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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, March 11, 2010 · 18 18 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010 Falcioni wrestles temptation to win OFSAA gold medal important role in Falcioni's victory as his opponent in the final turned out to be his sparing partner from the Matmen Wrestling Club. Burgers sizzled on the grill beside him. The Throughout the two-day meet, Falcioni and smell of french fries wafted around him. He Babalull - a silver medalist last year -- would help walked past a soft-serve ice cream machine each other prepare for their meets. countless times a day. And with each Happy Meal "I thought, `You're crazy, you're showing each he served up, Zack Falcioni showed his dedication other your moves,'"said Ed Falcioni, Zack's dad to his sport. and the Holy Trinity coach. The Grade 11 Holy Trinity student won a Sure enough, after both won four straight bronze medal at the provincial high school matches, they met in the 51-kilogram final, just wrestling championships last year but in his like they planned. quest to bring home gold, he made a commit"We're best friends," Falcioni said. "We hang ment to himself to compete at a lower weight out together so it was kind of different but we class. were making jokes about (facing one another)" But as he worked his shifts each week at Until the final, at least. McDonald's, Falcioni's gold-medal determination "We didn't talk to each other (before the was put to the test. final)," Falcioni said. "We just want"It sucked," he said. "My friends "It sucked. My ed to stay focused. We had to leave would be having food and especially friends would be our friendship behind and I had to when there was extra, I would be treat him like any other opponent." having food and..I thinking, `I could be eating that, but The only difference was that I can't.' I was surrounded by tempta- would be thinking, Falcioni knew their history. "I could be eating tion." Previously wrestling at 54 kg, Falcioni showed the same resolve that, but I can't." Falcioni had always had an advanhe does on the wrestling mat, tage when they spared and he used though, and refused to give in. And it Zach Falcioni it to win the majority of their headwas all worthwhile when he defeated to-head matchups. But it was Shane Babalull of Brampton's Turner Fenton 3-2, Babalull who took an early 2-1 lead. 1-0 to win the Ontario Federation of School "I think I underestimated him a bit in the Athletic Associations (OFSAA) championship last final," said Falcioni, who evened the match before Friday in Tillsonburg and become Holy Trinity's forcing his opponent out of bounds for the decifirst provincial high school champion. sive point in the opening round. "He fought hard. His reward for the victory: "I went to He's good." McDonald's and had a double cheeseburger." Falcioni's next challenge will be the national It was worth the wait to sink his teeth into championships in Vancouver in April. The good those two all-beef patties, though. The OFSAA gold medal also more than made up for all those news is that as he chases a second national title, early morning runs, the hours of training and he will be returning to the 54-kg class. So as he goes for national gold, he'll be able to indulge in countless sparing sessions. Actually, those sparing sessions also played an the occasional burger at the Golden Arches. By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF ERIC RIEIHL / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER GOLDEN REWARD: Zach Falcioni displays the OFSAA wrestling gold medal he won last Friday in Tillsonburg. Falcioni won all five of his matches to win the 51-kilogram division. Loyola advances to OFSAA final For the second time in three days, the Loyola Hawks survived an overtime scare to guarantee themselves a medal at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) boys' AAA basketball championship in Kingston. Led by a 31-point performance by Adam Presutti, Loyola held off fifth-seeded Orchard Park for a 73-65 overtime victory in Wednesday morning's semifinal. Rohan Boney had 17 points for the Hawks, who were set to face either Martingrove or Jarvis in the gold medal game last night (Wednesday). Loyola, the tournament's top seed, also went to overtime in its opening game as 11th-seeded Oakridge rallied from a 32-23 halftime deficit. Loyola would preSee Aquinas page 19