THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2017
THE PICTON
Gazette
2
Volume 187, Week 9
Canada’s oldest non-daily newspaper
Ministry drafts order to Panthers boys reach contamination IMPROVED league semifinal IMPACTEDaddress
Junior Panthers redeem themselves with COSSA win PECI earns gold in boys basketball for first time in 21 years ADAM BRAMBURGER STAFF WRITER
It all came down to a choice. Heartbroken and deflated following a defeat in the Bay of Quinte Conference final against St. Theresa on a Friday night, the PECI Junior Basketball Panthers had two options. They could head to Peterborough and try their hand against the unknown or they could return to Belleville and face their nemesis just one week later. “We could have chosen to get away from them and go to AAA, which was probably the easier route, but we knew we had some unfinished business and that was a good motivator for us in practice this week,” said coach Rob Garden. Ultimately, the 15 young men committed to work toward redemption. They were rewarded as they turned the tables on the Titans last Friday, winning 48-32 a week later to capture their school’s first COSSA boys gold medal in 21 years. The Panthers got off to a much better start in the final, leading 11-10 after the first quarter. In the second, they effectively limited St. Theresa’s shooting as the favourites hit just one three pointer and three shots from the free throw line. At the other end, Grade 9 Cooper Rogers matched the Titans’ output with a pair of quick three-pointers. The Panthers also got six from Brodie Byford under the basket as their lead expanded to 10.
MAKING IT COUNT PECI Panther Noah MacDonald blocks the check of St. Theresa Titans defender Jaxen Reid while scoring late in the Panthers’ COSSA gold-medal-winning 48-32 victory. (Adam Bramburger/Gazette staff)
Reflecting on the Titans’ upset a week before, Byford said the Panthers spent most of
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to shoot. “One of our main focuses this week was to lock down on
defence and shut down their shooters. We didn’t allow any open looks,” he said. “Basketball is a game of defence and defence wins championships.” Garden added the Panthers liked their odds when taking the long shots away because they have one of the one of the more effective low games in the league with big bodies like Byford, Alex Arsenault, and Logan Stark on the prowl. The Titans couldn’t muster much more after the break, while the Panthers kept coming. Jack MacCool, with two, and Ben Wells shot threes in the third, while guard Devon Wilton led the attack into the key. The Panthers outscored their opponents 15-5 that quarter, making a comeback attempt unlikely. Garden was pleased with the variety of offence on display with six three-pointers overall. “We talked about the need for us to have an inside-outside game so if they were able to take away Brodie and Alex, we’d be able to sustain that,” he said. “When we started hitting threes and they had to come out to get us, that opened the inside game. We thought Brodie and Alex did a pretty good job converting down there.” MacCool ultimately led the Panthers with 12 points. Byford had 10. Wilton, Wells, and Rogers six each. Chrisian Laffan was the Titans’ top scorer with nine points — seven of which came in the fourth quarter. According to MacCool, the difference in the Panthers this week was in their preparation to play right from the opening tip.
See CHAMPS, page 9
No face-to-face sessions granted at conference
Municipal reps push province on roads projects CHAD IBBOTSON STAFF WRITER
While a County delegation may not have had an opportunity to meet face to face with provincial ministers at this week's Ontario Good Roads Association (OGRA) annual conference, municipal officials were able to exchange information regarding a couple of important County roads projects. Mayor Robert Quaiff said the County applied to meet with three ministers, but didn't receive a spot to speak with any of the provincial representatives. Initially, local representatives believed there would be an opportunity to meet with Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca, but Quaiff said a scheduling conflict nixed that meeting. Regardless, Quaiff said he delivered to a Ministry of Transportation (MTO) senior policy advisor a document outlining the County's request to the province to download an 1,800-metre section of Hwy 33 from Cold Storage Road to the roundabout. Quaiff first made the request in January at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) annual conference. At a subsequent meeting of committee of the whole, councillors supported a motion formally asking the province to download the section.
See ROADS, page 10
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