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SJC Eagles Junior Basketball flying high this season
By Casandra Turnbull
The St. John’s College Junior Basketball team is recording a perfect season so far, sitting at 11-0 at the top of the Athletic Association of Brant, Haldimand & Norfolk County scoreboard
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They’ve registered an impressive 774 points for and only 413 points against, as of our press deadline on January 21st . They are favoured to win the AABHN championship this season
While the school is positioned in Brantford, it’s interesting to note there are several Paris and Brant County kids who attend and are part of this resounding success
So, let’s breakdown their successes a little further. The bench consists of 13 Grade 9 and 10 athletes, and the talent is so diverse the coaching bench rotates almost all players in regularly. It’s not uncommon for most players to end up on the list of players who score each game and it’s not just one or two players leading the points, it’s a combination of many players who take the honours. In an unusual feat for such a young squad, three of the team’s players can dunk and many can consistently hit three pointers. Other than a 13-point win over the second place Assumption college earlier this month, SJC has won a majority of their games by at least 30 points, even registering a 70-point differential in one game. The winning isn’t just confined to the AAHBN league; SJC has already won two tournaments this season (the picture provided was from a tournament win on January 11th
A major part of this team’s success is the coaching, said one parent, Chris Szarka. “The coaching staff understands each players’ ability and use them all effectively in a well-though out game plan,” he shared. “But what is more impressive is that they support the players with their school, other endeavors and other sports outside of basketball ”
The team is lead by an all-female coaching staff consisting of Head Coach Candice Wright and Assistant Coaches Emily McIntosh, Emily Tyndall and Matthew Clegg. Coach Wright played Divisional NCAA basketball and was a member of the Ontario Basketball Association Gold Medal team in 2013
