Students shine at sports celebration
Posted By Matt James
Posted 7 months ago
It was a night of celebration and appreciation when students and coaches of the Haliburton Highlands Secondary School sports teams gathered on June 9 for the 31st annual athletics banquet.
Beginning with a bona fide athlete’s meal loaded with carbohydrates (Caesar salad, pasta, and chicken) and athlete’s prayer, students then moved to the pavilion where MC Paul Longo got the awards portion of the evening underway stating, “There’s a lot of hardware up here [on the stage] and that’s awesome.”
Spring Sports
The junior girls soccer team were 100 per cent winners in the eyes of coach Amy Klose. She said that while Grace Diezel was just okay in practice, the young lady turned into Diezel the wreaking ball come game time. Of her goaltender Klose said, “Jennifer Woolacott is a girl going somewhere.”
The senior girls’ soccer team set and met a goal this year, which was to defeat St. Thomas Aquinas. Mission accomplished. Coach Judi Paul says the girls improved and elevated their game over the season.
It was another successful season for the junior and senior badminton teams. Senior coach Jason Morissette, forced to mix the grades for the first time in years, was impressed by the way Grade 11 and 12 students showed teamwork. He was especially proud of the team’s accomplished goal of making COSSA.
Junior badminton coach Bob Schmidt wasn’t the least bit surprised at the team’s success. “We had another successful season,” he said. “Seems like we always do.” He also praised singles player Kirsten Schollig, who set and met a goal of reaching COSSA despite tough odds.
In addition to rugby head coach Kevin Ray, the team had three community coaches – David Treharne, Scott Watson, and Peter Overington – to thank for its strong season. The three men also helped raise money in the community for new rugby jerseys.
Fall Sports
Junior girls’ field hockey coach Caley Sisson said her team had a “fantastic season,” going 3-1-1 for third place in Kawartha.
The seniors came together as a team, says coach Paul Morissette, thanks to two bus rides in thunderstorms. The girls bonded and as a result the team improved over the season. Additional help from Sisson helped the varsity girls achieve their goals.
Football has always been one of the Red Hawks’s strongest sports but, as junior coach Bruce Griffith and senior co-coach Tim Davies pointed out to the athletes, some physical training wouldn’t hurt over the summer.
Griffith says dwindling numbers (the team went from 50 players to 35) is a sign of the times. Fortunately the team made up for a lack of players with their size, athletic ability, and desire to win.
“No pep talks were needed for this group,” said Griffith.
Unfortunately it was politics, not championships, that made headlines for this year’s senior coaches Davies and Derek Little. Justin Bain, a student who changed schools, was deemed ineligible to play sports this season with the Red Hawks. But it didn’t stop Justin from attending every practice and every game.
“He still showed up and made the team better, so I commend him for that,” said Davies.
Justin is proof of the kind of spirit and pride in every Red Hawks athlete.
In Sharon Dibblee the junior girls basketball team had a coach who hadn’t stepped on the court in 25 years. She set a simple goal of reaching double digits on the scoreboard and the girls achieved that in just the first game. With help from senior boys’ basketball coach Roland Zilla, the juniors went on to win Kawartha West.
The senior girls’ basketball team under coach Karen Gervais had a strong season thanks to defence and never-say-die players like Brooke Hamilton, who in one game wasn’t feeling well, came off the court to be sick, and moments later said to Gervais, “Okay coach, I’m ready to go back in.”
Japanese exchange student Yusuke Sakai earned the admiration of the senior boys’ soccer team (as well as the rest of the school) with his mind-bending soccer skills, while Brett Yake saw the most action of any goalie in any sport on the junior boys’ soccer team. Coach Schmidt said he did all he could to keep the boys in a game.
“Jessee [Tallman] is the man,” said Longo as golf coach.
For four years Jessee has been on the Red Hawks golf team and this year he supplied plenty of drama. Shooting 85 in his last chance to qualify for COSSA he was one of the first to come off the course. “He was like an expecting dad,” said Longo, telling of Jessee’s fierce pacing and multiple trips in and out of the clubhouse. But his 85 held up and he qualified for COSSA in the last possible position.
Winter Sports
“Dominated.” That’s the word coaches Phil Dulong and Caley Sisson used to describe the performance of the snowboard team this year.
“Outstanding” is the word coaches Paul Klose and Dan Fockler used to describe the success of the wrestling team. Thanks to senior leadership and eager rookies the team received best-ever results to date.
Boys’ hockey coach Ron Yake says the opposing teams’ goalies got in the way of a truly successful season but he was pleased with the boys’ 15-10-1 record. With a plethora of fast and skilled players Yake is looks forward to next year, saying, “The future looks bright.”
The junior and senior boys’ basketball teams had their share of drama. During one road game Longo’s juniors came back to win from an 18-point deficit, a formidable task in high school basketball. At home Damon Flatman played hero, sinking a field goal to win a game in the dying seconds. Longo credits the team’s dedication and belief that they could win.
Senior coach Roland Zilla was equally impressed with the senior basketball team, stating, “Every player showed up to every practice.” Thanks to some shooting guidance from Walter Tose, Zilla has high hopes for next year’s team, as he’ll inherit a number of skilled juniors moving up to the senior team.
Coaches, staff, and goodbyes
“No team can have great success without coaches,” said principal Gary Brohman in a brief speech during the banquet.
And don’t the students know it.
“Nothing feels like a family more than the field hockey team and that is all thanks to coach Paul Morissette,” said varsity girls’ field hockey team MVP Maddie Ferracuti.
“I have no idea why, but the snowboard team seems to always be looking for coaches and these guys stepped it up,” said team MVP Christianna Walker of coaches Phil Dulong and Caley Sisson.
Throughout the awards presentation it was easy to see the bonds between athletes and coaches. And while it’s predominately the students who rely on the coaches’ support, this year’s junior girls volleyball team played a major supporting role for coach Brad Tait.
Prior to the start of the volleyball season Tait’s mother died. Although he came close to backing out of coaching duties, he knew his mother would want him to fulfill his commitments and the girls helped him along the way.
“They did more to get me through the darkest part of my life,” said Tait. “More than they’ll ever know.”
Also delivering a heartfelt speech was Christie O’Neill, who after a nine-year teaching tenure at the school is off to LCVI next year. With the birth of her daughter she and her husband decided it best to live in Lindsay where he works.
O’Neill, fighting to stay composed, was grateful to Brohman for taking a chance on her and thankful to her many department heads for allowing her to do whatever she wanted, even if she went over budget a couple of times.
Also departing, after just a short time, is Kevin Ray. Brohman had only one thing to say to the departing teachers.
“Once a Hawk, always a Hawk,” he said.
Of course Red Hawks athletics wouldn’t run as smoothly as it does if it wasn’t for the help of the front-line staff members June Smith, Jackie Mayhew, and Susan Smith, who deal with buses and other clerical and administration matters.
MVP awards
Madeline Ferracuti (4), Nick Freeman (2), Kirsten Schollig (2), Jenna Dibblee (2), Christianna Walker (2), Connor Duhaime (2), Jenna Dibblee (2), Grace Diezel (2), Kirsten Schollig (2), Andrew Elia (2), Chris Judge (2), Erin Pottier (2), Jessee Tallman (2), Justin Bain (2), Marcie Dick, Alex Treharne, Greg Baumgartner, and, Jillian Mayhew, Tara O’Sullivan, Tyler Wood, Brandon Yake, Karl Kadwell, Cody Pringle, Jennifer Woolacott, Katelin Cowan, Jillary Hawley, Drew Paul, Jesse Schmidt, Adriana Ellis, Tessa Iles, Brett Yake, Brooke Hamilton, Sarah Morgan, Brock Brown, John Ellis, Jamie Ruddell, Madison Rallis, Cody Griffin, Mike Mazara, Dan Wright, Kara Pogue, Shane Dibblee, J.L. Frybort, Luke Watson, and Kirsi Parnoja.
Other awards
Impact award: Bruce Griffith.
Award of Excellence and Kit Pizzey Intramural Participation Award: Dan Wright
Ontario Education Leadership Centre sponsorships: Scott Griffith, Drew Paul, and Nicole Mazara.
