BASKETBALL PROGRAM ALIVE AND THRIVING AT SFDCI

Ask Todd Spencer about the basketball program at Smiths Falls and District Collegiate Institute and he will gush accolades upon his young charges.

But behind every great team there is a leader who teaches respect and fills those young minds with all the things they can achieve — then watch them shine.

Add coach Dave Wells to the mix and it's the epitome of what this basketball program is all about.

"Wellsy laid the foundation for who I wanted to be as a coach 20 years ago," Spencer told the Record News. "To have him see this group through to a special finish is indescribable."

That special finish was a berth to the provincials last week for the senior boys' team. After winning the Lanark county (LCIAA) banner against Perth and District Collegiate Institute, the RedHawks earned their way to the Eastern Ontario (EOSSAA) championship.

Smiths Falls took the silver medal in a tough gold medal match against Thousand Islands Secondary

School at EOSSAA, which Smiths Falls hosted. That punched their ticket to the OFSAA provincials, despite a significant injury to their point guard at the start of the tournament.

"OFSAA was a really awesome life experience for everybody involved," Wells said. "It was a culmination of a lot of years of hard work, starting with Todd and his work with a group of guys many years ago. A good core of them have been playing together now for eight or nine years starting in the community program with Todd."

Wells said getting to OFSAA was a goal for the past three years, but COVID robbed them of the first two. Getting there this year was "icing on the cake."

Hosting EOSSAA was an exceptional experience. Wells said the entire community — students, players, parents, staff — took on a role to ensure the event ran smoothly.

"The program, the planning, the execution of staff and students was phenomenal," Wells said. "They were really good ambassadors of our school."

Getting to OFSAA, Wells said they had incredible financial support from the community to be able to stay in the Windsor area from March 4 to 8.

"Regrettably, we got kind of a buzz saw of a draw," Wells said of their matchups at provincials. Despite three tough losses — one by two points, and a second by a single point — Wells said opposing coaches shared their admiration of the young gritty squad from Smiths Falls.

"I think we left an impression on a lot of different coaches," he said. "We had a lot of feedback about our team."

The RedHawks may be finished their season, but they're never done training, Wells said. "We'll start building and playing again soon and get back after it."

Some of the juniors moving through the ranks are looking good to fill those empty spots left by graduating seniors. "Great group of guys," Wells said. "They had a ton of success as well. Very hard working, very committed, very passionate."

Spencer said the juniors are a close-knit group, extremely coachable and fun to be around, "an absolute pleasure to work with," he

said. "We flipped the script on last year's rebuilding year to a 20-win season, undefeated in league play and an EOSSAA silver medal. We played in six tournaments and ended with a consolation championship at the prestigious Kawartha (tournament) in Peterborough."

Wells and his wife Kelly and their children, Ellie, 8, and David, 6, were welcomed into the RedHawks fold.

"I got invited and welcomed into a rich and storied basketball program

with an amazing leader in Todd who was more than willing to share with me the program and allow me to start coaching with him and take on a group of kids who have been with him for a long time. For him to have that level of trust in me was pretty special."

Wells said the best part about coaching here is having his family alongside him, especially his kids. They have been taken under the wings of the RedHawks who have been coaching youth programs.

Spencer said he has a lot of thoughts swirling these days as he reflects.

"This makes six provincial events for me and the Smiths Falls community stepped up above and beyond each and every time," Spencer said. "I am so grateful to this community. Think of the life memories embedded in each of those groups of young men."

This year was special, Spencer added: "Jude, Ty, Josh, and my son Jayden — young men who embody the true spirit of our program's traditions and the character of our community. We started together in Storm small ball when they were seven years old. These lads had so much taken from them, yet they persevered and are in a legacy group in our program that never lost an LCIAA championship. I feel blessed to have been around young men like these for 26 years."

What does the future of RedHawks basketball look like for Spencer?

"Who knows? All I can say for certain is 'we not me,' 'family,' and 'character' are embedded in the DNA of Smiths Falls basketball, and as such, the future looks just fine."