or baseball final. And those all-star basketball games at Jarvis Collegiate put on by Marv Pearl, an icon, along with the Michigan vs Toronto games. Now, they don’t exist.

People don't like to hear about conflicts - just the scores of games and even then only if they look good and not lopsided. I start wondering about education and sport – and is it just a bunch of words.

I am not sure what the future is for high school sports in this province. Seems like each year more and more kids are hooked on electronic toys, part time jobs and boosting grades. Obesity is still a problem. People who want to run intramural sports, like the old days, are running in to resistance from colleagues who are pushing varsity sports. Coaches, well, many of the good ones are retiring too.

Maybe it's time to mandate cheerleading teams at all schools.

High School Notebook

So, I went out to watch a high school boys' rugby game, not because I had a pile of time to waste, but it was a nice day and I wanted to watch a good game and try change my record of seeing anything but a kid helped off the field with some kind of nasty injury.

I was impressed with flyhalf Conor McCann, a member of the traditionally strong Malvern Collegiate program and a key player on Canada's under-17 team. He scored four tries (could have had more) and kicked five converts in a 52-7 win over Riverdale. The Black Knights are two-time defending Toronto District School Board champs and head coach Doug Underwood is one of the better coaches in this city.

As for injuries, one Malvern player left with his shoulder wrapped in so many ways that I was aching just watching him. A Riverdale player also had a bloody nose - just gushing too. I am told that the Toronto EMS know Brichmount Stadium in Scarborough very well, showing up to frequently help female rugby players  with head injuries and broken ankles.

Having enough rugby, I went back to the office to listen to a pile of calls from people all bragging about their athletes being the best in what they do - and all the time. Throughout all this, I tried to clean up my desk and see what was around that might be of interest to you.

 Andre Ford-Azonwanne, a grade 9 sprinter from Cardinal McGuigan is putting up some impressive numbers and setting meet records. How about 10.89 in the 100 metres? Yes, faster than any junior or senior-age athlete at the Cardinal Carter Classic.

Sticking to the track, Eric Dillon is leaving the country. I mean, he's accepted a full scholarship to the University of Missouri. It will be quite a difference from his hometown of Oshawa and running at McLaughlin Collegiate. Dillon had the fastest time over 1,500 metres in Canada for his age group last year and finished 11th at the World Youth track and field finals in Italy.

In lacrosse, how about Victoria Powers from Denis O'Connor High in Ajax? Win or lose, she can score goals. She had six in a Durham Region league win - 10-2 over Paul Dwyer. After a breather, she scored six more but Holy Trinity beat her team 13-10.

One more thing about rugby, our Halton Region correspondents tell me that teams called a halt to a girls' game at halftime. Oakville Trafalgar was winning, 57-0 over Burlington Central - a team that started with 15 players but left with less on the field because of injuries and having to forfeit.

 

Top Performances - Here Are Ten

Yes, time to look some of the many outstanding achievements by high school athletes in the Greater Toronto Area over the past seven days. There were many, but I had to trim the list to 10.

I know there are some that I have missed - and, to the parents and students who could complain - my apologies. Here we go, and yes, in alphabetical order. This is done so that people don't interpret that one athlete is better than another.

Richard Abbott, St. Mary. He had a brilliant hockey season for his Durham Region championship team and was also chosen to the Star's annual all-star hockey team. He pitches for the school baseball team and sending signals of another all-star selection. Tossed back-to-back victories last week. His latest was a 10-5 win over Ajax.

Eva Amo-Mensah, Father Henry Carr. Four letter word to describe her: fast. I can see why Temple and Ball State Universities have been interested. Great athlete and genuine person, too. She anchored the 400-metre relay team to victory at the Cardinal Carter Classic. Gold medal collection is now up to 10 for this season. She had a second place finish in the 100 metres.

Lee Braunstein, Abbey Park. It appears that this baseball player can pitch and hit. Opening game for his Halton Region team and he got the win in a 13-6 victory over Pearson. Pitched four of the seven inning game and had had 11 strike outs. He also belted a three-run home run.

Tyler Clements, Country Day. Another star on the mound and at the plate. Fanned 13 batters of his 15 outs. Final score of the private school baseball game was 19-2 over Royal St. George's and Tyler, who pitches for the Ontario under-18 elite team, was 2-for-2 at the plate (both doubles) and reached base in all five plate appearances.

Vanessa Gass, Bethune. She's a soccer player who scores goals - and game winners. Had the only goal in a 1-0 win over R.H. King and a few days ago scored all three in a 3-0 victory over Pearson in Toronto District School Board league games. I am told that she knows what to do with a field hockey stick, too. Yes, score goals.

Jesse Lofthouse, Stouffville. He's a fly half and a member of the Ontario under-17 rugby team. Here's more. He scored five tries in four games at the recent Stouffville Invitational tournament. His team won it and guess who had a big role in it? Point count in sports and he had a try in the Spartans 15-5 overtime win over Saltfleet for the tournament title.

Kayla Picanco, Loretto College. Name sound familiar? Yes, a former Star athlete of the week. Soccer is her sport. She knows what to do with a ball - goals (and lots of them too). In grade 9, was her school team MVP in soccer. Now, in Grade 12, six goals in one game - an 8-1 yawner over Archbishop Romero in TDCAA soccer action.

Alicia Polkhoy, Weston. She plays rugby for her school and scored three tries in a 30-7 varsity girls' rugby win over Forest Hill. No fluke either. Her team is in first place in the Toronto District School Board's West Division with a 3-0 record giving up just seven points.

Chantal Singer, Toronto French. She's a top notch water skier and has hopes of making Canada's team that is at the World Junior championships in Italy this summer. For now, it's gymnastics. In Grade 9, she was Toronto's only gold medalist at the Ontario school finals tying for first place in the entry level competition on the balance beam.

Matt Whittall, Richview. He's not the classical music composer of the same name. This Matt is a multi-sport athlete and a very good swimmer. No surprise that he's also one of the top water polo players on his team - and, maybe, his league. He scored five goals in a 16-9 win over Don Mills in a Toronto school league game.

 

 

School Rugby Injury

Terrible news involving another high school student athlete.

This time, Wesley Jorisch. He's a 16-year old rugby player on the junior boys' team at Marshall McLuhan High in Toronto. No one knew much about him until Thursday night. Now, his name is splashed across media websites, Facebook and more.

Jorisch is in critical condition at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre after reports say he suffered head injuries after being tackled in a Toronto District Colleges Athletic Association league game against Pope John Paul II high.

When I first heard about his injury on Thursday night, Nick van Rijn - one of my colleagues in the newsroom - came over and asked if I could help with information for a story.The people, who I contacted, were very cooperative and knew it was a sensitive item. Star reporter Brendan Kennedy is working on an update to what he's posted On-line and informed me on Friday afternoon that Wesley remains unconscious.

Let's all pray Wesley recovers from this. Let's also not panic and stop sports in schools for investigations. Toronto Police reported that this was an accident.

What I found interesting were the quick comments from Star readers after the initital story was posted on our website and, since then, by e-mail and voice mail. Some people left their names with comments. Others did not and really had some nasty stuff to say.

For those who say I am against rugby, not so. It's a rough game, some people call it barbaric, but like any contact sport there is potential for injury. Yes, I have raised the subject of injuries and a need for improved and certified coaching, top notch officiating and a better understanding of the game by athletes - boys' and girls' - their parents, teachers and administrators. That doesn't mean I dislike the sport.

Yet, some comments that I received are disappointing.

"There you go again, writing about a rugby player getting injured. This has no business being in the paper. Leave the kid alone" writes Barry Walsh, Toronto, in an e-mail.

Here's one from the voice mail.

"Far worse injuries occur in football, wrestling and hockey. Are you blind and naive. Write about them as much as you do about rugby". Male voice. No name left and call display was blocked.

At the Tim Horton's at Eglinton and Don Mills, I stopped for a coffee this afternoon and saw two guys reading the Star and talking about - yes, the rugby story. They were saying it's a case of reporters exaggerating the entire episode "because that's what papers do". I wonder if these two men went over to Sunnybrook to be with worried family and friends and felt the same way.

Yes, we have a job to do. It's not always about who defeated who in a school game. Far more times than some of us like, it's about a teenager getting seriously injured in a school game. Remember three years ago in Mississauaga. Manny Castillo, a Lorne Park student, died from injuries received in a game. Yes, it too was rugby.

I know there have been thousands of games played since then. I also know, from what I have been told and witnessed, that liability remains a big issue with boards of education. I just hope someone doesn't decide to remove certain sports from school programs - because  of accidents.

Bocce Could Be A High School Sport

First off, I will confess and get it over with quickly.

I have watched the game of bocce being played, but that's it. Don't know the rules or how points are scored. That's not to say I won't learn. In fact, that's now on my list - and here's why?

Bocce could be coming to a school near you.

From what my friend tells me, and he plays the game like I swim (and that's quite a bit), it's something between curling and bowling - but on grass. The court is about 10 feet wide and 76 feet long. Players have eight balls to throw to the pallina - or the target. Apparently, this game requires lots of skill and lots of luck too. Seniors play it quite a bit and now the kids are wanting in.

So much so, that on Friday at St. Marcellinus Secondary in Mississauga (that's the school that has an artificial turf and the Argonauts sometimes practice on it), something like 17 schools from the Region of Peel will have an invitational tournament. If things go well, look out.

Kathy Knafelc at the Peel District School Board told me that a motion will be made at the Region of Peel Secondary School Athletic Association annual meeting in June for bocce to be added to the list of some 30 other varsity sports.

No champ will be decided this Friday. No final. Just a tournament and teams are made up of four players, two with a developmental disability. This isn't the first inter-school sport for people with disabilities. There's swimming and track and field.

What's next beach bocci? All kidding aside, I like the idea.