The St. Dominic Catholic Secondary School Dragons coach promises a Georgian Bay Secondary Schools Association (GBSSA) title next year after the juniors easily captured the overall Muskoka-Parry Sound (MPS) title last week.

It was the school’s third consecutive junior team overall MPS championship and coach Joe Conway promises the GBSSA title next year.

“This is the best team I’ve had. I never won by that large of a margin. I’m thrilled, I think it’s awesome,” he said.

The Dragons’ next closest competitor, Almaguin Highlands Secondary School scored 16 points.

A scheduling conflict with an annual French class trip prevented Grade 10 athletes Jocelyn Juneau, first-place ladies single, Emily Janssen and Robyn Klinkman, first-place ladies doubles, and Francis Botko and Ryan Vel, first-place men’s doubles, from playing in the GBSSA tournament held earlier this week.

“It happened to me last year too. It was just miscommunication; I thought they changed the date,” Conway said.

Four other junior players who earned berths to GBSSA last year did not join the team because of the trip.

“I would have had a really good chance at a GBSSA title this year, but that is my goal next year,” he said.

Conway’s optimism for the future stems from the four first places in the five available categories.

“Definitely by far Jocelyn (Juneau) was the most improved,” he said.

The second-year player earned her first GBSSA berth with her top placing.

“Of all of them she had the easiest time”, he said. She won all her matches, he added.

Adam Ager earned a fourth place in men’s singles, while in mixed team competition Ayla Chassie and Jacob Vandenberg, who finished first, and Margo Reville and Jeff Juneau, who finished second to their teammates, did compete at the recently held GBSSA tournament. Results were not available as of press time.

Unlike the juniors, the seniors did not fare as well, posting sixth place overall.

The lone bright spot for the senior team was by six-foot-five men’s singles player Andrew McDermott, who captured the top spot with an unblemished record using his reach and height, cutting off shots and covering the court. McDermott made the switch from men’s doubles.

Conway still believes McDermott has a great deal of potential to fulfil, but needs to work on his patience and footwork to raise his game.

“He tends to want to play a flatter, more aggressive game with more smashing,” he said. McDermott wants to end the rallies quicker, he added.

Conway said his program, particularly for the newer players, has always emphasized footwork and shot skills such as clears, smashes and drives.

All practices include footwork and shot drills with the inclusion of both age divisions of junior and senior to provide harder competition for his younger players.

“I know they are not going to win games (in practices), but at least it puts them into situations against better players,” he said. “They get to see how the games are at a better level. They pick it up faster.”

He added the team could perform better if they played in the Nighthawk Badminton club like neighbouring Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School players do regularly.

“It’s night-and-day difference. You can’t compete against that,” said Conway.