Malvern, Notre Dame, Neil McNeil and Riverdale look to dominate sports
It’s that time of year again.
Back to school and the Town Crier is going to give you the top three teams that have the chance to bring home gold for Beach-South Riverdale’s four secondary schools.
As students march out their front doors bright and early for another academic year, a good lot of them will have athletics on the brain. It all starts in the fall with girls basketball, boys football, girls field hockey, rugby sevens, golf, tennis and boys volleyball.
Once the games continue into winter, the seasonal change brings with it boys basketball, girls volleyball, curling, hockey, alpine skiing, snowboarding and swimming.
Moving into the spring, baseball, cricket, lacrosse, rugby, girls slo-pitch, soccer, girls softball, co-ed volleyball and ultimate Frisbee get under way.
Here are your local schools and the teams that had phenomenal 2009-10 campaigns.
Malvern CI
TDSSAA
Black Knight dominance came in field hockey last season. The senior girls field hockey team downed Birchmount Park in the finals this year, thanks to the help of veteran Stephanie Hyde.
In addition to field control, the boys lacrosse team won the varsity city final 12-2 over the Etobicoke Rams.
When Malvern left the turf, they devastated opponents in the surf, seizing championship titles in overall girls and overall combined in addition to the 27 medals won at the TDSSAA swimming championships.
Neil McNeil CSS
TDCAA
Unbeaten in the south division of boys soccer, Neil McNeil Maroons finished with a 4-0-1 record. Look for the team to repeat another successful season.
In table tennis, the school saw a silver and a gold in TDCAA finals. The duos of Adrian Alonso with Emmanuel Grossi won silver in junior and Joel Famadico with Sal Buggea won gold in senior.
The big success was Neil McNeil’s qualifying for OFSAA in AAAA senior boys volleyball. Unfortunately the Maroons lost in the consolation quarter-finals to Bill Crothers SS 2-1 (25-19, 20-25, 15-12).
Notre Dame CSS
TDCAA
Girls soccer finished fourth in a jam-packed division of nine teams last year. Their record was 5-3, and they’ll be looking to improve on that tier 1 result in 2010-11.
In track and field, Carly Forrester proved to be a force at the TDCAA and city championships finishing second and fifth respectively in the javelin.
Forrester was also a member of the 3-3 girls softball team that will seek revenge on such opponents as Pope John Paul II, St. Joseph’s Morrow Park and Loretto Abbey.
Riverdale CI
TDSSAA
Pitcher Adam Sebesta led his Raiders to their second straight tier 2 south region title, as he shutout Central Tech Blues 3-0 and struck out 12 batters.
It’s no surprise a school with river in its name took control of the podium in swimming, scoring OFSAA bronze and gold. Leading up to OFSAA, the pool denizens captured 12 medals at the TDSSAA championships.
In 2008-09 Riverdale’s senior girls volleyball qualified for OFSAA. Even without starting power Nicki Foster, the Raiders are a team hungry for another visit to the provincials.