For the second time in three years, Kingston’s Frontenac Falcons have won the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association senior girls AA basketball title.
The Falcons won five straight games at the OFSAA tournament in Kingsville.
In the championship final they trailed by 10 points in the 4th quarter but rallied to beat the Kennedy Clippers from Windsor 61-58.
“It’s such a wonderful feeling,” said Maddi MacInnis.
The Falcons captain said losing the Kingston-area championship game to Holy Cross was devastating, but the girls picked themselves up off the floor and regrouped to win the Eastern Ontario and provincial crowns.
“The loss to Holy Cross really hurt,” continued MacInnis.
“We needed a boost of confidence and winning the EOSSA title did just that. Being named the top seed in the AA tournament was another shot in the arm. We went there with tons of confidence and won five straight games.
“I’m so proud of my team. They’ve worked so hard to get to this point.”
MacInnis will graduate high school with two OFSSA titles. She was part of the team that won in Huntsville in 2017. Coaching both championship squads was Karlyn Pixley.
“It’s a dream come true for these girls,” said Pixley.
She agreed with her captain that losing the KASSA final to Holy Cross made her squad more determined than ever.
“We played extremely well at both the EOSSA and Ontario championship tournaments. Being the top seed you have a target on your back and the girls felt it and embraced it,” she said.
“Our motto all year was to trust — to trust each other, to trust the coaches and to trust that the players are going to do what there supposed to do.”
MacInnis said that the motto paid off when the going got tough.
“We’re a huge family,” continued the team captain.
“We were down against Kennedy but found a way to win the 4th quarter and bring home another OFSAA title. This is a moment I will cherish with my teammates for the rest of my life.”