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Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · Sunday December 24, 2006 41 All-out effort High school squads shut down for Christmas The Christmas break means an interruption to the Halton high school winter sports season as schools shut down for two weeks. Following is a brief summary of the top senior teams in Oakville so far and what awaits them in the new year: Boys' hockey The T.A. Blakelock Tigers have lost only two games in the last year and a half but it's the last defeat they are most anxious to avenge. The Tigers, 21-2-3 since the beginning of last season, lost last year's Halton final to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Notre Dame again appears to be the team to beat, allowing just two goals while sporting a spotless 7-0 record. When the Tigers return from the break, they'll face the two biggest challenges to their unbeaten (6-0-2) record. They meet Iroquois Ridge (6-2-0) Jan. 9 and Abbey Park (5-3) Jan. 16. After that, the Tigers don't play another team with a winning record. Girls' hockey The defending champion Loyola Hawks are among a group of five teams that has separated itself from the pack. The Hawks returned with virtually their entire team intact from last season, when they beat Assumption in the Halton final. That ended Notre Dame's four-year run as girls' hockey champions. The Hawks have shown they are again a team to contend with after they blanked Notre Dame 1-0 in their final game before the holidays. The victory improved the Hawks to 4-1, moving them into a first place tie with Nelson (4-0). Also vying for the title is Christ the King, which beat Loyola 21 in the season opener. The Jaguars are 3-0-1. Assumption (3-1) and Notre Dame (3-2) will also challenge. The T.A. Blakelock Tigers and Iroquois Ridge sit atop the newly created Tier II division. Both are 4-0 but LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER TIGERS TAMED IN FINAL: T.A. Blakelock's Alex Saunders (right) and Staynor Spartans player Sam Hoover both reach for the puck while lying on the ice after colliding during the final of last week's high school girls' hockey tournament in Burlington. Staynor defeated the Tigers 5-3. Actor Jackson getting pointers from local boxer He played a boxing promoter in The Great White Hype, but lately Samuel L. Jackson has been getting a few pointers in the ring. The Pulp Fiction star has been in Toronto for a few months filming Jumper, a sci-fi action movie directed by Doug Liman, but during breaks in shooting he's been working out with Oakville boxer Mike Post at Prime Time Personal Fitness and Boxing in Bronte. Post, who opened his gym in February, was called by the movie studio asking if Jackson could use the facility while he was in town. "It was great to get the call," Post said. "It shows that the perception of our club is consistent with our vision. We aim to have a clean, functional facility where people can feel comfortable while working toward their fitness goals." Jackson has been working with Post on basic boxing training as well as general fitness. "We've welcomed Samuel and other celebrities and it's been a great experience," Post said. Post, the No. 1 ranked super lightweight in Canada, is undefeated with a record of 13-0 with 11 knockouts. A REAL HIT: Local boxer Mike Post (left) has been giving actor Samuel L. Jackson some tips in the ring recently. See High page 44