Titans capture WOSSAA hoops gold

   Central Elgin C.I. handily wins the junior boys' basketball title on home court

   Tuesday, February 26, 2019

By Rob J. Ross 

ST. THOMAS - By the second quarter only one question remained. How many different sizes for the championship shirts?

The Central Elgin Titans stormed out to a 23-2 lead after one quarter, on their way to a 56-29 defeat of the Mitchell Blue Devils, capturing the WOSSAA single-A junior boys' basketball championship on home court, at Central Elgin C.I.

"We came out with a lot of intensity and it was good to have in the WOSSAA final," Titan Jack Tunstill said. "It's how aggressive we are and we came out strong right away."

It was 30-9 Titans at recess.

"That was a big lead. That was a good start for us. Just pressure right away and not let them touch the ball," said Titan Christian Vecchio, who dropped a game high 18 points. "We have been playing together for six or seven years now. We know each other well and we're fast. We're a competitive team and we know our strengths and weaknesses."

A majority of the Titans, graduates of Southwold, Mitchell Hepburn and Trudeau elementary schools, played with the St. Thomas Shock at various levels before high school ball.

"It's how close we are together. We just know what we're going to do next. That helps a lot," said Tunstill, who had 14 points in the final. "Also we do a lot of drills in practice, opening up our shooting and working in defence and that just carries though into games."

Gavin Barnhouse chipped in seven points for the Titans, while Kyle Dennis drained a pair of shots from downtown.

Brad BaVille and Kyle Eisler, led Mitchell with nine points each.

Central Elgin finished 7-0 in the Thames Valley Regional Athletics (TVRA) South Division, before winning the TVRA single-A playoff title.

"After our first few regular season games I felt our goal was the WOSSAA championship and we made it here," Titans' coach Richie Ray said. "Our strength this season has been our depth, our speed and intensity. That's what we did today to win WOSSAA."

In the semifinals, the Titans beat London Monseigneur Bruyere, while Mitchell edged Parkhill North Middlesex, 47-45.

Monseigneur Bruyere took home the bronze medal dumping North Middlesex, 55-44.