Young PECI Panther team captures COSSA silver

Eddie White (43) denies a PCVS guard an easy layup in the second quarter of the COSSA semi-final

With just four Grade 12 and 10 Grade 11 students, the 2010-2011 edition of the PECI Senior Boys Basketball team was considered a young team in terms of age and experience but played like pros to capture the ‘AAA’ COSSA silver medal last week in a game against IE Weldon from Lindsay, a school three times the size of Picton’s.

Taylor Reddick (23) wins the opening tip of the COSSA semi-final game versus Peterborough Collegiate in front of more than 150 Panther students. PECI won the game 53 - 42.

“When the team was selected in September, the boys set themselves a goal to qualify for COSSA for the second straight year,” says coach Rob Garden. “Given their age and experience, the Bay of Quinte basketball coaches gave the Senior Panthers the 6th seed (out of 13 teams).  To most basketball observers this was a fair seed, however the team proved everyone wrong and turned heads in the league when the finished the regular season with nine wins and two losses and finished third overall.”

The boys competed in tournaments in Brockville, Port Hope, and in Kingston where they finished fourth of 16 top teams in the province.  When the dust settled, the Panthers’ record stood at 18 wins and nine losses.

The junior team, boasting and even mix of seven Grade 9s and seven Grade 10s, also shocked the student basketball world by finishing in third place with a record of eight wins and three losses in the regular season.

The junior boys travelled to Peterborough to compete at AA COSSA, but were defeated 43 – 33 in the semi-final game versus host school Adam Scott.  Despite the loss, the junior boys will graduate a strong group of Grade 10s to the senior level, and will be left with talented Grade 9s to lead the team next year.  Including tournament play, the junior boys finished with a record of 12 – 6.

Combined, PECI Boys Basketball teams played 45 games. and were one of just three schools in the Bay of Quinte region to qualify both teams for COSSA

“In order to improve for next season, all returning players are excited about the upcoming high school Panther Hoops league that starts in May and continues throughout the summer,” says Garden. “Ben Wilson, Blaine Swackhammer, Jamie Ferguson, Taylor Reddick and Morgan Johnson will all be playing with the Belleville Spirits in the Ontario Basketball Association.”

PECI Basketball also hosts a co-ed Panther Hoops league for players in Grades 4 – 8 that begins March 19th.
This program allows public school players the chance to improve their basketball skills and help prepare the Grade 8 students for the junior team in Grade 9.  More information and registration forms can be found at www.countyclippers.ca

2011 – 2012 PECI Senior Boys Basketball Team Front Row (L-R): Mark Mitchell, George Goddard, Scott McQuaid, Taylor Reddick, Jared Found, Will Austin-MacMillan
Back Row (L-R): Jake Clark, Morgan Reynolds, Eddie White, Morgan Johnson, Donny Tait, Matt Gallo, Tyler Philip, Coach Rob Garden. Absent: Dallas Hunter, Coach Ernie MacMillan