It remains a city favourite.
The Orillia Blackball Classic returned this weekend with eight teams competing in both the senior and junior girls’ divisions.
“I grew up in Orillia, so Blackball has always been a tradition here,” said Orillia Secondary School assistant senior girls’ coach Katie Guthrie.
“People get excited about it. I played in it 15 or 16 years ago with ODCVI.”
It was particularly exciting for Guthrie and her OSS senior girls Saturday night as the hometown Nighthawks defeated Hamilton’s Cathedral High School in a 55-52 thriller to keep the coveted Blackball trophy in Orillia.
Other local schools, Twin Lakes Secondary School and Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School, joined five other teams from southern Ontario in both the junior and senior divisions.
OSS junior team coach Dylan Young said organizers are happy with this weekend’s turnout after having to cancel plans to hold the tournament in September due to job action by custodial staff.
“We’re thrilled the teams were able to come from across southern Ontario,” Young said. “Normally, it’s a much bigger draw, but we’re still thrilled that we were able to have it.”
But despite the tournament’s longevity, no one interviewed Saturday seemed sure of the tournament’s origins or why the trophy is a 10-pin bowling ball affixed with an eight-ball logo.
But that mystery didn’t seem to matter to participants.
“Other Kingston teams have wanted to play here,” said Pat Grew, who coached the Kingston-based Frontenac Secondary School junior girls to the championship over Patrick Fogarty.
“We’ve played here for four years. It’s great tournament and the girls get to know other girls from other parts of Ontario. There’s a real spirit of camaraderie.”
Caleb Clark, who’s in Grade 11, was a member of the OSS senior team that won the boys’ Blackball tournament in January.
“I really enjoyed it,” said Clark, who now studies in London where he plays baseball. “You’re playing in your hometown and everybody’s cheering for you.”
