Weekly Sports Round-Up Apr. 20-26

By: Izabela Pitula
Photo Credit: Eilidh Major
 

Spring season is underway and HT’s athletic teams are competing against the best. Here's what's new in the Titans' world of sports.

Weekly Sports Round-Up Nov. 24-30

By: Izabela Pitula

It was another busy week for the Holy Trinity sports teams.

The senior boys football team made highlights throughout the week as they became the UNDEFEATED OFSAA champions!! On Monday, the boys beat Cardinal Newman to advance to the OFSAA Bowl. The Titans took on the St. Peter Knights’ team at the Ron Joyce Stadium in Hamilton where they defeated them 50-16 to seal the deal! Huge congratulations go out to the black & gold boys as well as the coaches for their hard work, passion and determination!!! More coverage is coming in our first print edition, which will be released this week!

Holy Trinity’s swim team hit the pool for their first swim meet on Thursday, also at McMaster. The swimmers did an amazing job individually and group wise according to one of their coaches, Ms. Lazzarato. The team has another meet coming up this week. Go Titans! No doubt you will be making some waves!

The hockey season has officially started for the Holy Trinity Titans. The girls played in some tournaments against Nelson and St. Thomas Aquinas. Good luck ladies in your future games! The senior boys hockey kicked off their season against Blakelock with a 4-0 victory. Just one day later, they came back to win the game 8-1 against Garth Webb to improve the Titans’ record to 2-0. The hockey boys are in Pittsburgh this weekend to compete and bond as a unit to develop player chemistry that drives any successful team. UPDATE: The boys went undefeated in Pennsylvania as they won their tournament! Stay tuned to the blog for the full story!

Last but not least, the Titans’ basketball teams took the court to compete during the week. The midget boys start their season this Wednesday, December 3rd at White Oaks High School. The junior boys basketball team kicked off their regular season with a 62-37 victory vs King’s Christian Collegiate. This weekend, they won the D'Youville Jam tournament, beating Sacred Heart, Applewood, and Pickering on their way to the championship. Meanwhile, the senior boys continued their season at the Freeds-St. Clair tournament in Windsor. They played Korah and beat them with the score of 61-41 to make their way into Pool C Championship against Pine Ridge where they lost 70-58. In the silver medal round, they lost to St. Patrick 71-62 before beating Resurrection 73-30 in the silver consolation match. After a tournament against difficult opposition, they should keep their heads up and continue to improve as a team for further games.

As always, GOOOOO TITANS!!

Here is the recap of the latest in Titans’ athletics:

 

Basketball

Midget Boys

• NEXT GAME: Wednesday, December 3rd. HT vs White Oaks S.S. (First game of the season)

Junior Boys

• Wednesday, November 26th. HT (62) vs King’s Christian Collegiate (37)
• NEXT GAME: Tuesday, December 2nd. HT vs Notre Dame C.S.S.

Senior Boys

• Wednesday, November 26th. HT (63) vs King’s Christian Collegiate (43)
• NEXT GAME: Tuesday, December 2nd. HT vs Notre Dame C.S.S.

Football

Senior Boys

• Monday, November 24th. HT (42) vs. Cardinal Newman (17) (GHAC)
• Thursday, November 27th. HT (50) vs St. Peter’s Knights (16) (OFSAA Bowl)

 

Hockey

Senior Boys

• Tuesday, November 25th. HT (4) vs T.A. Blakelock H.S. (0)
• Wednesday, November 26th. HT (8) vs Garth Webb S.S (1)
• NEXT GAME: Tuesday, December 2nd at River Oaks Rink B. HT vs Iroquois Ridge H.S.

 COME OUT AND SUPPORT YOUR TITANS!!!!!

GHAC Champion Titans Advance to OFSAA Bowl

By: D'Arcy Murphy
Photo Credit: Fadi Jameel and Eilidh Major (from Nov. 13th)

An impressive 42-17 victory over the Hamilton juggernaut Cardinal Newman Cardinals on Monday extended the senior football team’s unbeaten record to 10-0 this season. With this win, the Titans have booked their second trip to Ron Joyce Stadium in the span of two weeks. On Thursday morning at McMaster, Holy Trinity will take on the St. Peter’s Knights who will make the trip from Ottawa to compete in one of nine OFSAA Bowls.

The game came with a rocky start for the boys in black and gold. The Cardinals struck first when they took a 1-0 lead following a missed field goal attempt. Later, on the heels of Tevin Doyle’s 35 yard pass reception, the Titans turned the ball over on downs in the Newman red-zone. Following a 30-yard pass over the top by Newman quarterback Jake Marquette, the Cardinals drove the ball back down the field. On that same possession, Cardinal Newman scored on the first play of the second quarter, making the score 8-0. In the next few minutes of the game, the Trinity offence was able to fight back. A safety and a 70-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Nathan Rourke to star senior Will Ellis gave the Titans a 10-8 lead. Not to be outdone, the Cardinals answered with a major of their own. The final moments of the half featured a swing of the momentum in the favour of the home side. Ellis’ second touchdown of the quarter was followed up by a touchdown by Entinosa Eguavoen that sent Holy Trinity to the halftime interval up 25-15.

The ten-point lead was extended right at the kick-off opening the second half. Grade 11 student Matt Creelman, notorious for the medals he has won competing in the 100-metre dash, returned the CN kick 90 yards to the house, as the Titans pulled away in the race for the OFSAA Bowl. A Newman safety rounded out the third quarter that was debilitated by strong winds and hard sheets of rain. In a similarly blustering fourth quarter, Jason Uleryk-Carvalho added to his impressive tally of touchdowns for the season and put an exclamation point on the end of HT’s 42-17 victory.

Uleryk-Carvalho spoke after the game: “I just credit it all to the O-line and the way Rourke spreads out the ball... I just do my job."


Despite the undesirable weather, Holy Trinity students spent their lunches cheering the guys on from the bleachers. Grade 11 student Jack Copeland voiced his pride for the team, saying, “It’s amazing; all these boys have been putting in work after school, they’ve been dedicated, they’ve been playing out here hard in the rain. We’re proud Titans!”

When asked about preparations for the upcoming game, Tarik Pryce said of his squad, "We're a good football team. We put in 110% effort... You know we're going to come out here and we're going to do what we do."

Even more confident was receiver Tevin Doyley, who had a touchdown in the Halton Championship game two weeks ago: "It's just another day in the office. We come out here week after week. [With] preparation, it's easy- it's too easy."


The Titans’ final test of the season comes on Thursday when they take on the St. Peter’s Knights, the champions of our nation’s capital. The Knights, who have won five straight Ottawa Tier 1 titles, will face a Trinity squad that just two weeks ago won their first Halton Tier 1 title in school history. Supported by what is sure to be an army of students enjoying another buyout, the Titans will look to protect their 10-0 undefeated record against the visiting Knights in the season finale.

GO TITANS!

Titans' Weekly Round-Up

By: Izabela Pitula
Photo Credit: Fadi Jameel, D'Arcy Murphy, Emmie Yurchuk

It was a busy week for the Holy Trinity sports teams as many competed in various playoff games. All the teams left their heart and passion out on the field or at the gym. The Senior Girls Basketball team came very close to winning the Tier 1 Halton final as well as the GHAC 4A Semi-Final. Although the team lost, it was a great season and the Titans family is proud! The Junior Girls Field Hockey team beat the Aldershot High School team 2-0 in the quarter finals to advance to the semi-final against Craig Kielburger High School, but lost that game 4-0. Meanwhile, the Senior Girls Field Hockey team made it to the Tier 2 quarter final game against T.A. Blakelock but lost a tough one by a score of 2-1. On Friday and Saturday, the Senior Boys Basketball team began their season with the Holy Trinity Tip-Off tournament at HT. Ignas Brazdeikis was named a tournament all-star after the Titans won a bronze medal. All three Varsity Curling rinks (curling term for teams) won their games on Monday. The Senior Boys Hockey team played their final preseason game on Monday against Mt. Carmel before their season starts. Our Junior Boys Football team, after winning the Tier 1 quarter final against Christ the King, made it to the semi-final game, but they lost then to the Nelson Lords. The undefeated Senior Boys Football team won their Tier 1 semi-final game against Corpus Christi and advanced into the Halton final against Assumption, where they were crowned as the first Oakville team to win the championship. Their GHAC semi-final game is this Thursday, November, 20th against Cardinal Newman. Come out and support your Titans!

Here is a recap of the latest in Titans athletics:

Basketball

Senior Girls

• Monday, November 10th. HT (42) vs St. Ignatius of Loyola (67) (Halton Tier 1 Final)
• Wednesday, November 2014. HT (39) vs St. Thomas More-Hamilton (40) (GHAC 4A Semi Final)

Senior Boys

• Friday, November 14th. HT (83) vs MM Robinson (50) (Holy Trinity Tip-Off Tournament)
• Friday, November 14th. HT (58) vs Notre Dame-Brampton (65) (Tournament Semi Final)
• Saturday, November 15th. HT (69) vs MacNab-Hamilton (55) (Bronze Medal Game)

Field hockey

Junior Girls

• Monday, November 3rd. HT (2) vs Aldershot (0) (Halton Tier 2 Quarter Final)
• Monday, November 10th. HT (0) vs Craig Kielburger (4) (Halton Tier 2 Semi Final)

Senior Girls

• Monday, November 3rd. HT (1) vs T.A. Blakelock (2) (Halton Tier 2 Quarter Final)

Football

Junior Boys

• Friday, October 31st. HT (12) vs Christ the King (6) (Halton Tier 1 Quarter Final)
• Friday, November 7th. HT (0) vs Nelson (21) (Halton Tier 1 Semi Final)

Senior Boys

• Friday, November 7th. HT (23) vs Corpus Christi (14) (Halton Tier 1 Semi Final)
• Thursday, November 13th. HT (42) vs Assumption (28) (Halton Tier 1 Finals) 
• NEXT GAME: Thursday, November 20th, 2pm at Holy Trinity. HT vs Cardinal Newman-Stoney Creek (GHAC Semi Final)

Hockey

Senior Boys

• Monday, November 10th. HT (2) vs Our Lady of Mt Carmel-Mississauga (5) (Exhibition)
• NEXT GAME: Tuesday, November 25th, 4pm at River Oaks Rink B. HT vs T.A. Blakelock (Regular Season Opener)

Varsity Curling

• Monday, November 10th. HT was victorious in all three games played by their three rinks, including a 9-1 victory by HT3 over Oakville Trafalgar.
• NEXT GAME: Monday, November 17th, 3:30pm at Oakville Curling Club.

GO TITANS!

HT Does Do It Better: Titans Win Halton Tier 1 Championship

By: D'Arcy Murphy
Photo Credit: Tessa Frendo, Fadi Jameel, Emmie Yurchuk

It was Holy Trinity’s time to prove what they were really made of. The Titans’ dominated all day long at Ron Joyce stadium in Hamilton. The senior football team marched to a 42-28 victory over Assumption in the Halton Tier 1 Senior Football Championship game on Thursday. From the opening kick-off, the boys in black and gold showed why they went 7-0 leading up to the big dance at McMaster. Here's how they got ready for the biggest game of their season.

The Titans’ first play of the day after returning Assumption’s kick-off resulted in a Tevin Doyley touchdown. Doyley caught quarterback Nathan Rourke’s pass and ran over 70 yards for the major. Although kicker Graham Maskins could not convert the extra point, the Titans made up for it later with a single point when they tackled Crusaders star Jordan Lyons in his own end zone. Assumption came back fighting, with a strong first quarter mirroring their effort in the Pink Game at HT in October. They scored twice and had the lead at the quarter pole.

With the score 14-7 for the Crusaders, the second quarter started with a bang. Will Ellis caught another 70-yarder for a touchdown before Rourke scampered into the endzone to open up a new lead for the Titans. And they weren’t done there. Speedster Matt Creelman caught another bomb from Rourke and took it in, making the score 28-14. Closing out the quarter was Jason Uleryk-Carvalho’s short run to the house for another touchdown.

The Titans were cheered on throughout the day by over 600 Holy Trinity students. A motorcade of 13 school buses helped the supporters make the trek from Oakville. The student section was heard throughout the game, as chants of “H what? H-T!” thundered from the stands and an explosion of sound met each Trinity score. The students, joined by parents, Holy Trinity alumni, and staff- including legendary custodian George, joined the wall of sound and sea of black and gold. Holy Trinity’s support dwarfed the small student section of Assumption. It was the ultimate show of Titans spirit, despite the sub-zero temperatures and blowing snow during the game.

The game resumed with Reggie Hyacinthe’s fumble recovery that led to Uleryk-Carvalho’s second TD of the game, which capped off a 38 yard drive down the field. Now leading 42-14, the Titans had their sights set on a championship. Despite their concerned and often successful efforts at shutting down Assumption’s running game led by Lyons, the Crusaders clawed their way back just enough to keep the fans on the edge of their seats, as the game finished 42-28. AC quarterback Adam Van Kooten led the late surge, but their two touchdowns in the fourth quarter were still not enough to cancel out Trinity’s exceptional offensive output. Putting an exclamation point on the win was Trinity’s sack of Van Kooten.

Following the game, the fan support did not waver, in fact, it got even louder! As the final seconds on the clock ran out, hoarse renditions of “Kiss Him Goodbye” and “We Are the Champions” echoed through the stadium.

Coach Moscato, the leader of the Holy Trinity football program, who led the Titans to appearances in the finals in 2009 and 2010, got emotional after the game when he addressed the team; “Thank you. Thank you so much for this moment. You guys are such a great football team, such a pleasure to coach, we believed in you, and you believed in yourselves- and you came out here and you proved it… You should remember this forever.” He later summed up the win with one word; “Awesome.”

Defensive end Khalil Olasimbo pointed out how much this game meant to the Holy Trinity community; “This is not for us, this is for the whole (of) HT and everybody coming! We thank God!”

Rourke also mentioned that, “It’s great to do this for the school… It’s the first time in history. I’m so proud of this team… We love each other- we’re brothers. Words can’t really describe it right now.”

Offensive tackle Renato Sologuren, when asked how he would describe the post-game feeling; “Greatness. That’s what we are, that’s what we did, it’s our game, our league, our championship. Nobody’s gonna take this from us.”

UPDATE: The boys’ season continues, as they face the Hamilton Catholic league champion Cardinal Newman Cardinals at HT. The game was originally scheduled to take place on Thursday, November 20th but has since been rescheduled for Monday, November 24th. Stay tuned for more coverage of this golden season.

GO TITANS!

Halton Championship Preview

By: Noah Polesky
Photo Credit: Fadi Jameel

This Thursday’s buyout at McMaster University will feature a match-up of two top teams in Ontario. The Holy Trinity Titans and The Assumption Crusaders will face off in a rematch of the final regular season game in which HT came out on top: 29-28.

HT's KEYS TO THE GAME:

For HT the key to securing the league championship will be containing the ground game of Assumption. In the previous game between these two rivals, Assumption's run game was so dominant that the Crusaders did not throw a pass until their final possession of the game. They also will need to limit the number of turnovers as Assumption did not let these chances pass them by previously, scoring following a fumbled kickoff. On the other hand, Assumption doesn’t allow many turnovers so the Titans will have to take advantage of whatever they can get from the Crusaders.

PLAYER TO WATCH:

Look out for the quarterback, Nathan Rourke, he played a huge role in the Titans previous victory leading HT down the field to score the winning touchdown with 0:45 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. He was also a leader through the entire game keeping the team focused when the game seemed to be out of reach.

Kickoff at McMaster is at 12 noon.

GO TITANS!

Titans Tame Longhorns and Clinch Finals Berth with Assumption

By: D'Arcy Murphy
Photo Credit: Fadi Jameel

The Corpus Christi Longhorns were no match for Holy Trinity (ranked 14th in the nation following their undefeated regular season) in Friday’s semi-final at HT. The Titans’ victory booked them a spot in the Halton finals at McMaster Stadium on Thursday, November 13th at noon.

The finals will be a rematch of the Pink Game where HT faced Assumption on October 24th. Trinity was victorious in that game, coming back to win 29-28 after trailing by 20 points at half-time. For more on that game, check out Noah Polesky's article here: http://thehttitantimes.blogspot.ca/2014/10/titans-mount-huge-comeback-to-beat.html

On Friday, a great opening quarter from the Titans included a 60+ yard touchdown for Matt Creelman after a pass from quarterback Nathan Rourke. Later in the quarter, Entinosa Eguavoen was on the receiving end of another 60 yard play from the Titans’ QB. Jason Uleryk-Carvalho ran the ball in on the next play for the six points just before the end of the quarter.

Midway through the second quarter, with the lead still at 14-0, Reggie Hyacinthe sacked the Longhorns quarterback to inject even more life into the boys in black and gold. On the next possession, Rourke connected with receiver Will Ellis twice, with the second play resulting in the third score for the Titans offence on the afternoon. When Corpus Christi got the ball back, they were determined to keep their footing in the game. A 50 yard pass brought the Longhorns into the red zone. They made no mistake and a short pass led to an easy touchdown two plays later. The ensuing kickoff was returned 40 yards by Creelman, putting HT in good field position until Corpus intercepted an off-target pass on the next series. After a 25 yard pass completion, the quarterback from Burlington was sacked by Denver Kotack. An interception on Corpus’ third down by Lex Jeffrey helped Holy Trinity take a 21-7 lead into halftime.

Jeffrey picked off another pass - this time on his own goal line, early in the third quarter and turned it around to give HT the ball on their own 20 yard line. Both teams then turned the ball over on downs. Holy Trinity’s defence was highlighted once again by a shared sack from Nathan Haye and Kotak.

The fourth quarter was marked with a sense of urgency from the Corpus Christi offence and some nervousness on Holy Trinity’s part. After Rourke was sacked for what seemed like the first time ever, the Longhorns shortened the field with a solid punt return and two quick 15 yard passes to get in the red zone. With the ball sitting on the 10 yard line with 5:31 left to play, a smart play to an open receiver resulted in a touchdown to make it 21-14 for the Titans. Later in the quarter, the Trinity defence stood tall once again, holding Corpus at their own goal line, leading to a touchback, making the score 23-14 with 2:40 left to play. On HT’s next possession, Rourke’s running game took over, earning three first downs and whittling the clock down to 40 seconds. The game concluded 23-14.

Following the game, Nathan Rourke praised the defensive game, saying, “We told them for our game plan that we needed them to step up, and they did. It makes our job on offence a lot easier.” Lex Jeffrey, who had two interceptions in the game, added the age old quote, “Defence wins championships.”

The boys have a busy week in preparation for their date in the finals with rival Assumption on Thursday. Coach Moscato reinforced that they will get ready “the same as always; scout our opponent, devise a game plan, hopefully go out next week and execute it.” Tevin Doyley then added, “We’re going to have to go out there and work hard, stay away from injuries.”

The Junior Titans wrapped up their season on Friday afternoon after falling 21-0 to the Nelson Lords in their semi-final. Many of the boys will look forward to joining the Senior team next year as Trinity hopes to return to the Halton finals.

Stay tuned for buyout details and for more on Trinity’s championship bid.

Titans Prepare for Playoff Pressure

By: Adrian Flaherty & David Henein
Photo Credit: M. Keats

For the fall season, two of our very own teams have made it to the playoffs – senior boys’ football and senior girls’ basketball. Now, we all know that the playoffs can be a little stressful, especially with victory on the horizon. With the playoffs just days away, we decided to ask members of the football and basketball teams on how they prepare for the games.

Khalil likes to get loose before a big game.

Khalil Olasimbo, member of the football team, offered some very helpful tips on how to prepare for the playoffs:

1. Eat right
2. Sleep right
3. Watch game film
4. Watch NFL highlights
5. Go for runs
6. Heavy training

Jillian Condron, member of the basketball team, offered up some of her own helpful tips on how to prepare for the playoffs as well:

1. Run through other teams’ plays
2. Put in extra hours
3. Listen to motivational speeches from coaches and teammates
4. Get hungry for the win

We hope the senior boys’ football and senior girls’ basketball teams will do their best to win their way to a fair shot at victory, and we hope everyone will come out and support their fellow Titans.

GO TITANS!!! 

Come out and support your Titans!

Titans Mount Huge Comeback to Beat Crusaders on Pink Day

By: Noah Polesky
Photo Credit: Eilidh Major & Sophie Mayer, M. Keats

 Final Score: HT: 29 Assumption: 28

Spirits were high and the crowd was roaring in pink as the Titans kicked off the clash between the two elite level teams on Friday afternoon.

Both teams were trying to defend their undefeated records this season. It did not start well for the Titans; Assumption stunned HT with a touchdown on their first drive to put them up 7-1. At the very next kick, HT fumbled the ball on the return, handing it back over to Assumption.

They would score again to make it 14-1 before the Titan offence had even set foot on the field.

When the offence finally did reach the field, it was unimpressive. The Assumption defence held strong as they led HT to a series of three-and-outs. The Crusaders would add one more touchdown to make it 21-1 before the break.

Even though the team was down, the Student Athletic Council kept spirits high with their enthusiast cheers. 

 Flash-forward to the fourth quarter, the score at 28-22 for Assumption, two sensational drives by the Titan offence changed the course of the game. HT was in the red zone with just under a minute left. Aided by the relentless cheering of the crowd, the Titans would barge into the end zone with just a mere 0:45 seconds remaining in the game.

It was then up to HT’s defence to put up a huge fight and they did not disappoint. The crowd stormed the field as time expired to put a cap on the amazing game and atmosphere.

Special mention to D’Arcy Murphy on the trumpet and the Student Athletic Council for keeping the crowd pumped up the entire game.

The Junior Titans were also victorious Friday, defeating Assumption 33-7.