The Orillia Secondary School (OSS) senior girls basketball team overcame a mid-season crisis en route to becoming Georgian Bay Secondary School Association (GBSSA) champions Tuesday night.
Uncharacteristically, the Nighthawks slumped to third place in their division during the regular season.
At that point, coach Dan Fournier knew he had to hit the metaphorical panic button and call a team meeting.
At that pivotal meeting, the team decided to mentally reset themselves and call their fall in the standings a ‘low-point’ while focusing on getting better going forward.
After the team meeting, the resurgent Nighthawks went into second-place Collingwood and took home the win, and then downed first-place Barrie, setting up their ultimate shot at redemption in Tuesday night’s championship bout with the St. Joan of Arc Knights.
Right from the opening tip off, the Nighthawks battled hard for the right to be crowned GB champs and to earn an opportunity to compete at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association (OFSAA) championships.
It was a tightly contested game in the first quarter, and the energy level was off the charts from the crowd. Buoyed by the home fans, OSS built a 12-8 lead after the opening quarter.
Early in the second quarter, the Nighthawks forced some big turnovers and began to show signs of a dominant break out, and that’s when Knights coach Kateirna Rosar called a timeout in an attempt to calm her troops.
OSS stretched their lead to 27-18 at halftime and built a 41-28 advantage heading into the final quarter.
All hope was sucked out of the Knights with 4:55 left in the fourth quarter, when Nighthawks star Claire Fletcher capitalized on a turnover and drained a three from downtown; the crowd exploded and the Nighthawks were in control and cruised to the 53-33 decision.
Lily Seedhouse led all OSS scorers with 13 points, while Spencer Coon had a strong game with 11 points and veteran Taylor Latimer chipped in nine.
When the final buzzer sounded on the Nighthawks' victory, players, coaches and fans shared a special moment, storming the court for a well-deserved celebration.
“People had counted them out and they defeated adversity” Fournier told OrilliaMatters after the victory.
Fournier could barley contain his excitement for his players, as he knows this championship run will live in their hearts for years to come.
“Win together and walk together forever," said Fournier. “This is a memory these kids will share for a lifetime and they know it."
