24 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2010 T.A. Blakelock pulls plug on boys' hockey program OUT OF ACTION: Boston University's Scott Brittain (right), pictured in action last season against University of Maryland, Baltimore County, has not played yet this season after suffering his sixth career concussion during a preseason practice. T.A. Blakelock, one of Oakville's high school boys' hockey powers in recent years, has pulled its team off the ice for the remainder of the 2009-10 Halton season. School administrators made the decision last month after the Tigers' most recent game, a 3-1 win over the Milton District Mustangs Dec. 16 in Milton. According to Blakelock principal Kevin Caughlin, a Tigers player uttered a racial slur against a Milton player during that contest. Caughlin said the incident was the second time in less than a month that players on the Blakelock team engaged in inappropriate behaviour. Some students were removed from the team following the Tigers' game against Iroquois Ridge Nov. 20 for inappropriate conduct after the game. "As we expect with any of our student-athlete teams, there is a student-school code of conduct," Caughlin said. "There are things we will not accept with inappropriate behaviour." Long-time boys' hockey coach Ken Butler and school phys-ed head Pam Bovie were also part of the process in reaching the decision to pull the team off the ice. "Our coaches are very surprised and very disappointed that it came to this," Caughlin said. "I would say the students (at our school) and a lot of players on that team are excellent student ambassadors of our school, and most of our sports teams over the years have been (ambassadors) as well." This is the second time in the past seven years that an Oakville high school has canceled its boys' hockey program in the middle of the season. Iroquois Ridge pulled its team off the ice in the middle of the 2003 season because of issues with suspensions, poor academic achievement and lack of commitment. Ridge's boys' hockey program returned in 2005 and is now one of the strongest in Halton. Caughlin said he expects Blakelock will have a boys' hockey team again next season. The Tigers were 4-5-1 this season before the team was canceled. Blakelock reached the Halton finals in 2006 and 2007, losing to Notre Dame both times. -- Jon Kuiperij PHOTO COURTESY STEVE MCLAUGHLIN / BOSTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS OLL to host senior provincials Brittain's NCAA career might be over after sixth concussion Former Iroquois Ridge basketball star Scott Brittain may have already played his final game for the Boston University Terriers. The 6-foot-9, 221-pound senior suffered his sixth career concussion during a preseason practice and has yet to suit up for the Terriers this season. Boston University coach Patrick Chambers had set last Saturday"s game against Stony Brook University as a potential return date for Brittain, but said afterwards that Brittain is likely done for the year. "It doesn't look good," Chambers told reporters. "He's still having symptoms. I wouldn't anticipate seeing him this season." The Beaver's attempts to contact Brittain this week for comment were unsuccessful. Brittain, a business student, is one of the four co-captains on the Terriers team this season. He missed the first two games of last season because of a concussion suffered in a preseason practice before returning to start 18 of the 27 games he played. He finished seventh in the America East Conference in blocks (0.9 per game) and 16th in rebounding (4.9 per game), and averaged 11.1 points per game in conference play. The previous year, as a sophomore, Brittain started 28 of 30 games and was fourth in team scoring with 10 points per game. He also led the Terriers in rebounding with 6.3 per game, good for seventh in the league, and in blocked shots with 32. Before attending Boston, Brittain was a two-year member of the Canadian junior national team and was the co-captain of the Canadian squad that competed in the Global Games in Dallas in 2006. He was a two-time MVP of the Iroquois Ridge basketball team, scored 15 points in the 2006 Adidas All-Canadian Game and was a three-time member of Iroquois Ridge's honour roll. For the third straight year, Oakville Little League (OLL) has been chosen to host one of the most prestigious baseball tournaments in the country. OLL will host the 2010 Provincial Senior League Baseball Championships later this year. The league ran the Ontario Minor A Provincial Championship last season and the Canadian Senior League Championship in 2008. "We are honoured that Little League Ontario has asked Oakville Little League to host this provincial championship," said John Sweeney, OLL president. "This tournament provides us with an opportunity to showcase the fine young athletes of Oakville and from across the province, as well as providing the opportunity to showcase the beautiful town of Oakville and Oakville Little League." The senior provincials, which will feature players age 15 and 16, will be held in late July. Specific dates, game times and locations will be posted on the OLL website (www.ollb.org) over the next few months. The Oakville Whitecaps have an automatic berth in the competition as tournament host. "I am excited about the opportunity to coach the team but also to provide our Whitecaps with an opportunity to compete in the provincials for the right to represent Ontario at the Canadian Senior League Championships this summer," said Whitecaps head coach Nick Rigato. Tournament organizers are seeking volunteers and sponsorships to help run the competition. "This event is a significant undertaking for our league and can only be successful with the generous support of our volunteers and the financial support of the Oakville business community," said John Mooney, OLL vice president of baseball operations. Anyone interested in sponsoring the event or volunteering to assist with the organization and running of the tournament is encouraged to call the Oakville Little League office at 905-827-1831 or e-mail administration@oakvillelittleleague.com. For more information on the tournament, visit www.ollb.org.