NEWS RELEASE
ORILLIA LAKERS
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The Orillia Lakers U14 boys basketball team has high hopes for the 2022-23 season.
Having slowly developed into one of the top teams in their age group in all of Ontario, they are ready to show the province that they aren’t just good for a small-city team. They want to be one of the best, period.
After finishing in the third division last spring, they worked hard all summer, added key players, and won the Canadian Youth Summer League playing as Simcoe United.
The season started this weekend at the Ontario Basketball Play-in Tournament at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre with hopes of being back in the exact same place for the true provincial championship in April.
In their three play-in games, the team dominated the competition. Despite poor shooting that reflected some first-game jitters, they opened the season with a 48-30 win over the York North Avengers.
The team shot the ball a little better over the next two games and maintained a high level of defensive intensity, producing a 61-28 win against the Guelph Gryphons and a comfortable 64-33 win versus the Durham Rising Suns. The positive results in the play-in tournament should help earn the team a spot in one of the top divisions for Ontario Basketball League play, where the real tests will begin.
To prepare for the higher level of competition, the team is seeking out scrimmages against older teams in the region, adding extra practice times and skill-development sessions.
The ambitious schedule for the year is supported by an incredible group of sponsors that have stepped up to make the extraordinary pursuit of a worthy goal possible. Team sponsors include The Buck Group, JL Construction, Oscar’s Variety and Market, 125 Breakfast Club, Master Lube, Sparling Propane and IRP Industrial Rubber.
The team will be playing in the Hoop City League and Ontario Basketball League starting in November.
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