Huntsville Hoyas junior basketball team on verge of undefeated season

[ratings]

Typically, talking about an undefeated season with just one game to go is considered one of the greatest taboos in sports – just ask the infamous 2007 New England Patriots. But for Huntsville High School’s Junior Girls basketball team, who have won all their Muskoka Parry Sound league games by a margin of 30 points or more, a perfect regular season record this year seems like more of a foregone conclusion.

While there is still an MPS winner to be crowned, already the team has set their sights on a much bigger prize – the GBSSA Championship.

“The team is looking great,” said Head Coach Sue Fawcett, who also coaches many of the girls in Huntsville Hurricanes OBA, and led the Hoyas team to an MPS Championship last year. “We are in Collingwood this weekend to play Georgian Bay teams, which will give us a good indication of what’s to be found at the Georgian Bay finals that we will be hosting once we win MPS.”

The 2015 HHS Junior Girls Basketball Team (from left to right): Coach Sue Fawcett, Emma McAlpine, Taea Schmidtke, Alexis Roberson, Abby Fawcett, Celeste Dupuis, Mykenzie Dezeil, Anjali Jindal, Tianna Fraser, Madison Buck, Rylee Denny, Paige Jackson, Gabby Arsenault, Jamie Steele, Sonya Tapley, Joey Currie, Alicia McLinden and Co- Coach Jennifer Lauer

In addition to regular season play, the girls have also competed in two tournaments this year, finishing second both times in hard-fought finals against top-tier competition. In their first tournament in September, the Hoyas hosted teams from across the region, winning all their games until dropping a close decision in the championship match against St. Joe’s, the number one ranked squad in Georgian Bay (Huntsville is ranked number two).

In their second tournament in Ajax, the girls once again swept their way to the Finals, but ultimately came up short against one of the best teams in the GTA.

“We lost to basically one of the number one junior teams in Toronto. It’s a pretty wonderful team I have,” said Fawcett.

Second year players Emma McAlpine and Joey Currie have both taken on leadership roles and impressed their coach this season, while rookies Celeste Dupuis, Gabby Arsenault and Abby Fawcett have all demonstrated an advanced level of play that has landed all three Grade 9’s on the starting line.

The MPS Championship is currently scheduled for November 10.