U17 Athletics washed out of Ontario Summer Games but ready for nationals
- Aug 6
- 3 min read
By Lee Griffi
The playoff round of the softball competition at the 2026 Ontario Summer Games in the Region of Waterloo was washed out by rain on Sunday, shifting Tavistock's focus to its next challenge at the Canadian U17 Men's Fast Pitch Championship in Surrey, B.C.
The A’s are joining 11 other teams, including Ontario squads from Napanee, Tara and Elmira. Pool play started on Wednesday and runs through Friday, with playoffs kicking off Saturday. The Gazette will have full coverage in next week’s paper.
The team’s first game was Wednesday night against Nova Scotia’s Brookfield Oaks, followed by games on Thursday against Saskatchewan’s Valley Blue Jays and the Tara Twins.
“We viewed the Summer Games as an opportunity to get all the players some quality innings and keep them healthy and rested for the upcoming week at Canadians,” said head coach Dave Nahrgang. “We ended up playing five games on Friday and Saturday before Sunday was rained out.”
The A’s downed Wilmot 6-2 and Kawartha 13-3 on Friday. On Saturday morning, the final game of pool play, Tavistock dropped a 4-1 decision to Napanee. They lost their first playoff game 6-1 to Elmira but bounced back with a 7-0 victory over Norwich.
“This puts us into the top four whenever they decide to resume the tournament,” added Nahrgang.
No decision has been made as of press time.
As for the team’s chance of success in Surrey, Nahrgang said they are playing solidly, but it's hard to predict.
“I think we're playing well heading into Canadians, but it's a long week. You just can't predict everything that can happen. Some of our information on these teams is based on second-hand scouting, and what we can remember from seeing some of these teams at previous national championships. What we can control is our preparation and play, so that's what we try to focus on.”
He added the team’s chemistry is one of its biggest strengths, something obvious both on and off the field.
The boys are such a great group. We have strong pitching and great athletes. We're mostly a first-year team at this age group, so we naturally have less experience and a little less size than most of the second-year teams.”
He added most of the team has played together for many years and always competes with a team-first approach.
“Most of these boys have been playing together since they were learning the game, and they all support each other and have each other's back. The team's success is far more important than any individual success.”
Competing in a tournament all the way across the country comes with challenges, including the obvious one – money. Nahrgang explained Tavistock and area businesses and others have come through again.
“Our parent group has worked hard to raise money for this trip. The boys worked as the diamond crew for the entire Cephas Roth tournament, and they're really understanding the value of hard work and community service. I'd like to thank everyone for their support for our team so far, and I know everyone back home will be proud of us.”
WestJet’s recent labour dispute thankfully didn’t disrupt the team’s travel plans as they had booked with a different airline, something Nahrgang was thankful for.
“We were not on WestJet, but yes, a couple of Ontario teams were and had to scramble last minute to find alternative flights.”
Anyone interested in following the team at the tournament can download the GameChanger app on Apple and Android platforms.
Bear Creek captures Cephas Roth tournament title
The Bear Creek Gremlins earned gold at the annual Cephas Roth Memorial Tournament held recently in Tavistock. After going 4-0 in round-robin play, they downed Hill United Chiefs, the top-ranked team in the world, 7-1 in a semi-final matchup and followed that up with a 6-3 victory over the Northeast Drillers in the final.
Tavistock Minor Ball would like to extend its gratitude to all of the teams, volunteers and fans for another great weekend.
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