Last year, Renfrew Collegiate Institute was just thrilled to play host. This year, their basketball program has a chance to win big at home.
The RCI Raiders will have home court advantage when they host five of the best teams in the region during the Eastern Ontario Secondary School Athletic Association’s Junior Boys “A” championship tournament on Tuesday, February 24th.
Renfrew coach and local tournament convener Adam Noack says hosting the tournament is a huge honour, and winning in front of Raiders fans would be huge.
He adds that RCI has a real shot to win the whole thing on Tuesday; not only did the Raiders enjoy another strong season on the court, but a number of schools that would have been favoured to win in the past have moved out of the “A”-level tournament landscape since last year.
That’s not to say the path to a championship will be simple. When asked which of the visiting teams might prove to be a challenge, Noack admitted that there are no easy outs.
There’s also an added pressure on many of the athletes taking part to perform, as EOSSAA will be the final stop on their journey in high school basketball.
Friends, family, and neighbours from the community are encouraged to be a part of the crowd and support the Raiders as they open the tournament against St. John Catholic High School this Tuesday at 9:00 am. Find the full schedule for the tournament here.
(written by Kasey Egan)
