The 22nd Annual Saints’ Invitational High School Basketball Tournament will tip off Friday morning with a total of 32 Senior Boys teams from across Ontario competing. It is one of the largest senior tournaments in Ontario with teams competing for one overall champion. Action will continue all day Friday (Jan 8) and throughout Saturday (Jan 9) at St. Benedict CSS, Monsignor Doyle CSS and Jacob Hespeler gyms.

The tournament concludes with “Championship Night” on Saturday at St. Benedict with game times as
follows:

Consolation Championship - 6:00pm
Championship Game - 8:00pm

At the conclusion of the tournament championship game, an awards ceremony will feature the recognition of
the championship and finalist teams and the selection of the tournament all-star teams and tournament MVP.
Tournament passes are good for all games over the weekend including championship night. They can be
purchased at the door for $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for students. They are good at all three sites.

Tournament organizers are predicting another great weekend of basketball this year. The teams competing
come are from all over Ontario and are some of the best in their areas. The Saints’ Invitational 22 will
feature some great hoop action and keep moving towards being one of the premier tournaments in the
province.

Tournament Overview

Any team wanting to lay claim to this year’s tournament championship will have their work cut out for them.
Not only will they have to win five games over two days, the tournament committee has assembled a thirty-two
team field, which is strong from top to bottom. Tough squads from Oakville, North Bay, Guelph, Sault
Ste. Marie, Barrie, Toronto, London, Hamilton, Waterloo, Kitchener, and Perth make-up the draw and will
be battling to become tournament champions. As a result, fans should expect to see quality, competitive
games from the opening rounds through to the finals. An overview of the host school and some of the
tournament favourites are below.

St. Benedict, Cambridge (Host School):

The Saints jumped out to a great 7 and 1 start this season winning the Consolation Final at the Falcons
Classic in Fergus, Ontario. They have struggled as of late with defensive inconsistencies but are hoping to rediscover
their scrappy defensive style which enables them to grind out wins. A focus on defense and effort
will be key for the Saints in the second half of their season and hopefully lead to some upsets at their own
tournament this weekend. Look for Reggie Headley, Jorden Westney and Tyrone Tyndale to lead the
perimeter attack for the Saints while Courtney Heath and Kieran Senior cleanup the area around the glass.
The outside shooting of Kyle Moniz and Derrick Strickland enables balanced scoring and a team-orientated
offensive attack. One player doesn’t do it for the Saints as all players contribute on the score sheet. The
Saints just finished competing in the Keswick Suncoast Classic in St. Pete Beach, Florida over Christmas and
are know focusing their sites on a strong second half to their season.

Bluevale Collegiate, Waterloo:

Last year, the Knights finished 2nd in WCSSAA with a 10-2 record. They were both semi-finalists in league
playoffs as well as CWOSSA. With many returnees, the Knights are on a mission to be one of the best
teams in the Province and so far, they are! They are a perfect 4 and 0 in league play and were semi-finalists
at the prestigious Court Heinbuch Tournament in November. They were also champions of the Joe Raso
Flight Division at the Silver Fox Tournament. Bluevale is led by 6’6” centre Andrew Beney and 6’4” point
guard Stefan Cvrkalj. Cvrkalj is regarded as one the top players in the province and is getting interests from
NCAA Division 1 schools such as Auburn and Cornell. These two standouts are surrounded by a very strong
supporting cast who can beat you on any given night. Look for the Knights to fight their way into this year’s
final.

Forest Heights Collegiate Institute, Kitchener:

After being upset by Abbey Park in the first round last year, the 2009 Consolation Champions are hoping to
claim their 2nd Saints’ Invitational title. They won the 32 team extravaganza in 2008. Overall, the Trojans
are on a mission to improve on their previous season’s work. Losing in the WCSSAA semi-finals to the
eventual champions, this year’s squad has its sights set on winning the WCSSAA title and representing our
region at OFSAA. Returning veterans Taylor McNaughton and Srdjan Stanivuk are poised to lead this team
while key rookies Paul Anderson and Ben Nikkel add some height and depth at the forward position. Forest
Heights knows what it takes to win this tournament as every game will be a dog fight. Look for Trojans to
march their way to another final.

St. David Catholic Secondary School, Waterloo:

The St. David’s Celtics Senior Boys basketball team is coming off a banner year. They finished last season
with a perfect District 8 league record of 14-0, capping off their first league championship in 17 years. The
Celtics followed their D8 win by capturing their first ever CWOSSA “AAA” championship and qualifying
for OFSAA. At OFSAA, the Celtics lost in the quarter-finals to eventual finalist Emery Eagles from Toronto
by 8 points. The Celtics return seven players and three starters from a 34-6 team and hope to defend their
District 8 and CWOSSA titles this season. Last year they fought their way to the finals of this 32 team event
and are back this year to take it all! Look for St. David’s to go deep into this year’s bracket and challenge for
the championship.

St. Basil Secondary, Sault Ste. Marie:

The St. Basil squad is a veteran team with seven of their top eight players returning from last years NOSSA
Championship team that lost in the quarter finals at “AA” OFSAA . They also added some quality junior
players that can contribute. The Saints are lead by twin towers Tom Campana (6’5”) and Will Hamilton
(6’6”). Look for guard Matt Bertolissi to control the tempo for the Saints and make the offense click. All
three players have been contacted by universities and colleges to play at the next level. St. Basil’s is a team
not to take lightly this weekend as they know how to compete and win.

Waterloo Collegiate Institute, Waterloo:

WCI won Saints Invitational 19 in 2007 and are anxious to get back to the winner’s circle. Last year, they
lost in the consolation semi-finals but have their sights clearly set on this year’s tournament crown. They
will be looking to Jasper Wesson and Scott Coghlin for veteran leadership as well as some tenacity on the
glass. Alex Copp and Josh Forler will control the offense from the guard positions. The Vikings will utilize
their size and talent to their maximum and play a controlled, fundamentally sound brand of basketball. They
take pride in outworking their opponents. The Vikings have very high expectations this year as they return
four starters from last year’s squad that lost by 6 in the playoffs to the eventual WCSSAA champion. That
being said, WCI is a perfect 4 and 0 in league play and are gaining the respect they deserve. Look for the
Vikings to go far this weekend.

Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School, Brampton:

The Knights are playing very well and are gaining more confidence with every game. They just won the 3rd
Annual WCI/Bluevale Roundball Classic before Christmas and knocked off some strong local talent doing it.
Notre Dame is quick, athletic and play hard to the last whistle. This is a veteran team with nine returning
players. Leading the way is 2009 tournament first team all-star Nathan Thompson. He is surrounded by
some very solid players that silvered as juniors at the ROPSSAA championship in previous years. At last
year’s tournament, Notre Dame suffered a close semi-final loss to Loyola, the eventual tournament
champions. This year the Knights have their eyes clearly set on the championship title and have the talent to
do it. Watch out for the Knights!

St Joseph’s High School, Barrie:

The Jaguars are off to a slow start this season due to a number of injuries. There is still a lot of optimism as
the Jags could return four of their five starters from last year’s OFSAA AAA team that lost by 4 to silver
medalist Emery Collegiate. Despite being hurt, 6'7" Jeff Plunkett is still receiving attention form university
and college coaches based on a strong showing in the 2008-09 season. Teams could fall prey to the Jags this
weekend if their key players are healthy. We will have to wait and see.

Perth District Collegiate Institute, Perth:

Last year the Blue Devil’s were ranked fourth heading into OFSAA “AA” and ended the season with a 43 –
7 record. They shouldn’t skip a beat this year as they return four starters from last year’s Eastern Ontario
Championship team as well everyone else. Experience will make them very competitive and tough to beat.
The Blue Devils will be led by forwards Drew Webster (6’3”) and Kyle Jones (6’8”), and guards Mark
Marriner (6’1”) and Mitchell Pierman (6’6”). Perth has all the pieces to upset some teams this weekend and
go deep into the tournament.

North Albion Collegiate Institute, Etobicoke:

North Albion has a strong nucleus of six returning players plus a fresh crop of talented juniors that moved
up. With returning guard Tevon Dockery and newcomer Tre Boutlier, North Albion plans on making some
noise in the Toronto West this year. Last year the team finished second place in the north regular season.
They played Runnymede in a tough ¼ final game and won in a squeaker. North Albion went on to play
Vaughn Road in the semi-finals and lost a tough game. Look for North Albion to avenge their 2008 semifinal
loss at the Saints Invitational and win their first ever tournament title. They definitely have the talent to
do it!

Ancaster High School, Ancaster:

The Royals are making their first trip to the Saints’ Invitational and have the talent to go deep into the
tournament. They are an experienced team that plays very hard and can score in bunches. After a slow start,
the team seems to be rounding into form. Before Christmas, they were finalists at the Southwood Roundball
Tournament where they lost to Silverthorn in a close match. They also won a couple big league games to
move them into third place in the Hamilton Public School League. With things now clicking, the Royals
have their eyes firmly set on a Championship in Cambridge so look out!

The rest of the teams in this weekend’s field cannot be overlooked. All are capable of making it to the finals.
It will be a great weekend of basketball!