At OFSAA volleyball tournaments Rebels and Bearcats ready for action

Members of the Georgetown Rebels and Acton Bearcats' senior boys' volleyball teams will head north later this week for the Ontario high school championship tournaments as representatives of the Golden Horseshoe Athletic Conference. It's the second year in a row that both have qualified for the 20-team draw, which will be held Friday and Saturday. Georgetown is ranked eighth for the OFSAA AAAA tourney in Barrie, while the Halton AAchampion Bearcats have been given the 12th seed for their division as they make the long trek to Dryden. The senior Rebels are in a preliminary-round pool with Mississauga, Grand River, Toronto's St. Michael's College and Barrie Eastview, while Acton takes on Sarnia St. Christopher, Ingersoll, Lakefield District and St. Marcellinus of Mississauga. The Bearcats confirmed their berth at OFSAA with a convincing three-games-to-none home triumph over Hamilton's Bishop Tonnos on Friday in the GHAC AA championship match by scores of 25-20, 25-14, 25-18. Acton's seniors have lost just one match-- to rival Georgetown in three sets-- against league opponents all season and have competed in five tournaments. The core of the team went to OFSAA at Ingersoll last year as Grade 11s and could be considered a dark horse this time around. "It should be a lot better. This year, we're not going to be as nervous or rattled because we've been through a lot already this season," said Bearcat middle hitter Spencer Morrison, who is mulling soccer scholarship offers from U.S. schools. "All teams up there are going to be good and we'll just take each game one by one." Live updates from the tournament action are available via www.ofsaa.on.ca.

The Acton Bearcats have qualified for the Ontario senior boys' AA volleyball high school finals this week in Dryden. The 'Cats thumped Hamilton's Bishop Tonnos last Friday in the Golden Horseshoe title match. Members of the team (front, from left) are: Craig Kirkwood, Kevin DeForest, David Carscadden, Brad Ethier, Spencer Morrison, Jesse Check. Back row: Coach John Locke, Preston Becker, Norm Tosh, Brandon Nixon, Ryan Waller, Mike Niemann, coach Chris Braun.