Rams upend Stamps in hoops final

   With only six players St. Joe's takes South-East crown from rival Parkside

  November 7, 2025

By Rob J. Ross

ST. THOMAS -  One fact about the St. Joseph's Rams' bench is that there isn't one.

Due to injuries, the Rams only have one spare, but that didn't prevent the six available players from upending the Parkside Stampeders, 56-42, in the Thames Valley Region Athletics (TVRA) South-East AA senior girls basketball final November 6 at Parkside CI.

The Rams are young with four Grade 10 players and one in Grade 11, captain Melissa Gillies.

"We wanted it more and we felt we are evenly matched with them and just wanted to prove ourselves," said Gillies. "Our coach subs us out, almost a rotation, and when someone gets high on fouls, take her out for a little bit. We have to deal with what we got and push through."

Parkside finished first in the South-East, at 8-0, including a five point win over the Rams. The Stampeders also had an one sided victory against St. Joe's in a tournament.

Over the course of the schedule, the Rams had four players suffer season ending injuries.

"It comes down to the six that I have left. They played amazing today. They worked really hard," Rams coach Dave Fox said. "To have the composure in a game like this, at that age says a lot about them and a lot for us to look forward to over the next couple of years. I'm excited about that."

Leading 21-17 at half-time, the Rams went on a 13-4 run, for a 34-21 lead.

Annalise Verbruggan scored a game high 17 points and shot five for six from the charity stripe. Ella Ambrose dropped in 16 points, Keilah Centen, 10 and Melissa Gillies, six.

Blaire Dawdy led Parkside with 13 points, while Kennedy Lawrence chipped in with seven.

"Our talking has got better and trusting each other as a team," Gillies said. "Definitely our talking and our defence has gotten really good. We've always been good on offence and creativity."

Both teams move on to the Western Ontario (WOSSAA) AA, November 12, at St. Mike's high school in Stratford.

The WOSSAA semifinals feature Parkside (10-1) taking on the host school and Huron-Perth champs, St. Mike's (10-0), while St. Joe's (10-1) faces London Clarke Road (8-2), the TVRA Central division AA winner. The winner of the gold medal game moves on to OFSAA, in Belleville.

Clarke Road finished third in their division, but upended the previously undefeated John Paul II, by four points, in the Central final.

A year ago as juniors, the Rams, with Gillies, Ambrose and Verbruggan, captured both the South-East and WOSSAA AA titles.

In the SouthEast AA final Woodstock CI defeated St. Joe's. Both teams move on to WOSSAA AA, Nov12 in Listowel.

St. Joe's faces host Listowel, in the WOSSAA semifinals, while WCI sees London John Paul II, the TVRA Central division winners.

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