Will there be a changing of the guard in high school boys hoops this season with the post season just under way?
Eastern Commerce, in the Danforth and Donlands avenues area, are not only the defending quad-A OFSAA champs, but they have a stellar recent history that includes silver medals in the two previous years (2008 and 2007), a rare miss in 2006, and then four straight gold (2005, 2004, 2003, 2002).This year, however, Eastern Commerce are not even the best team in their south division, and not even in the top three ranked teams in Toronto, according to one of the daily newspaper polls.That daily poll had Ajax's Richardson Collegiate ranked number one. Toronto teams included: Father Henry Carr (2), Oakwood (4), Mother Teresa (6), Eastern Commerce (9) and Martingrove (10) with honourable mention to Pope John Paul II.The Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) schools (Father Henry Carr, Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul) finish out their regular season this coming week, Feb. 8 to 12.But Toronto District School Board (TDSB) schools have already started their playoffs with the above three ranked schools (Oakwood, Eastern Commerce and Martingrove) seeing first action on Tuesday, Feb. 9.Oakwood, 9-0 in south division play, take on Northern (6-3); Eastern Commerce (8-1) take on Jarvis (7-2).Eastern Commerce's only blemish during the regular season was 68-63 to Oakwood.In a west division game, Martingrove (8-0) hosts Silverthorn (7-1).Last year's OFSAA quad-A gold medal game in Windsor was an all-Toronto thriller, won 50-49 by Eastern Commerce over Scarborough's Mother Teresa.For complete standings, scores and schedules log on to www.tdsb.on.ca (and then click TDSB sports).For the Catholic league, they play under the banner of the Toronto District Colleges Athletic Association (TDCAA) and their website is at www.tdcaa.org