The J.M. Olds Collegiate Tigers in Twillingate won the SSNL AAAA Boys Softball provincial championship in Carbonear earlier month. To do that, they had to knock off schools with sometimes double their school population. Contributed photo
TWILLINGATE, N.L. — The J.M. Olds Collegiate boys softball team entered the School Sports Newfoundland and Labrador (SSNL) AAAA Boys Softball provincial championships in Carbonear as the underdog.
Not only was it the first time the school of 60 students was playing at the highest level, they were going up against schools that may as well have been giants.
They were met on the fields in Carbonear, schools like Mount Pearl Senior High, Ascension Collegiate in Bay Roberts, Corner Brook Regional High, Marystown Collegiate and the two-time defending champion Clarenville High.
With that kind of competition in front of them, you could call the Tigers David to their Goliath.
J.M. Olds slew the giants on the way to an undefeated tournament and the AAA provincial championship, which included a 13-12 win against Mount Pearl in the final and knocking off Clarenville High in the semifinals.
“There was no feeling to describe it,” said coach Mitchell Watkins.
“Really, it’s just above your expectations, and some that you’re never supposed to be able to do, that you can just accomplish, and everybody always tells you can’t do it, but you defeat the odds.”
Getting there
The Tigers’ march toward the provincial AAAA championship began two years ago when they won the AA championship.
A year later, they fell in the final of the SSNL AAA boys softball championship. That stage was set for another leap in competition.
Still, they didn’t make that decision right away.
Coach Jody Cooper, a fine softball player in his own right, knew his team could compete with any team defensively, but questioned if his players were strong enough at the plate to compete.
“Defensively, they’ve always been excellent. We can keep up with anybody,” said Jody.
That question was answered over the summer when the core parts of the team participated in the provincial udner-18 slo-pitch tournament.
After their performance against teams they saw at the AAAA tournament, Jody knew his charges could compete.
“It was a good gage to see if we beat them there for us to jump for AAAA,” he said.
Proud of the team
The accomplishment isn’t lost on the players, especially those who got to finish their high school softball career on the game’s biggest stage.
As a Level 3 student at J.M. Old Collegiate, Jase Oster won’t be a part of the team next year, but he’s looking forward to being able to watch them compete.
“I was proud of the team,” said Oster of the win.
Blake Cooper was the Tigers’ tournament MVP. Not only did he get the chance to win at the top level, but he got to share it with his father, Jody.
Like Oster, he felt the win proved that softball in Twillingate is in a good spot.
“We’ve been playing for a long time, and to finally win a big tournament is good,” said Blake.
School history
A couple of weeks later, the AAAA championship banner is now hanging in the rafters of J.M. Olds Collegiate as a sign of when their small team toppled the large ones.
It represents how far the school and the town’s softball development has come, which at one time saw teams with not enough gloves to go around.
It’s also a piece of school history and something Watkins figures everyone involved with this team will never forget.
“That’s something that is going to live and die in this building until they literally take the rafters down,” he said. “That banner is going to be raised in our gym and forevermore.
“You’re going to be a walk in that gym and know that a small school 60 came over every single school in the province, and they are the best team.”
Our fall LTP line up is set. Register at http://ciaaa.ca/ltpcourses where you can also find full course descriptions! These three hour courses are jam-packed with resources, applicable discussions & professional development to better your Athletics Departments!
Lauren Perron, Our Lady Queen of the Work Catholic Academy, YRAA Pheobe Li, St Theresa of Lisieux Catholic High School, YRAA
Avery Nordman, A Y Jackson Secondary School, NCSSAA
A Y Jackson Secondary School, NCSSAA
Boys High School
Boys Open
Boys Overall Team
Gold
Nate Van Asseldonk, Sydenham High School, EOSSAA
Jordan Hwang, Richmond Green Secondary School, YRAA
St Michael’s College School, CISAA
Silver
Jeffery Oh, Thornlea Secondary School, YRAA
Barron Mundy, St Martin Catholic Secondary School, ROPSSAA
Upper Canada College, CISAA
Bronze
Jacob Nadeau, St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School, WOSSAA
Matthew Simpson, St Michael’s College School, CISAA
St Martin Catholic Secondary School, ROPSSAA
Hollinger Golf Club in Timmins
St Michael’s College School, CISAA
Nate VanAsseldonk, High School Boys Champion
Jordan Hwang, Open Boys Champion
Ambassador Golf Club, Windsor
GTA Dominates OFSAA Golf Championships
by Jeffrey Reed, Editor, LondonOntarioSports.com Photo of Jade Tep-Chhun: Jeffrey Reed/LondonOntarioSports.com
St. Michael’s College School in Toronto captured the OFSAA Boys golf championship today, while Garth Webb Secondary School in Oakville won the OFSAA Girls championship.
At the par-72, 5,721-yard Hollinger Golf Club in Timmins, Toronto-area schools dominated boys play. St. Mike’s finished 470 as a team and edged silver medalist Upper Canada College of Toronto by seven strokes. Third-place finisher St. Martin Secondary School in Mississauga was 11 strokes behind St. Mike’s.
WOSSAA champion St. Thomas Aquinas (STA) Catholic Secondary School finished fifth, 19 strokes back of St. Mike’s
Jordan Hwang, golfing as an individual out of Richmond Green Secondary School in Richmond Hill, took top individual honours thanks to a final-round 7-under 65 for a score of 72-65—137 (-7), eight strokes better than runner-up Barron Mundy of St. Martin Secondary School in Mississauga.
STA’s Jacob Nadeau finished as the top local golfer at T19 amongst all participants, and third in the High School bracket.
At the par-71, 5,334-yard Ambassador Club in Windsor, Garth Webb SS finished with a team score of 140, three strokes better than Lockerby Composite School in Sudbury and four better than third-place finisher AY Jackson Secondary School in Toronto.
St. Joseph’s Catholic High School in St. Thomas finished 58th, and London’s STA 59th.
Garth Webb’s Emily McKee finished atop the leaderboard with rounds of 70-70—140 (-2), three strokes better than runner-up Lea Lemieux of Lockerby.
