Into The Blue

Anish Bhalla
Scarborough, ON

The Scarborough Blues are in the 3rd quarter of their fantasy season. With ¾ of their season complete, the team is boasting an uber-impressive record of 21-3. They are a menacing team that has successfully dismantled almost every squad in Ontario, from London to Lake Simcoe. Above that, they are sending three of their graduating players down south on full scholarships. However, with the 3rd quarter winding down in this magical season, this team is still salivating at their ultimate goal, an OBA championship in Waterloo this May.

Coach Charles Kissi, a McMaster Alum and ex varsity player, along with his two assistants Rommel Gajadhar and Moronike Laleye, are instilling a sense of passion in this team that goes beyond basketball. The girls are ingesting a sense of pride and ambition that they hope will carry on beyond an OBA Championship and be a guiding light for these players’ lives. Assistant coach Rommel Gajadhar explains “this team has been with us since they were in grade 9, and now they are graduating. We hope that within the last four years we have instilled a great deal of knowledge about basketball, but we also hope to have given them a sense of morality, humility, and ambition.”

The trio of coaches have already helped secure three scholarships for their players. Simone Thomas, a 6’1” natural born leader, is heading to Binghampton University. She is a Durham region all star with Dunbarton High School in Pickering, Ontario. Simone has speed and agility on her side, along with a golden touch around the basket. Then there is Kendra Seto, a 6’0” scoring machine from Eastdale Collegiate, who is going to the University of Vermont. Kendra is a natural born leader on the court and threat from almost every position on the court. She takes a lot of pride on the defensive end, and uses her tenacity like a scud missile. Kendra was highly recruited but chose the University of Vermont because of the beautiful campus and great basketball program. Finally, Whitney Ellenor, a 6’3” terror in the paint is going to suit up for Canisius College, in Buffalo, NY. Whitney is graduating from Pine Ridge Secondary and is a nightmare for opposing teams. Her rebounding skills on the offense and defensive end, combined with her ability to finish, makes her a great pick up for the Canisius Golden Griffins. The scariest part is that they have three grade 11’s, Wumi Agunbiade, Noelle Zletni, and Bhavika Chauhan, on their team that have another year to inspire opponents to take up curling.

The girls recently took a team trip to Orlando, Florida as a team building opportunity. Coach Kissi had an action packed week full of intense training, leadership skill-building, and games against some of the best teams in the South East US. The girls won both games against their US high school opponents, one of which was Orlando Christian Prep, a top ten team in the State. Also, the girls tested their brawn against Daytona Beach Community College, a team sending three seniors to NCAA division 1 programs, and fought hard only to come short by 5 points. However, their composure on the court against an intimidating team proved the focus and determination that goes along with wearing a Blues jersey.

With the 4th quarter of a dream season approaching, this team is ready to make a move to gather some bling in the form of an OBA championship. These girls use a system of organized chaos to baffle rival teams, and make it seemingly effortless. Coach Charles Kissi has high hopes for the team in this year’s OBA playoffs. “We have trained these girls to execute and to compete. We have had a very successful season but it wouldn’t mean much if we lost early in the playoffs. With the majority of our team graduating this year, we really hope to complete our time together with a championship.” With the help of their seven dwarfs – preparation, composure, passion, intimidation, depth, skill, and unity, the Scarborough Blues are a team that will be heard this May.

Scarborough Blues Roster

Kendra Seto #9 F/G
Wumi Agunbiade #10 F
Simone Thomas #21 F
Whitney Ellenor #12 F
Alysha Ifill #23 G
Candice Magdaluyo #15 G
Noelle Zletni #22 G
Bhavika Chauhan #13 F/G
Palig Baghdasarian #11 G