Silliker, Bruder enjoy ‘sweet’ 2025 Captains/Veterans girls’ basketball experience

Gemini point guard Sophia Silliker (left) battles St. Mary’s guard Aliyah Anthony for possession of the ball. (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Post Correspondent

Tillsonburg Gemini senior girls’ basketball point guard Sophia Silliker found the 2025 Girls Captains/Veterans Basketball Game to be one ‘sweet’ opportunity.

“It’s like a big hurrah because it’s also my last year,” she smiled Thursday, Nov. 20 at the Woodstock CI Devildome.

The annual event celebrates high school girls’ basketball in Oxford County, along with Thames Valley Regional Athletics (TVRA) Southeast compatriot Lord Dorchester. Selected captains and veterans from Glendale, Dorchester, Ingersoll DCI, and Woodstock CI, Huron Park, College Avenue and St. Mary’s are combined in Team Black and Team Blue rosters, tipping off in what could be termed the basketball equivalent of ‘friendlies.’

Sponsored T-shirts for each player, draw prizes, a series of basketball-related contests (bump, centre-court shooting and most baskets in a minute) and live announcing courtesy of host coaches Eric Molinaro and Jason Poole contribute to a lively, celebratory atmosphere. Proceeds from the event support the WCI Festive Campaign for CAS.

The junior game, featuring Gemini Kate Bruder on the Blue entry along with players from Dorchester, St. Mary’s, WCI and Huron Park faced a roster comprised of players from Woodstock CI, Ingersoll DCI and College Avenue.

Silliker suited up with a quartet of CASS teammates, three from Dorchester and two from Huron Park. The opposition was sourced from WCI, St. Mary’s and IDCI. At the final buzzer, 12 points from St. Mary’s guard Aliyah Anothony and 11 from WCI’s Ava Bickell’s led the Team Black to a 44-19 victory. CASS’s Emily Pye had five in a losing cause.

It was strange to not suit up with familiar Gemini teammates Silliker admitted, but also fun to meet and play with people she’d only previously seen as opponents.

Athletics have been a big part of Silliker’s high school experience, basketball, rugby and track. The 400 is her specialty in the latter, although she’s adding the 800 this year, hoping to try out for the Brock University track team next year. While looking forward to that, she’s also aware she’ll miss high school teammates, a realization punctuated by the captains/veterans experience.

“It feels like I was in Grade 9 yesterday,” Silliker admitted with a smile. “It’s bittersweet.”

Her Gemini compatriot had as much fun with less immediacy around athletic transition considerations. Bruder contributed four points, two behind Blue Team leader Reagan White from Huron Park in a 42-12 loss to Team Black. A strong core of WOSSAA AA champion Red Devils was paced offensively by Natalie Sutherland (12) and Addison Weicker (11).

“It was nice to meet everyone from other schools, get to know people from other schools,” said Bruder. “It was a really good game, nice competition.”

A Grade 9 rookie during the 2025 season, Bruder has at least another three years of high school eligibility to build on an enjoyable first season.

“A great team of girls,” she concluded. “We had lots of fun at every practice and every game.”