Crosby-Ironton Repeat as WIT Champions!

Video Stream

After each quarter, a taped delay video stream will be made available, if you are having problems accessing the stream, use the links below:

Championship Game

Oak Park vs Crosby Ironton - First Quarter
Oak Park vs Crosby Ironton - Second Quarter
Oak Park vs Crosby Ironton - Third Quarter
Oak Park vs Crosby Ironton - Fourth Quarter & Awards Presentation

Third Place Game

Sturgeon Heights vs Miles Mac - First Quarter
Sturgeon Heights vs Miles Mac - Second Quarter
Sturgeon Heights vs Miles Mac - Third Quarter
Sturgeon Heights vs Miles Mac - Forth Quarter

Consolation Final

Tec Voc vs Neelin - First Quarter
Tec Voc vs Neelin - Second Quarter
Tec Voc vs Neelin - Third Quarter
Tec Voc vs Neelin - Forth Quarter

Archived games from Friday Feb 1st, 2008 are available at the bottom of this page

Player Profiles

Miles Mac Buckeyes

Name: Keith Shaw
Team: Buckeyes
Shirt: #5
Position: Forward


Name: Varinder Pandher
Team: Buckeyes
Shirt: #21
Position: All (Post/forward)

The first interview was with Miles Mac Buckeyes Varinder Pandher and Keith Shaw. Both of them had been playing basketball since grade 6 and have known some of their teammates since grade 8. This is the first time for both of them to be at W.I.T. and to be competing in it. They have attended many other tournaments around the year that include the N.I.T. (the National Invitation Tournament), Wesman Classic, and Brandon’s. Keith mentioned that the Wesman Classic was “a sick tournament” and they had a lot of fun at it. When I asked them if there were any specific teams they wanted to play against the first two were Oak Park and Sturgeon Heights.

“They’re two ranked teams and it’d be good to play them,” Varinder had mentioned during the interview. As the interview started to go deeper then just W.I.T., Varinder and Keith had said that this may be their last year of basketball but they did plan to play for a recreational team. I, not being a major basketball person, didn’t know what they meant so I had to ask. “ It’s a league that’s for fun and you raise money and it’s still for competition but now for something more,” Varinder explained to me. These players do more then just basketball and they participate in a lot of other sports. Keith for one also does marathons and plays most other sports. They also take IB programs and have crazy courses like physics and calculus.

Keith’s dad was here to watch their first game and even though they had won they said that it was one of their worst games. At this point I started to move the conversation away from school and back to WIT. I had brought up the pep rally knowing that there were only two players who showed up and Varinder was one of them. “We had to have our coaches join in to make four of us for that competition and it was different. I even crashed into you guys’ mascot because I was so dizzy,” Varinder said laughing. Neither of them attended the dance but both did mention that this has been a really good tournament and that they liked the orange slices and Gatorade. “It’s been fun and it’s a good atmosphere to be in with the cameras playing,” Keith said still smiling about the orange slices.

Final quotes from the boys.

Keith- “Everyone thinks we’re a one man team but we’re actually a 5 man team.”
Varinder – “We’re the teams first team.”
This was a great interview and the boys were really talkative and didn’t mind answering my stupid questions, thanks Miles Mac!

Neelin Spartans

Name: Steve Shields
Team: Neelin Spartans
Shirt: #15
Position: Forward

Steve Shields is one of our tallest players in WIT being at 6’6 and is surprisingly shy. He has been playing basketball for 6 years and says it’s been a good six years. This is the first time he’s ever been to W.I.T. and the first time the team has played at W.I.T. as well. “It’s exciting to be at a new tournament and it sounds like a lot of fun,” Steve told me when I asked about what he thought so far about it. “ I’ve only been here for about 10 minutes right now, we just got in and I’ve never been interviewed before. It’s really interesting.”

He’s been playing with the majority of his teammates for around four years and has been busy this year with other tournaments. “We’ve attended the B.S.S.I. (Brandon Sun Spartan Invitational) tournament, Cage Classic in Regina, and the Early Cat classic as well.” Since their team is from Brandon they don’t really have any school rivalries here at W.I.T. but Steve did mention that he wanted to play Oak Park because they beat his team around a month ago. Steve talked about how he would be done with basketball after high school but was looking into playing volleyball afterwards instead. Other then basketball and volleyball Steve also helps out with a lot of school programs. “I help out by working with kids grades 2 to 4 and teaching them to play basketball. I wish I had that kind of stuff when I was younger.” As the interview ended Steve told me he was graduating this year and that he was excited to go to university.

Steve’s final quote, “If first you don’t succeed, try again.”

Oak Park Raiders

Name: Brett O’Brien
Team: Oak Park Raiders
Shirt: #5
Position: Point Guard

My third interview was with the Raider’s Brett O’Brien. At first he wasn’t really feeling the interview but he eventually got into it. Brett has been playing basketball for 5 years and this is his second year at W.I.T. and he’s excited about it. Last year they got to the finals and placed second to Crosby Ironton.

Brett has been playing for 3 or more years with his current teammates like Justin Roper and Mike Iwanchuk. The Raiders have been to almost every tournament and are actually leaving to Edmonton on the 5th of this month for another tournament. Crazy isn’t it? The team he really wants to play is Crosby Ironton. “They whooped us really bad last year,” Brett said when talking about last years W.I.T. Five of Oak Park’s Raiders attended the rally though Brett wasn’t one of them. “I had a physics exam at the time so I couldn’t attend the rally.” For university Brett plans to attend the University of Winnipeg but not for basketball. He also told me that he likes to listen to music while preparing for a game and mostly just goes with the motion.

Last quote from Brett: “Quitting while you’re ahead isn’t the same as quitting.”

Name: Justin Roper
Team: Oak Park Raiders
Shirt: #33
Position: Guard

Name: Trevor Schuermann
Team: Oak Park Raiders
Shirt: #11
Position: Forward

Another dual interview, which I did with Justin and Trevor. Both of which have been playing since they were five years old. Long time, huh? Justin is a senior in grade 12, while Trevor is a junior in eleventh grade. So while Roper was been to W.I.T. before, this was Trevor’s first time. Especially since Trevor attended Kelvin last year. Some of the tournaments that Roper attended were the Wesman Classic and the Piper Classic. The only school rivalries Roper could think of were Sturgeon Heights, and Garden City. Though Garden City isn’t at W.I.T. this year, the Raiders would have liked to play them, mainly because they recently played them in Brandon. When asked if they would continue to play basketball after high school, Roper said he would be attending a University in Nova Scotia, while Trevor still has to finish grade 12 before he can think that far ahead. Roper mentioned that he would miss basketball, since he would be graduating. Both of them did have friends and family watching, o of course I had to ask them what they thought of the team they would be playing in the finals; Crosby Ironton. Roper merely said, “They’re really good, if they were from Winnipeg they would be the best Winnipeg team. They’re really well coached.” Roper and Trevor really liked the atmosphere of W.I.T., Trevor saying is was impressed, Roper saying its fun, and “the fans seem to be better this year.” One other thing Roper and Trevor had in common was listening to music before a game. That seems to be something that most players enjoy.

Final quotes from the players:
Roper; “The W.I.T. Canteen is sweet!”
Trevor; “Thinking…”

Crosby Ironton

Name: Bryce Teshdahi
Team: Rangers
Shirt: #32
Position: Shooting Guard

Name: Trevor Dickie
Team: Rangers
Shirt: # 24
Position: Point Guard

From the Crosby Ironton Team I interviewed Bryce Teshdahi and Trevor Dickie. Both of them have been playing basketball for a total of 12 years, which is incredibly long. And their basketball skill definitely shows how much experience they have. Bryce and Trevor have both been to WIT before and are excited to be back again “it’s a great experience and a great tournament,” Bryce said at the beginning of the interview. Like the other teams in the WIT tournament, the Crosby Ironton team has a lot of dedication. Most of the players on the tem have been playing together since grade 4. When I asked them whom they wanted to play against at the beginning of the tournament they mentioned Tec Voc and Oak Park. “I wanted to play against Tec Voc this year and experience the crowds noise and the atmosphere of playing against the home team,” Bryce said. “We’re undefeated so far and we want to repeat last year and keep the title.” While Bryce had good reasons about whom he wanted to play so did Trevor. “ I want to play Oak Park again because we played them last year and it’s exciting that we will get to play them again.” Even though they live quit a distance away they have dedicated fans in the crowd. “Quit a few parents came out to watch and there’s probably a total of 15 people out there watching us.” I then brought the conversation back to the team that they were going to play next, Oak Park. “They’re a good team and they have a lot of comparisons to teams in the states,” Bryce mentioned. I then turned the interview back to the WIT tournament. “It’s great out here and there’s a lot of hospitality,” Trevor said as the interview ended.

Tec Voc Hornets

Name: Jon De Jesus
Team: Hornets
Shirt: #10
Position: Guard

From our very own Hornets I interviewed Jon De Jesus, who has been playing basketball since seventh grade. Jon is in grade 12 this year and is graduating; this is his second year at W.I.T. He plans to attend university, and already has been offered a scholarship. He likes to play volleyball, and dances in his spare time. Many of his friends and family come and watch him play basketball. Jon has gone to a few other tournaments, one of which is the Piper Classic. When asked about school rivalries he said, “Sisler Spartans!” He later explained, “It feels so good to beat them, since Stanley beat them a couple of times.” Jon also felt that Crosby Ironton would be a lot of competition, so he would like to play them. To Jon, basketball is… Well this is what he said, “Its competition, I love the thrill of the idea to play someone. I love games!” Jon of course attended the rally, really, how could he have avoided it? He really liked the hype, the cheers, and basically everything. He was nearly speechless when asked what he thought about it. Final quote from Jon; “Play hard but be in control.”

Name: Michael Ditz
Team: Tec Voc Hornets
Shirt: #14
Position: Forward

Next Michael Ditz was interviewed. He had so much to say. Ditz has been playing basketball since grade 7, and played in W.I.T. last year for grade 11. He has been playing with some of his teammates since junior high, others just since grades 10 and 11. One of the last tournaments Ditz played in was the Piper Classic, and after W.I.T. him and his teammates will be going to Regina for another tournament. Like Jon, Ditz also explained that Sisler is the major rivalry, “I’m glad we played and beat them just because of the rivalry.” Though after thinking about it for a while he added on, “Sisler is an amazing team, they played hard. We were on and everyone was just clicking.” He seemed very happy about that. Ditz is graduating this year, so he would like to play basketball for the University of Winnipeg, though all he would say is that he was going to try out, and if that doesn’t work he would like to be a Phys. Ed. teacher. Ditz is excited about graduating. He’s mostly happy about W.I.T., but “Sad because it’s my last year.” I’m sure there will be many people missing Ditz next year. As with most other players, Ditz like to listen to music before a game, and to have personal time. The final quote that Ditz gave was, “He who laughs last thinks the slowest.”

Fort Richmond Centurions

Name: Travis Hrubeniuk
Team: Centurions
Shirt: #2
Position: Forward

Name: Neil Noonan
Team: Centurions
Shirt: #5
Position: Guard

For the FRC interview I interviewed Travis Hrubeniuk and Neil Noonan together. These guys are incredible when it comes to dedication. Both of them have been playing together for 11 years. Amazing, right? They started when they were only 6 years old and most of the teammates who are in the same age group as them have been playing with them for that long as well. “Pretty much half our team been together for 11 years,” Travis added in after Neil. Just like the other teams in W.I.T. these players are busy all year round.

They have attended other tournaments like the Piper Classic, the John Taylor and Miles Mac tournaments. They even have another tournament to attend in B.C. next week. “It’s non-stop and it’s just become a lifestyle now since grade 8,” Neil mentioned. They also talked about how they wanted to play Crosby-Ironton and will definitely be back later on tonight to watch the final game. Since both of the boys are still currently in grade 11 they don’t know what they’re going to do after high school or how far they plan to go with basketball. “I’m really not to sure about what to do after,” Travis said. “You can only do as much as you can and just see where it takes you…” Neil added in.

Other then basketball they play other sports that also add to they busy schedules. Travis has volleyball and Neil plays football. “Basketball never stops and it’s just constant,” Neil said about his schedule. W.I.T. has been quite the experience for both Travis and Neil and they say, “It’s the best tournament in Winnipeg, hands down.”

Quotes:
Travis: “Watch out for 3 repeater.”
Neil: “ Try not to play scared or try to play without fear.”

Westgate Tigers

Name: Ethan Gillingham
Team: Tigers
Shirt: #33
Position: Center/Forward

Name: Noah Cain
Team: Tigers
Shirt: #32
Position: Forward

Interviews with Westgate Players Ethan Gillingham and Noah Cain were also done together. Ethan and Noah have been playing basketball for 4 years and have been together for those four years. This is their first year at W.I.T. but it isn’t new to them. “I’ve heard of it before. Like good things I’ve heard,” Noah said about W.I.T. Most of their teammates have been playing with them for just this year but it varies on certain players. Coming to W.I.T. they wanted to play Oak Park and be in the finals.

“I played Oak Park before in grade 10 and lost by 3 points so I wish I would have played them again,” Ethan mentioned. Though they have been playing together for a few years they have different outlooks on basketball and how far they plan to go. Ethan plans on playing University basketball while Noah would rather play football in university if anything. Then I asked them about the team they just played, The Ghosts from Calgary, “They looked like a good team. But we played well today and we worked well as a unit.” Noah explained. “ They played great.”

When I asked them about their thoughts on W.I.T. so far they responded with “Well it’s a well put together tournament and it’s pretty good.” Ethan is actually in the 2-ball championships tonight and Noah liked the three-point contest.

Quotes:
Ethan: “ Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but gets you nowhere.
Noah: “In everything you do pursue human excellence.”

Tec Voc Hornets

The Tec Voc Hornets are a mix of grade 11 and 12’s this year. The Hornets will look to have a balanced attack with the ability to score in transition and in the half court. Their guards are talented and although their posts are not huge they are very skilled.

Players to look for include guard Jon De Jesus, Guard Mark Caranay, Guard Jordan Thomas and forward Daniel Seburn. Jon has the ability to fill up the stat sheet. He can score, defend and is a great rebounder from the guard position. Jon also has the ability to set up his teammates. One of the guys he will be setting up is Mark Caranay. Mark has the ability to get to the rim and is a deadly outside shooter. Jordan is the floor general for the Hornets.

He leads the Tec Voc attack. He is also one of the Hornets best defenders. Daniel is a difficult matchup for opposing teams because he can play multiple positions on the court. He is an excellent rebounder and shot blocker.

Sturgeon Heights Huskies

The Sturgeon Heights Huskies hope to make their first year at Sturgeon Heights one to remember by winning the WIT championship. They will be favorites to do so as they are a deep and experienced team. The Huskies will be able to play with any team and any style.

Players to watch out for include Charles Dimaapi, Harman Brar, and Klifford Kenyon. Charles is the teams point guard and is like an extension of the coach on the court. Harman is one of the teams leading scorers. He has the ability to fill it up from anywhere on the court. Klifford is the big man in the middle for the Huskies. He is able to rebound and block shots, solidify the Huskies defense.

With these veterans and a solid group of JV players that have moved up the Huskies will look to play in the final on Saturday night.

Fort Richmond

This years edition of the Fort Richmond Centurions are young but highly skilled. Last year they won the junior varsity provincial championship. FRC will look to run and gun teams out of the gym. They pick up full court from start to finish and create easy baskets from turnovers. They are athletic throughout their lineup and will be tough to handle at the defensive end as well.

Players to watch out for include Ali Uddin, Brett Foster and Matt Waldner. Ali is the Centurions returning point guard. He is great at pushing the ball and finding the open man, but can also finish himself. He is a very good defender. Brett Foster is described by his coaches using one word, Fast! He is a great athlete who will be a tough matchup for teams because he can shoot from outside or get to the rim. Matt Waldner is one of the leading rebounders for FRC this season. He has developed an inside outside game which meshes well with guards Uddin and Foster. Matt leads by example and fights to the very end of every game.

Sisler Spartans

Fan favorites the Sisler Spartans return to WIT again this year. This years Spartans will be a fast aggressive team. They will look to score in transition and wear teams down with their tough hard nosed defense. Sisler returns 1 starter and 5 players from last years team.

Players to look for include post Daniel Dupont, guard Jordan Javier, and guard Andrew Ladesma. Daniel is the leading rebounder for the Spartans. He his athletic and works hard on the boards. He also has the ability to shoot from the outside. Jordan is the Spartans playmaker. He leads the break, finding the open man or finishing himself. He is also a very good defender. Andrew is the sharp shooter of the bunch. He can knock it down from anywhere on the court.

Westgate Tigers (Thunder Bay)

The Westgate Tigers travel to Winnipeg from Thunder Bay, Ontario. For the last two years the Tigers have competed for their conference championship, in 06-07 losing in the final. This year they look to win their conference. They return 3 starters from last years team and a total of 9 players.

Westgate will look to push the tempo and play pressure defence. However if teams want to play in the halfcourt the Tigers are more than capable of doing that. They are very balanced inside and outside.

Players to watch for are Ethan Gillingham, Marc Carruthers, and Seamus Posthuma. Ethan is a 6’4 post forward who can play both inside and out of the key. He is averaging 15 points per game for the Tigers. He is one of the top players in the SSSAA this year. Marc is a good outside shooter and can really get out and defend people. He is the team captain. Seamus is very tough in the paint. He can defend the post and is a beats on the glass. He was a great football player for the Tigers this past season.

Bishop Grandin Ghosts (Calgary)

The Bishop Grandin Ghosts travel to Winnipeg from Calgary to compete in this years WIT. The ghosts are a young team that will use an uptempo style of play to be successful at WIT. They will also rely on their aggressive defensive play to create easy offense. Bishop Grandin returns 2 starters and 5 players from last years team.

Players to watch out for include Dan Lafferty, Sean Meagher and Kirby Soco. Dan is a 6’ grade 12 guard who is currently averaging 14 ppg. Sean is a 6’5” grade 12 post who is averaging 10 points per game and Kirby is a 5’10” guard who also averages 10 ppg.

Miles Mac Buckeyes

It has been a while since the Miles Mac Buckeyes have competed for the WIT championship. They come in to this years tournament as one of the top ranked teams in the province.

The Buckeyes have a strong core of grade 12’s this year who will lead the way this year. Look for Miles Mac to bring a multi faceted attack to the court this year with both inside and outside scoring potential. Expect Miles Mac to score quickly and often as they will truly be an exciting team to watch.

Look out for players Dan Penner, Varinder Pandher and Jon Janzen. Dan is one of the top players in the province and has drawn the interest of a number of universities. Varinder brings an exceptional basketball IQ to the court. He has the ability to score both inside and outside. Jon is a tenacious defender who is fearless in his willingness to attack the basket. His work ethic is second to none.

Oak Park Raiders

The Oak Park Raiders return to WIT for the second consecutive year looking to avenge a loss in last years final. Will this be the year they take home the WIT championship trophy?

The Raiders have won more tournaments than any other team in high school basketball but have never won WIT. This years edition of the Raiders is deeper than last years team, who won the provincial championship. They have a nice balance of size and speed and can be successful in the full or half court. They will use a combination of defences to keep their opponents off balance.

Players to watch are Justin Roper, Mike Iwanchuk, and Jeremy Lomonaco. Justin is a fierce competitor that practices as hard as he plays. He is a deadly three point shooter and currently leads the team in scoring. Mike will play the point this year for Oak Park. He is also a very good outside shooter, but will be looked upon for more playmaking this year. Jeremy is a tenacious defender who can guard both the perimeter and inside.

Crosby-Ironton Rangers (Minnesota)

The Crosby-Ironton Rangers are the defending champions of WIT and they return 4 starters and 8 players from last years team. Look for the Rangers to be playing late again on Saturday night.

Crosby-Ironton will look to play an up tempo game and utilize multiple defenses. Their average margin of victory last year was 25 points.

Players to look for include 6’3” Bryce Tesdahl, 6’ Trevor Dick and 6’4” Derek Swanhorst. Bryce was last years WIT MVP. He was also named to the all conference and all state teams. He leads the team in scoring and assists and is a great rebounder. Trevor is a great defender and leads the team in steals. He also contributes at the offensive end. He was also an all conference selection. Derek is a work horse on the boards. He leads the team in rebounding, and is shooting 59% from the field.

Neelin Spartans (Brandon)

The Neelin Spartans are making the treck down the Trans-Canada highway from Brandon to compete in the 33rd edition of WIT. The Spartans won the 3A provincial championship last year and return 4 starters and 8 players from that team.

Players to watch include Sterling Nostedt, Stephen Shields, and Dan Hanno. Sterling was the 3A player of the year last year and spent the summer playing for the Manitoba provincial team. He leads the Spartans in scoring but uses his tremendous vision to set up teammates for easy baskets. The is the Spartans leader. Stephen is a 6’6” inside player who has very good fundamentals. He is the leading rebounder for Neelin. Dan is a very good ballhandler and defender. Coach Thompson counts on him to run the team.

Look for the Spartans to be very disciplined on both offense and defense. They will run their motion style offense till they get the best look, then turnaround and pressure you all over the court.

Sisler vs Westgate

Fort Richmond vs Bishop Grandin

Silver Heights vs Oak Park

Miles Mac vs Crosby Ironton