Scoreboard

Junior Girls Volleyball Team Falls Short in Season Opener

A night of tight games in girls volleyball.

By: Jenna Frank

Bishop Ryan's girls volleyball teams faced off against Cardinal Newman in their season openers last night.

The junior girls took on the previous Newman champs, in a game that was sure to be a nail bitter.

Bishop Ryan came out strong, giving Newman a good run for their money in the first set. Power hitter Jessica Krizmanic and middle, Alexandria Botelho, played a great game at the net. Despite these efforts, a few careless mistakes throughout the set turned out to be costly, as the team lost the opening set 20-25.

The Lady Celtics were determined to win the second set, and opened the set looking strong. Setter/offside, Tia Arcaro served up a storm for the Newman team, along with Bianca Posteraro (setter/offside). Krizmanic also continued with her great defense. Unfortunately, this was not enough to win, as the Celtics fell short 22-25. 

The team was hoping to capture the third set, in order to hold Newman off from an early victory. Kamila Pogoda, libero, was key in keeping the Celtics in sight of their goal. Power hitter Tori Gardiner also played well. The girls fell just short, 21-25.

The Midget and Senior girls, however, were victorious last night, defeating the Cardinals. Both teams managed to edge by Newman 3-1.

Volleyball action continues tomorrow, on the road, versus St. Thomas More.

BR Boys Basketball Season Begins

Midget Boys start the season on a good foot.

By: Jenna Frank

Last night, Bishop Ryan's boys basketball teams opened the season at home, with their first games against Cardinal Newman.

The night began with the strong midget boys team. Guard, Anthony Cascioli, played outstanding and led the Celtics with 10 points. Jason Ledonne and Jacob Camara contributed 8 points each. Under the net, Steve Keating was a force to be wreckoned with, scoring nine points, and assisting with nine rebounds. Power forward Devin Joseph chipped in 6 points under the net.

The entire team showed great effort in their season opener. Coach Leskovic says, "They play well together. At first things weren't working, but when football season ended and everyone came out, the plays started to look better. There is a lot of athletic ability on this team. " The team won the game 48-38.

In junior action, the boys suffered a hard loss, in their opening game 54-19. Cole Peragine led the team with 7 points. The boys tried their best, and they did not lack effort or hustle.

The Senior team finished off the night on the court with a tight game against the Cardinals. Steve Ventresca led the way with 12 points points, while Cody Mazza added nine points. Mazza also used his height to his advantage, blocking five shots. The boys kept up with Newman, but the shots did not want to go in last night.  At the final buzzer, the score was 38-32.

All three teams take on St. Thomas More tomorrow, December 4: Midget @ 4:00 , Junior 5:30 and Senior @ 7:00.

Junior Football: BR Comes Up Short in Overtime

Bishop Ryan is defeated by Cardinal Newman in championship game.

By: Jenna Frank

It was an extra special "Football Friday" for Bishop Ryan students today. The green and white students filled Ivor Wynne Stadium despite the cold weather to watch BR face off against Stoney Creek rivals Cardinal Newman, in the 2008 Junior Football Championship.

The game has been much anticpated by many all week long. Yesterday, Bishop Ryan particpated in a school wide pep rally to support the junior football team. Head coach, Mr. D'Intino, encouraged all students to come and watch the game during his hilarious, yet motivational speech. 

The only people more anxious than the student body were the players themselves. It was just last year that the underdog Celtic team managed to make it into the championship game against Newman. Although they lost a close game, they hope to turn things around this year and give the story a different, and happier ending for BR.

Yet again, the Celtics come into this game as the underdogs. The beginning of the season was a bit of a rough patch for the team. Slowly, they picked up momentum in time for playoffs. Last week, they beat the undefeated Bishop Tonnos Titans in semi-final action. 

Today, the junior team started off the game confident, as did Newman. They were ready for a tough fight from the Cardinals. The Celtic defense looked better than ever when it mattered most. The two, very evenly matched teams, were able to hold each other off long enough to bring the game into overtime. 

The Celtic team fought hard, but it wasn't enough. Newman managed to score a field goal, which ultimately won them the game.

The final score - Bishop Ryan 7, Cardinal Newman 10.

Bishop Ryan upsets Newman in Championship

BR wins midget girls basketball championship in double overtime.

By: Jenna Frank

November 11 was truly a day to remember on the basketball court as Bishop Ryan and Cardinal Newman's midget girls basketball teams roughed it out in championship action. BR's team knew they were in for a tough championship battle. Going into the game, the girls were the underdogs, as the Cardinals were the only ones to put a mark on the nearly perfect Celtic record during regular season.

The Celtic team started the game on a strong note, but the Cardinals were sure to match this. After the first quarter the score was tied 7-7. The entire game neither Newman or BR held more than a 4 point lead. By half time, Newman was frustrated with BR's full court press. Meanwhile, the Celtics were in search of a way to shut down the strong defense of the Cardinals. 

Celtic point guard, #12 Anna Boric, once again came through for the team when it mattered most. Boric took her already extraordinary game and pushed herself to another level. The leader of the Celtic offense chipped in 4 points although this really doesn't do justice to her incredible game play. There are simply some stats that don't show up on paper, and Boric is a prime example of this. Coach Raniero explains, "This girl can do it all- run, shoot, pass, dribble, play tough defense and give 100% for 40 minutes without sitting." Apparently, Boric can also bake a very good batch of peanut butter cookies!

Christina Hryc, #13, was crashing the boards all night as BR's tough centre. She also added 7 points to the scoreboard. #44 Rebecca Reynolds laid down the "Reynolds Wrap ®"on defense, and added a basket during the third quarter. Marie Blake, #10 silenced the rowdy Newman crowd when she added a 3 pointer. Blake also contributed a couple of key steals.

Annette Hryszko, #1, played her best game of the year. The power foward added in 9 points. She unveiled some of her best high and low post moves.

By the end of the fourth quarter, the entire crowd was living on the edge. The buzzer sounded, and the scoreboard was tied 23-23. The game would be decided in overtime, and the stakes were raised significantly.

#11 Annmarie Savelli played a strong game and was a key player in this championship. Savelli took several hard fouls during the course of the game. During overtime, she stepped up the line numerous times. It was these crucial shots that managed to keep BR 's championship dream alive. By the end of the night, Savelli had nailed 6 of 8 shots from the foul line. In addition, she contributed some key assists and steals.

It was Savelli's accuracy that kept the Celtics in the game, which lead them into another overtime after the teams were tied 28-28.

Carly Antonucci, #5, played a smart game, coming up with two huge blocks in this second overtime. During this double overtime, the determination of this Celtic team showed more than ever. The team vibe was so strong, it could be felt from the stands.

The timer, orginally set for four minutes, seemed to be moving slower than usual. It's safe to say that it was likely the slowest four minutes of Coach Raniero's career. The Cardinals would score, and the Celtics would match the basket.

A foul shot at the line  by Annmarie Savelli gave BR a single point lead 34-33. Both teams began to use their all so important timeouts. The timer began to slowly tick away. The ball was then in Celtic possession with less than 30 seconds remaining, still with a one point lead.

Then, the Cardinals managed to bring the ball to their side of the court with just 9 seconds remaining. They were then able to out play the tough Celtic defense and get the ball to a guard out in a corner. The timer seemed to be moving faster than ever. The shot was up in the air, and it was one that could change the game entirely. This time, if the shot went in, it would be nearly impossible for the Celtic team to recover.

The shot is up, and hits straight up on the rim, with just seconds remaining. Nearly everyone in the crowd is out of their seat as they watch the ball roll around the rim. Finally, the buzzer goes and the ball drops. Bishop Ryan's midget girls basketball team had officially won the championship, and defended their title by a mere one point.

The members of the 2008 Midget Girls Championship team are: Marie Blake, Rebecca Reynolds, Gillian Bochenek, Leanne Parker, Jennifer Sholhan, Leah Tatti, Teshawna Thompson, Annette Hryszko, Kata Boric, Carly Antonucci, Christina Hyrc, Annmarie Savelli, and Anna Boric. These girls could not have accomplished what they did without their wonderful coaches Mr. Leskovec, Miss Gamble and Mr. Raniero.  

"It was one of the most exciting sporting events I have ever witnessed, and to be part of this drama as it unfolded is something I'm grateful for," says Coach Raniero. "I'm sure one day this game will be on ESPN Classic," he jokes. 

     

Steel City Miracle continues to get notice

Watch the Miracle

Written by: Nicole Siena

It has already been several days since the semi-final football game at Ivor Wynne stadium.Brebeuf Braves versus Cardinal Newman Cardinals, in a one-on-one showdown for a chance to be in the championship.
All was lost for the Braves until the last play of the game.

With just two seconds left, one of the best plays in high school football was achieved. All the hype since that day still hasn't had a chance to settle down. Between television interviews and replays, newspaper articles, you tube videos, and the over-excitement for the championship game. All has been great at the home of the Braves.
The play that has been deemed at the "Steel City Miracle" consisted of 5 laterals and one pass, giving the braves a one point win, and a one way ticket to the championships.  It started with Kwasi Kwajah passing to Spencer Moore, then a lateral to Joey Cupido who completed a lateral to Kwasi Kwajah, then to Mevand Wassel,  and finally a lateral to Spencer Moore, who finally throws a 25 yard lateral across the field back to Kwasi Kwajah who runs the ball for 35 yards for a touchdown.
This game will go down in history as being the greatest play of all time in Hamilton Wentworth Catholic District School Board  Football.
The Braves meet their cross-mountain rivals; Saint Thomas Moore Knights in the Championship Game at Ivor Wynne Stadium on Friday November 14 at 1:00 PM.