TVRA Southeast boys basketball teams primed for playoffs

WCI’s Zack Molinaro (right) D’s up on Westminster’s Jordan Pelley, watched by WCI’s Will Halward (left) and Westminster’s Ryan Langford (right). (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Echo Correspondent

Will Halward competing in the Thames Valley Regional Athletics Southeast division rather than the bright lights and big money of the National Collegiate Athletics Association meant his incentive package to return for a fifth year of high school basketball was comparatively modest.

There was no six-figure contract, no shiny new convertible parked at the end of the Halward family driveway.

“Umm, woodshop,” he said following a Woodstock CI Red Devils 67-55 victory over the London Westminster Wildcats in the Friendly City Winter Classic senior boys’ consolation championship game Saturday, Jan. 31, at Woodstock College Avenue.

The Red Devils consolation was not in the B title, but rather that the Classic offered a competitive tune-up for what they hope is an extended postseason run. Halward was a crucial component on last year’s Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) A silver medal squad for WCI and will need to be again this year as the Red Devils step up to AA competition.

“A bigger world,” said Halward. “But we’re all a year older.”

“All seniors,” added WCI’s Derek Gravel. “No excuses this year.

“Hopefully make a run at AA OFSAA,” he added.

Halward’s victory lap gives a significant boost to the possibility of his potential return, the source of modest speculation, although never in doubt in his mind. He did take kinesiology during his first semester, a course related to what he plans on taking at university. But following in his elder brother’s footsteps for a fifth year of school and basketball was always Halward’s incentive plan.

“Give me another year to prepare for post-secondary.”

The Red Devils’ collective preparation for the post-season started more slowly than they would have preferred, coach Eric Molinaro encouraging a more inspired approach. WCI was pushed to the consolation side via a tough loss to a AAA team from Stratford, responding with a solid finish against the Wildcats, a potential Western Ontario Secondary Schools Athletics Association (WOSSAA) AA opponent.

The Red Devils came out strong in the first quarter, exiting with a 23-5 lead on ten points from Halward and a pair of three-point field goals from Zack Molinaro. WCI led 40-22 at the half and 54-35 heading home, with the Wildcats making a game out of it with a late run, cutting the deficit to ten with 2:15 remaining.

Halward answered, knocking down a six-foot runner and then took the ball to the hoop, draining both free throws after being fouled to restore a 14-point lead and decide the issue. Halward finished with a game-high 29 points, Molinaro added 16, Preston Hilderley 12, and Jack Carnegie 10.

“I think we should have come out hotter to start the tournament,” said Zack Molinaro of a slow start and difficulty scoring. “But we ended with a couple of quality wins with the offence flowing.”

The Red Devils were moving the ball around better, Gravel agreed, more players contributing.

“Everyone is getting involved.”

The TVRA Southeast senior boys basketball post-season was scheduled to open Tuesday, Feb. 10 with the Woodstock St. Mary’s Warriors at home to Aylmer East Elgin and Woodstock College Avenue Knights travelling to Ingersoll DCI Blue Bombers for preliminary games and Woodstock Huron Park Huskies in Tillsonburg for a AA quarterfinal. As the second seed, WCI will host the winner of the Warriors/East Elgin game on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 3 p.m. The winner of the Knights/Blue Bombers tilt heads to St. Thomas St. Joe’s and the Huskies/Tillsonburg winner to St. Thomas Parkside. Semi-finals are slated for Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 3 p.m., the final that Thursday also tipping off at 3 p.m.

TVRA Southeast junior boys playoffs are also scheduled to begin Tuesday, Feb. 10, with Ingersoll DCI at East Elgin and Huron Park at Tillsonburg for a pair of preliminary games. The winners of those contests will face the top-seeded Woodstock College Avenue Knights and second-seeded St. Thomas Parkside Colts on Thursday, Feb. 12. Third-seeded St. Mary’s will host a TVRA quarter-final that day with the WCI Red Devils heading to St. Thomas St. Joe’s for their quarter-final matchup. Semis are scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 17, and the final for Thursday, Feb. 19.