Once again, the Lajeunesse Royals are pegged as the team to beat.

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Once again, the Lajeunesse Royals are pegged as the team to beat.

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For the second year in a row, the Royals will carry the No. 1 seed into the OFSAA boys’ A basketball championships, which gets underway Monday in Woodstock.

Three other teams are also headed out to chase gold in boys’ basketball and girls’ volleyball while several more athletes will hunt for medals at the OFSAA swimming and wrestling championships.

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Following is a look at the area teams headed out to competition along with tournament prospects.

Boys A basketball

The top-seeded Royals, who are headed to OFSAA for the 10th time in 11 years, are seeking a second provincial title in three years after finishing with the bronze medal a year ago.

“Once again, we head in as the No. 1 seed with the weight of expectations hanging over us,” Royals’ head coach Geoff Parents said. “It has been a specail year, so far, we just need to finish it the right way.”

Lajeunesse opens play on Monday at 9 a.m. against No. 19 Gravenhurst in the 20-team tournament.

Guards Jacy Zhang and Lucas Kwapisz headline the offence for the Royals, but there is plenty of support in Daniel Ngendabanga, Connor Lacounsiere, Dan Bwitonzi and David Yengo Kabuya, who hit the winning layup at the buzzer in last year’s bronze-medal victory.

“We are guard heavy and very small with a short bench, so keys to our success, as always, are to defend without fouling, somehow scrap for rebounds and we have to shoot the ball well,” Parent said.

Girls AA volleyball

Riverside is headed to OFSAA for the first time since 2016 where the club won back-to-back silver medals.

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That’s where the team is projected to finish this year as the No. 2 seed at the 20-team tournament in North Bay.

“I feel very optimistic,” Stingers’ head coach Josh Muldoon said. “All year, we have been focusing  on playing as a team. We have grown to leave the individual accolades at home.

“In both WECSSAA and SWOSSAA finals, when one player made a mistake, every kid stepped up to pick up their teammate. That’s what good teams do.”

Left-side hitter Ciera Gerard and libero Sydney Clunis, who are co-captains, lead the way along with middle Mollie Lepore and setter Mikayla Milosevski, who are all in Grade 12. 

The Stingers will battle Perth, Ottawa Franco-Ouest, Milton Elsie MacGill and Mississauga Lorne Park in pool play with a top two finish sending the team to quarter-final play.

“I’m really excited,” Muldoon said. “Couldn’t ask for a better group of kids to make the trip up to North Bay with.”

Girls A volleyball

Lajeunesse will head to the A championship in Toronto as the No. 15 seed in the 20-team tournament.

“I thought it was low (seeding) given the fact that we won the consolation final last year and we had a better overall season record,” said Royals’ head coach Sonia Lapierre, whose team was seeded No. 13 a year ago. “I know the top eight teams are very competitive, so perhaps the field is stronger this time around.”

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Lajeunesse will face second-seed Sudbury L’Horizon, fifth-seeded The York School from Toronto, No. 12 Hamilton Mere-Teresa and No. 18 Toronto John Polanyi in pool play and looking for a top two finish to move into quarter-final play.

Two veterans return from last year’s team in left-side hitter Lauren Livingston and middle Mikhaila Harris. 

“We will have to consistently play smart, mix our offence and serve tough throughout the tournament to be successful,” Lapierre said

Boys AA basketball

The Vista Academy Vortex will make the school’s first-ever appearance at the OFSAA boys’ AA basketball tournament, which opens Monday in North Bay.

“We’ve made school history this year,” Vortex head coach Melanie Cardinal said.

Vista was handed the No. 14 seed for the 20-team tournament and will open play at 10 a.m. on Monday against No. 8 Guelph Bishop Macdonell.

“Our starting four seniors have been and will be essential to our success in the tournament,” Cardinal said.

Luka Knezevic, who was a tier I all-star, is a force on offence with guards Kaiden Wison and Murray McIndoe both strong defenders along with captain Filip Malovic, who led the team in blocks and rebounds.

“Having played such strong competition down here in Windsor and Essex County will prove to have been essential preparation for us and hopefully lead to success,” Cardinal said.

Swimming and Wrestling

Meanwhile, dozens of other athletes will head out to OFSAA swimming and wrestling.

The swimming championships will take place Tuesday and Wednesday at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Complex.

Meanwhile, wrestling will also be staged on Tuesday and Wednesday in Kitchener at the Memorial Auditorium Complex.

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