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Tec Voc Hornets
– The Tec Voc Hornets are a mix of grade 11 and 12’s this year. The Hornets will look to have a balanced attack with the ability to score in transition and in the half court. Their guards are talented and although their posts are not huge they are very skilled. Players to look for include guard Jon De Jesus, Guard Mark Caranay, Guard Jordan Thomas and forward Daniel Seburn. Jon has the ability to fill up the stat sheet. He can score, defend and is a great rebounder from the guard position. Jon also has the ability to set up his teammates. One of the guys he will be setting up is Mark Caranay. Mark has the ability to get to the rim and is a deadly outside shooter. Jordan is the floor general for the Hornets. He leads the Tec Voc attack. He is also one of the Hornets best defenders. Daniel is a difficult matchup for opposing teams because he can play multiple positions on the court. He is an excellent rebounder and shot blocker.
Sturgeon Heights Huskies
The Sturgeon Heights Huskies hope to make their first year at Sturgeon Heights one to remember by winning the WIT championship. They will be favorites to do so as they are a deep and experienced team. The Huskies will be able to play with any team and any style. Players to watch out for include Charles Dimaapi, Harman Brar, and Klifford Kenyon. Charles is the teams point guard and is like an extension of the coach on the court. Harman is one of the teams leading scorers. He has the ability to fill it up from anywhere on the court. Klifford is the big man in the middle for the Huskies. He is able to rebound and block shots, solidify the Huskies defense. With these veterans and a solid group of JV players that have moved up the Huskies will look to play in the final on Saturday night.
Fort Richmond Centurions
This years edition of the Fort Richmond Centurions are young but highly skilled. Last year they won the junior varsity provincial championship. FRC will look to run and gun teams out of the gym. They pick up full court from start to finish and create easy baskets from turnovers. They are athletic throughout their lineup and will be tough to handle at the defensive end as well. Players to watch out for include Ali Uddin, Brett Foster and Matt Waldner. Ali is the Centurions returning point guard. He is great at pushing the ball and finding the open man, but can also finish himself. He is a very good defender. Brett Foster is described by his coaches using one word, Fast! He is a great athlete who will be a tough matchup for teams because he can shoot from outside or get to the rim. Matt Waldner is one of the leading rebounders for FRC this season. He has developed an inside outside game which meshes well with guards Uddin and Foster. Matt leads by example and fights to the very end of every game.
Sisler Spartans
Fan favorites the Sisler Spartans return to WIT again this year. This years Spartans will be a fast aggressive team. They will look to score in transition and wear teams down with their tough hard nosed defense. Sisler returns 1 starter and 5 players from last years team. Players to look for include post Daniel Dupont, guard Jordan Javier, and guard Andrew Ladesma. Daniel is the leading rebounder for the Spartans. He his athletic and works hard on the boards. He also has the ability to shoot from the outside. Jordan is the Spartans playmaker. He leads the break, finding the open man or finishing himself. He is also a very good defender. Andrew is the sharp shooter of the bunch. He can knock it down from anywhere on the court.
Westgate Tigers (Thunder Bay)
The Westgate Tigers travel to Winnipeg from Thunder Bay, Ontario. For the last two years the Tigers have competed for their conference championship, in 06-07 losing in the final. This year they look to win their conference. They return 3 starters from last years team and a total of 9 players. Westgate will look to push the tempo and play pressure defence. However if teams want to play in the halfcourt the Tigers are more than capable of doing that. They are very balanced inside and outside. Players to watch for are Ethan Gillingham, Marc Carruthers, and Seamus Posthuma. Ethan is a 6’4 post forward who can play both inside and out of the key. He is averaging 15 points per game for the Tigers. He is one of the top players in the SSSAA this year. Marc is a good outside shooter and can really get out and defend people. He is the team captain. Seamus is very tough in the paint. He can defend the post and is a beats on the glass. He was a great football player for the Tigers this past season.
Bishop Grandin Ghosts (Calgary)
The Bishop Grandin Ghosts travel to Winnipeg from Calgary to compete in this years WIT. The ghosts are a young team that will use an uptempo style of play to be successful at WIT. They will also rely on their aggressive defensive play to create easy offense. Bishop Grandin returns 2 starters and 5 players from last years team. Players to watch out for include Dan Lafferty, Sean Meagher and Kirby Soco. Dan is a 6’ grade 12 guard who is currently averaging 14 ppg. Sean is a 6’5” grade 12 post who is averaging 10 points per game and Kirby is a 5’10” guard who also averages 10 ppg.
Miles Mac Buckeyes
It has been a while since the Miles Mac Buckeyes have competed for the WIT championship. They come in to this years tournament as one of the top ranked teams in the province. The Buckeyes have a strong core of grade 12’s this year who will lead the way this year. Look for Miles Mac to bring a multi faceted attack to the court this year with both inside and outside scoring potential. Expect Miles Mac to score quickly and often as they will truly be an exciting team to watch. Look out for players Dan Penner, Varinder Pandher and Jon Janzen. Dan is one of the top players in the province and has drawn the interest of a number of universities. Varinder brings an exceptional basketball IQ to the court. He has the ability to score both inside and outside. Jon is a tenacious defender who is fearless in his willingness to attack the basket. His work ethic is second to none.
Oak Park Raiders
The Oak Park Raiders return to WIT for the second consecutive year looking to avenge a loss in last years final. Will this be the year they take home the WIT championship trophy. The Raiders have won more tournaments than any other team in high school basketball but have never won WIT. This years edition of the Raiders is deeper than last years team, who won the provincial championship. They have a nice balance of size and speed and can be successful in the full or half court. They will use a combination of defences to keep their opponents off balance. Players to watch are Justin Roper, Mike Iwanchuk, and Jeremy Lomonaco. Justin is a fierce competitor that practices as hard as he plays. He is a deadly three point shooter and currently leads the team in scoring. Mike will play the point this year for Oak Park. He is also a very good outside shooter, but will be looked upon for more playmaking this year. Jeremy is a tenacious defender who can guard both the perimeter and inside.
Crosby-Ironton Rangers (Minnesota)
The Crosby-Ironton Rangers are the defending champions of WIT and they return 4 starters and 8 players from last years team. Look for the Rangers to be playing late again on Saturday night. Crosby-Ironton will look to play an up tempo game and utilize multiple defenses. Their average margin of victory last year was 25 points. Players to look for include 6’3” Bryce Tesdahl, 6’ Trevor Dick and 6’4” Derek Swanhorst. Bryce was last years WIT MVP. He was also named to the all conference and all state teams. He leads the team in scoring and assists and is a great rebounder. Trevor is a great defender and leads the team in steals. He also contributes at the offensive end. He was also an all conference selection. Derek is a work horse on the boards. He leads the team in rebounding, and is shooting 59% from the field.
Neelin Spartans (Brandon)
The Neelin Spartans are making the treck down the Trans-Canada highway from Brandon to compete in the 33rd edition of WIT. The Spartans won the 3A provincial championship last year and return 4 starters and 8 players from that team. Players to watch include Sterling Nostedt, Stephen Shields, and Dan Hanno. Sterling was the 3A player of the year last year and spent the summer playing for the Manitoba provincial team. He leads the Spartans in scoring but uses his tremendous vision to set up teammates for easy baskets. The is the Spartans leader. Stephen is a 6’6” inside player who has very good fundamentals. He is the leading rebounder for Neelin. Dan is a very good ballhandler and defender. Coach Thompson counts on him to run the team. Look for the Spartans to be very disciplined on both offense and defense. They will run their motion style offense till they get the best look, then turnaround and pressure you all over the court.
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