JASON SETNYK
The St. Joseph’s Catholic Secondary School Panthers made school history by winning their first-ever AA EOSSAA Junior Boys Basketball Championship, defeating the previously undefeated TISS Pirates 57-55 in a dramatic overtime finish.
Entering the championship game as underdogs, the Panthers faced a formidable opponent. The Pirates arrived with a perfect 27-0 record and had already captured five tournament titles during the season. In an earlier meeting between the two teams, TISS had defeated St. Joe’s by 18 points. Assistant coach Grant Winchester said the Panthers never stopped believing they could pull off the upset. “We were definitely the underdog but our boys gave their heart and soul, stuck to the game plan, and ultimately believed the championship could be theirs,” Winchester said. “It was a true David and Goliath story.”
The game began with the Pirates building an early 10-point lead. Head coach Jack Chisholm called a timeout and delivered what Winchester described as a heartfelt message to the team. The talk ignited a spark, helping the Panthers battle back and cut the deficit to just two points by halftime. The second half featured a tightly contested battle between two well-coached and determined teams. Neither side was able to pull away, and regulation ended in a tie, forcing a four-minute overtime period. “Again, both teams gave it their all, but we were able to come out on top, winning by one basket,” Winchester said. Co-captain Bryce Camplin was named game MVP after a strong performance in the final. Camplin pointed to the Panthers’ late first-half rally as the turning point.
“If I had to choose a specific moment in the game, I’d say when we were down 12 points a couple minutes before halftime and we clawed our way back,” Camplin said. “Our team definitely had the confidence due to the crowd in our home gym.” Camplin also credited younger teammates for stepping up in key moments. “Our Grade 9’s in the starting lineup were a big part of our success,” he said, noting the contributions of Jaxson Berniquer and Vance Hickey. “They made crucial plays down the stretch, and all of my teammates brought energy and put everything out on the court.” Vitushan Nadarasan, the Panthers’ co-captain, earned tournament MVP honours for his calm and focused leadership throughout the event. Centre Haydyn Nelson-Quibell also played a pivotal role, controlling the paint with key rebounds and timely scoring.
Chisholm praised the team’s remarkable season. “This has been a special team from the beginning,” Chisholm said. “The Panthers went 26-2 on the season. Beating a powerhouse team like the TISS Pirates was a dream come true to win our first-ever AA EOSSAA Junior Boys Basketball Championship. This goes down as one of the biggest wins in my coaching career.” For Winchester, the victory carried personal meaning as well. Nearly 20 years earlier, during the 2005-06 season, Chisholm coached Winchester as a player when St. Joe’s captured an EOSSAA title. Now reunited on the bench as coaches, they have come full circle with another championship. “Feels special for sure,” Winchester concluded.
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