Stockmans happy to close out season with ‘her girls’

Tillsonburg Gemini Jiera Dodsley (right) protects the ball from Huron Park’s Payton Cowan. (Jeff Tribe).

Jeff Tribe

One game or eight… one season or eight, the Tillsonburg Gemini senior girls’ basketball team still appreciated getting onto the court with teammates and friends.

“End of the season,” summed up Grade 12 Gemini Rena Stockmans.

Stockmans was injured for the majority of the campaign, her athleticism in a season-ending 40-29 TVRA South East playoff play-in loss to Woodstock Huron Park an indication her presence on a more regular basis would have been helpful, as well as personally enjoyable.

Tillsonburg trailed 9-4 after the opening quarter, 18-15 at the half and 33-27 heading home, before the homecourt Huskies locked up the win with a 7-2 advantage.

“A close game,” summed up Stockmans, who contributed six points in a losing cause. “We almost pulled through, but can’t win everything.”

Huron Park’s Olivia Elias led all scorers with 21 points and Payton Cowan added 10. Sophie Silliker paced Tillsonburg’s attack with 12 points including a three-point field goal, Taylor Sache and Jiera Dodsley added four apiece and Nicole Lopez three.

Stockmans played with the latter two teammates for years, Lopez since Grade 5. And while only getting to play for the season’s last game was in a sense bittersweet, Stockmans appreciated the opportunity.

“It was nice to have my last game with my girls.”

Sache was on the other end of the experience spectrum with the Gemini, a first-year transfer from North Bay’s West Ferris Tigers.

“I loved playing with them, they’re really good,” she summed up. “It was fun,” Sache added, “win or lose, we just kept going, put our effort out.

“I’m glad we had a chance to play.”

Gemini coach Terry Coulthard was instrumental in that aspect, combining her experience with support from a range of Glendale staff members to get both junior and senior teams on the court.

Coulthard was pleased the senior girls did record a victory over Ingersoll during their 2024 season, and to be ‘right in this one.’

“As long as they’re having fun and improving,” she summed up.

The Gemini junior girls extended their season with their second TVRA South East win, a 25-22 AA qualifier victory over the visiting St. Thomas Central Elgin Titans, Monday, October 28th. The win qualified Tillsonburg for an opening-round playoff matchup against the undefeated St. Thomas St. Joe’s Rams, who prevailed by a 33-13 margin on All Hallow’s Eve.

TVRA South East Junior Football

Gemini running back Gavin Balazs had a touchdown and kicked a point after try, and quarterback Landon Dodsley and Gavin Wernham added majors as Tillsonburg dropped a season-ending 42-19 semi-final playoff decision to St. Thomas St. Joe’s, Halloween afternoon at 1Password Park in St. Thomas.

Caedmon Plant had four touchdowns for the Rams and Tanatswa Mavoma and Hudson Glover added one apiece.

TVRA South East Volleyball

The Tillsonburg Gemini boys’ volleyball seasons both came to an end Thursday, October 31st at Woodstock St. Mary’s, via three-game sweeps courtesy of the homecourt Warriors.

The senior Gemini were upended 25-8, 25-11, 25-14 while the juniors were defeated 25-15, 25-8, 25-19.