05/02/2025
Good morning, PGBA,
In what proved to be a high-intensity, fast-paced and physical game, last night's championship contest was one for the ages, as Whitewater Brewery successfully defended their crown with a 76-67 victory over the Rockingham Rockstars at Fellowes High School.
For Whitewater Brewery, both Jesse Cassista and Kevin Dulude poured in 18 points, and played enormous defence throughout the night. Rusty Van Diepeningen battled through a season-long chronic injury to get some key buckets in the clutch.
Chris Bard delivered several big plays, including two monster blocks in the second half, while Mark McLaughlin, Pat Childerhose, Chris Thompson and Brady Risteen secured dozens of rebounds at both ends.
Dave Noble set some great screens, possibly even on purpose, while captain Jamie MacDonald also played several minutes of basketball, resulting in him once again being awarded the 2024/25 PGBA MVP award for the ninth consecutive year (adding to his record).
The Rockstars were led by the superb play of Evan Shadkami, with a hard-earned 32 points, including six 3-point shots that did not even touch the rim as they went down.
Rockstars Captain and new father (congrats!) Ed Battiston fought valiantly for every basket and every inch of space all night as usual, while Sieger Roorda, T.J. Delafuente, Brendan Delahunt, Beckham Beardsley and Eric Lee played enormously hard on both ends of the floor in a contest that could have gone either way.
In the 8 PM contest, the Petawawa Stags took down the Stafford Suns 83-54, with Zach Bennett scoring 35 points (💪) for the Stags, while Nate Lemieux dropped 22 points for the Suns.
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Congratulations to all of the league's players this year on a truly great season. Every year that we run the league without a fist fight or major / serious injury is a blessing, and I'd say this year really puts the emphasis on the 'Gentlemen' aspect of our league. We welcomed many new players and friends into the Association, and every team seemed capable of winning in any game, on any given night. Looking forward to the 2025/26 season with great anticipation!
As always, thank you to the RABO officials that work our league every year - without your support, none of this is possible. Some of us recall when this league was played without officials, and it was....not good.....so everyone one of us owes a debt of gratitude to your work.
NOTE: RABO is always looking for new officials to join their ranks, so if this is something that you'd be interested in, contact me and I will get you in touch with their organization! We need more refs in Renfrew County, BAD!
As well, thanks to our scorekeepers Ethan, Mason, Joshua, Skye and Asher - you guys did great work all season under sometimes challenging circumstances. Knowing that I have reliable help at the scoring desk every week makes my work so much easier - so big appreciation to each of you!
That's it, that's all folks. See you on the fairways this summer, and watch your inboxes in September for details on next season!!! Have a great summer, and thanks one final time!
Jamie MacDonald
Convenor - PGBA
(Championship Photo: Back row, L->R: Brady Risteen, Mark McLaughlin, David Noble, Pat Childerhose, Christopher D. Thompson, Kevin Dulude. Front row, L->R: Rusty Van Diepeningen, Jamie MacDonald, Jesse Cassista, Christopher Bard.)