Standard Tournament back on the hardwood

Early season tradition returns after a three-year absence

The Standard Boys High School Basketball Tournament is back for the first time in three years and for the 59th time overall.

The early-season tradition for hoops in the Niagara region was cancelled due to COVID-19 in each of the past two years.

Qualifying-round action at the four-day, 16-team tournament is taking place Monday at three venues in St. Catharines and one in Thorold.

Action tips off with 1 p.m. games at Holy Cross, where the host Raiders open against the Ridley Tigers, and at Thorold, where the Golden Eagles are home to Denis Morris.

Doubleheaders at the two schools wrap up with the Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs playing the St. Catharines Saints at Holy Cross and the Saint Francis Phoenix taking on the Westlane Spartans at Thorold, both starting at 2:30 p.m.

Two games each are scheduled on Day 1 at Governor Simcoe — 1:15 p.m., Simcoe Redcoats at Blessed Trinity Thunder; 2:45 p.m., E.L. Crossley Cyclone at West Niagara Wolfpack — as well as at Eden — 1:45 p.m., Eden Flyers versus Welland Centennial Cougars; 3:15 p.m., Greater Fort Erie Gryphons versus Smithville Christian Storm.

Churchill, Eden, Saint Francis and Simcoe each will host a championship and consolation quarterfinal game Tuesday when the field will be reduced to eight teams.

Following a day off Wednesday, action shifts to Ridley where all four semifinals will be played.

On Friday, St. Catharines Collegiate again will host championship finals on both sides of the tournament bracket. The consolation game gets underway at 5:30 p.m. and the title tilt at 7:45 p.m. following an all-star game featuring junior high school players from the Niagara Region.

In December 2019, Saint Francis defeated Crossley 70-58 in the “A” final to become the first team to win four Standard Tournament championships in a row. Since the tournament was first played in 1962, three other teams had a chance to build on three-peats: St. Catharines, 1963-65; Denis Morris, 197880; and Saint Francis, 2011-2013.

Centennial won the consolation final at the last Standard Tournament with a 49-47 victory over Churchill.

All but three teams are back from the 2019 tournament. The Lakeshore Catholic Gators and Laura Secord Patriots won’t be playing this week, nor will the Niagara Christian NAVS.

Taking their place in the lineup are the Blessed Trinity Thunder, Westlane Spartans and, making their debut, the West Niagara Wolfpack. Though construction of a new school to replace Beamsville District Secondary School and Grimsby Secondary School and the former South Lincoln High School has yet to be completed, Beamsville and Grimsby student bodies have already amalgamated with teams competing as the Wolfpack since the beginning of the 2022-23 school year in September.

In December 2019, Saint Francis defeated Crossley 70-58 in the ‘A’ final to become the first team to win four Standard Tournament championships in a row