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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday December 5, 2008 - 55 Smaller schools small challenge for STA basketball seniors By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR T he stiffest competition the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders will face this high school senior boys' basketball season might just be themselves. On their way to winning bronze at the AA provincial championships last year, the Raiders were routinely tested by a regularseason schedule that included games against bigger schools like Holy Trinity, Loyola and Assumption. That isn't the case this year, however, as the Halton league's realignment of divisions has Aquinas in the A/AA division with the rest of the smaller schools in the region. The Raiders have easily won their first two games, including a 78-47 rout of Lester B. Pearson Wednesday in Burlington -- a contest they led 25-6 after the first quarter. Aquinas centre Ryan Thomson, one of several returnees from last year's team, said the Raiders already realize the best opportunity for them to work on their game will probably take place in practice. "I don't think we'll get as much competition (in league play this year)," said Thomson, who only played eight minutes against Pearson. "We'll have to push ourselves a lot more in practice, and tournaments are a lot more important than last year. It will be a little harder this year." The 18-year-old said he and his teammates would prefer to be playing against the bigger schools. "We don't want to shy away from anyone, and there's no reason for us to," Thomson said. "We're all a little disappointed we don't get to play against Assumption, Holy Trinity and Loyola." Aquinas went undefeated in regular-season play last year before losing in the Halton semifinals to Trinity. The Raiders will be a different-looking team this year, thanks primarily to the loss of point guard Trevor Williams, who transferred to Assumption. "You have to play different. Trevor is such an exceptional player, you could put him one-on-one against anyone on the floor and he would beat his man. That creates a lot of stuff," said Raiders head coach Mark Maga. "Now, everything we do has to go through Ryan. He might not score 20 points a game, but he has a hand on 80 per cent of our points, whether it's setting up the pass, relieving pressure or doing something else." Aquinas has also lost key players Jon Silver (graduation) and Charlie Alexander (transferred to Assumption) from last year. Matt Blaha has taken over the point guard duties this season, while Evan St. Hilaire -- a transfer from T.A. Blakelock -- provides athleticism and versatility in the front court. Charlie Drouin moves into the starting rotation at forward and is expected to contribute tough interior defence. The Grade 11 student drew four charges in a recent game against Hamilton's Cathedral. Fifth-year sharpshooter Kyle Enright remains on the outside, making opposing defences pay if they decide to focus on shutting down Thomson in the middle. "When (Kyle's) on, he makes us very difficult to guard, because they can't focus on Ryan too much," Maga said. "He really balances out the game." Tashan Ricketts, Eric Fram and Grade 10 student Will Coulthard should also play regular roles off the bench, Maga said. "Last year's team was a very good team. We had a lot of aspects," said Maga. "I think we can be as good as last year's team, but we'll be different. We have to be a smarter team, the team that moves the ball, that gets everybody involved. We won't be the most athletic team or the biggest on the floor, but we also won't be the weakest or the slowest. If we keep our composure, I think we'll be fine." RON KUZYK / OAKVILLE BEAVER The Raiders' next league game is scheduled for Monday, when they host the Milton MAIN MAN IN THE MIDDLE: Ryan Thomson (right) is the key player on a St. Thomas Aquinas District Mustangs at 4:45 p.m. squad that hopes to win its second straight provincial high school boys' basketball medal. Martial artists Legein ready to return to hockey Stefan Legein has decided to resume his hockey career. A little more than three months after he informed the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets that he was retiring, the 20-year-old has told Hockey Night in Canada Radio on Sirius and TSN that he is ready to play again. Legein won a gold medal with Canada at the World Junior Championships in January. He suffered a shoulder injury in the gold-medal game and said he lost his passion to play the game while he was recovering. He came back and played well for the Niagara Stefan Legein IceDogs in the OHL playoffs before joining Columbus' American Hockey League affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. He played two playoff games with the Crunch before asking for a leave from the team. Columbus GM Scott Howson said the team would welcome Legein back. Legein has been working out with the St. Catharines Falcons of the Golden Horseshoe Jr. B League and will begin skating with the Brampton Battalion next week. -- Herb Garbutt MICHAEL WILLEMS / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER COMMONWEALTH COMPETITORS: Six members of Kicks for Kids Family Martial Arts Academy recently competed in the 2008 Commonwealth Taekwondo Championships, held in Winnipeg. Surrounding coach Master Akmal Farah (centre) are (left to right) Andrew MacKinnon, Fegan Decordova, Mitchell Boesveld, Jory Bateman, Jenna Boesveld and Carla Bacco. Bacco, MacKinnon and the Boesveld siblings each won silver at the competition, Bateman earned a bronze and DeCordiva was a finalist.