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Titans coach wasn't sure how young players would adapt Continued from page 30 31 · Friday, October 7, 2011 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com quickly with four Grade 9s on the team." "I didn't even think we'd be starting," added Liana Hughes. "We knew we were coming onto a team that could have girls in Grade 11 and 12." The three Grade 9 students were already quite familiar with each other's abilities, having played together for several years with the Oakville Venom rep club. The trio won an Eastern Canadian club title with the bantam AAA Venom last year, when Oakville outscored its opposition 276-134 to win all five of its games. But Boyce wasn't quite sure what to expect this year from her new additions. "Senior girls' basketball is a really big jump from elementary school," said Boyce, who speaks from experience, having played senior as a Grade 9 when she was in high school. "I didn't question whether they were good enough, but it's just difficult to know where you'll be in a league that's pretty competitive." Perrotta was also initially a bit nervous about the prospect of having so many young players on the senior squad. "I thought having three Grade 9s might make for an iffy season," said Perrotta. "But they've stepped up, they've played senior level, they've played up to what we can play and they've been amazing so far." They're certainly not intimidated by older competition. McNeil practically took the game into her own hands Wednesday, driving the floor in the dying seconds of the first overtime for a buzzer-beating layup that tied the game 53-53. In the second overtime, McNeil pulled down an offensive rebound and then fed Liana Hughes for a three-pointer that gave the Titans a 58-53 lead with 2:20 left on the clock. "We did (feel a bit nervous) at the beginning, but not anymore," Liana Hughes said. "I think it's because of the team that we feel comfortable at the school." That's a credit to the older players on the team, Boyce said. "We have a really great bunch of girls who are part of one common goal, Holy Trinity girls' basketball," said the coach. "They all buy in. If you buy into a program and buy into working hard, you'll be successful at the end. All our girls... have been nothing but a positive influence on the Grade 9s and have included them in everything." McNeil pointed to Perrotta, who invited all the players to her house following the first tournament of f the season, as a reason the team bonded so quickly. "We realized there was the one Grade 12 on the team and we thought she'd get mad at us (for taking playing time from older players)," said McNeil. "But she's really nice and helps us. She's the one who brought us together with all the team." It's accelerated the long-term thinking of the Titans as well. "We thought it would take years to get to this spot," said Delaney Hughes, a Waterdown resident who came to Trinity for basketball and French immersion classes. "But we're here now." STEVEN DER-GARABEDIAN / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER TOP TITAN: Holy Trinity Titans guard Tiffany McNeil (in white) is guarded by a Notre Dame Fighting Irish opponent during Wednesday's Halton senior girls' basketball at Trinity. McNeil scored 24 points, including a game-tying layup at the end of the first overtime period, as Trinity downed the Irish 60-54 in double overtime. Maple l Grove runners earn f five pennants at Harrison cross-country meet Maple Grove won five of 16 division pennants up for grabs at the Halton District School Board's Harrison elementary cross-country meet last week in Burlington. Maple Grove was victorious in the tyke boys' A, atom boys' B, bantam girls, bantam boys and junior boys divisions. Sunningdale (tyke girls' B and atom girls' B) and Post's Corners (intermediate boys, senior girls) were other local schools to win multiple pennants. Collecting one division pennant each were E.J. James (atom girls' A), Munn's (atom boys A) and Emily Carr (junior girls). In individual action, seven local runners finished first in their respective races. Maple Grove's Annabel Child was first in tyke girls' A; Emily Carr's Christian Hines won the tyke boys' A race; Munn's student Emily Hatter claimed the atom girls' A title; Sunningdale's Mitchell White was first in atom boys' B; Maple Grove's Dylan Greenhalgo won the bantam boys' race; Captain R. Wilson's Alison Chan crossed the line first in the senior girls' race; and Maple Grove's Cameron Dymond was tops in the senior boys' race. WINNING FORM: Dylan Greenhalgo of Maple Grove Public School is pictured on the way to victory in the bantam boys' race at last week's Halton District School Board Harrison elementary cross-country meet in Burlington. ERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVER HARRISON CROSS COUNTRY YRESULTS TYKE Girls' A 1. Annabel Child, Maple Grove; 2. Tait Fletcher, River Oaks; 3. Emilie Jarman, E.J. James Girls' A Overall 2. Maple Grove, 39 pts; 3. River Oaks, 66 pts; 4. Munn's, 96 pts; 6. Emily Carr, 103 p pts Girls' B 2. Mallory Metcalfe, Sunningdale; 5. Taylor Lowe, Sunningdale; 6. Gabby Eastwick, Sunningdale g Girls' B Overall 1. Sunningdale, 29 pts; 4. Palermo, 67 pts; 6. Post's Corners, 117 p pts Boys' A 1. Christian Hines, Emily Carr; 2. Joseph Penman, Maple Grove; 4. Sebastian Rancoure, Munn's; 5. Matthew Dybka, y Munn's Boys' A Overall 1. Maple Grove, 29 pts; 2. Emily Carr, 38 pts; 4. Munn's, 68 p p pts; 6. E.J. James, 98 p pts Boys' B 6. Justin Chivers, Palermo Boys' B Overall 4. Sunningdale, 46 pts; 5. Post's Corners, 84 pts; 6. Palermo, 114 p p pts ATOM Girls' A 1. Emily Hatter, Munn's; 2. Fiona Allen, C.R. Wilson; 3. Gillian Miller, E.J. James; 4. Sophie Gordon, E.J. James Girls' A Overall 1. E.J. James, 26 pts; 2. River Oaks, 47 pts; 4. Munn's, 75 pts; 5. Captain R. Wilson, 107 p pts Girls' B 2. Brooke Westwater, Maple Grove; 3. Robyn Vanderland, Maple Grove; 4. Taylor Hynes, Sunningdale; 5. Maya Potter, Sunningdale; g 6. Jenna Al-Haraz, Palermo Girls' B Overall 1. Sunningdale, 24 pts; 2. Maple Grove, 46 pts; 5. Post's Corners, 104 pts; 6. Palermo, 105 p pts Boys' A 4. Christian Pelley, River Oaks; 5. Trevor Smith, Captain R. Wilson; 6. Matthew Burnes, E.J. James Boys' A Overall 1. Munn's, 45 pts; 2. River Oaks, 49 pts; 5. E.J. James, 89 pts; 6. Captain R. Wilson, 101 p pts Boys' B 1. Mitchell White, Sunningdale; 6. Ben Glotmayer, y Maple p Grove Boys' B Overall 1. Maple Grove, 31 pts; 4. Sunningdale, 77 pts; 5. Post's Corners, 93 p p pts BANTAM Girls 3. Mari Young, Post's Corners; 4. Olivia Gardner, Maple Grove; 5. Ashley Flemington, E.J. James; 6. Paige Burkhart, Maple Grove Girls Overall 1. Maple Grove, 41 pts; 3. E.J. James, 59 pts; 4. Post's Corners, 60 pts; 6. Sunningdale, g 90 p pts Boys 1. Dylan Greenhalgo, Maple Grove; 3. Ryan O'Hara, Munn's; 5. Matt Tani, C.R. Wilson; 6. Zach Gardiner, Maple p Grove Boys Overall 1. Maple Grove, 24 pts; 4. Palermo, 89 pts; 5. Munn's, 123 p pts; 6. River Oaks, 139 p pts JUNIOR Girls 2. Katelyn Kingston, River Oaks; 4. Megan Hatter, Munn's; 5. Tristan Delamere, Emily Carr; 6. Abbey y Nolet, Emily y Carr Girls Overall 1. Emily Carr, 58 pts; 2. E.J. James, 65 pts; 5. River Oaks, 92 p pts; 6. Munn's, 113 p pts Boys 2. Grant Patterson, Maple Grove; 3. Jack McCay, Sunningdale; 5. Jack Mistele, Sunningdale; 6. Manny y DeMelo, Post's Corners Boys Overall 1. Maple Grove, 42 pts; 3. Sunningdale, 91 pts; 6. Emily y Carr, 116 p pts INTERMEDIATE Girls 3. Hannah Treadway, y Maple p Grove Girls Overall 5. Maple p Grove, 76 p pts Boys 2. Sam Harding, Maple Grove; 3. Nolan Kangas, Post's Corners; ; 4. Arjvn j Nair, , Post's Corners; ; 6. William Lee, Munn's Boys Overall 1. Post's Corners, 28 pts; 2. Maple Grove , 43 pts; 5. Munn's, 97 p p pts SENIOR Girls 1. Alison Chan, C.R. Wilson; 2. Melissa Misztal, Post's Corners; 4. Thalia Zolis, Sunningdale; 5. Caitlin Bevington, River Oaks; 6. Jenna Matsuba, Post's Corners Girls Overall 1. Post's Corners, 26 pts; 2. Sunningdale, 78 pts; 3. Maple p Grove, 80 p pts Boys 1. Cameron Dymond, Maple Grove; 6. Brandon Rawson, River Oaks Boys Overall 2. Maple Grove, 38 pts; 4. E.J. James, 74 pts; 6. Munn's, , 133 pts p