'Big Three' bring success to Richview
[attach]5708[/attach]In terms of boys athletics, Richview Collegiate has always been known for two sports: football and baseball.
All that changed with the arrival of TJ Rutty, Patrick Street and Chevon Brown — “The Big Three” as they’re known — to the basketball team.
“They came to Richview and they created a culture of basketball and successful basketball,” said Raymond Tone, who coaches Richview’s senior team alongside Stath Koumoutseas. “It’s a special group because we’ve followed this particular group since grade 9.”
Team captain Rutty has spent that time manning the inside. This year, the 6-foot-7 forward averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds per game.
“He changed shots and he prevented second chance opportunities and he initiated our fast break,” Tone said. “Without TJ back there doing all that stuff we don’t get into our offensive transition and get up and down the floor, so it all started with TJ.”
Wingman Street’s jump shot helped him lead the team in scoring this season.
“Patrick, he’s a 6-foot-4, two-three and is as good a shooter as there is in the province,” said Tone.
Setting up the two was Brown, the team’s fast and quick point guard and only member of the Big Three who may return to Richview next year.
“Chevy is as a good an athlete as I’ve coached,” said Tone, who used to coach at Wilfrid Laurier University. “He’s just a crazy, phenomenal type of athlete.”
For the past four years the trio has forged chemistry and formed a formidable squad. Last year, the Richview Saints won bronze at the AAA OFSAA tournament. According to Tone, this year may have been their best yet despite the fact they didn’t medal at OFSAA.
“I would class this year, certainly, as the most successful that Richview’s ever had in terms of wins,” he said.
The Saints finished with an overall record of 32-13, including the playoffs and tournament play. They won the Great Western Round-Up tournament hosted by Western Tech, they made it to the finals of the Queen’s University High School tournament and finished in third at the Rim Rocker tournament in Mississauga.
Richview also came in second at the AAA City Championships, losing in the finals to the black and orange-draped Martingrove Collegiate squad, a group which would come back to haunt them again.
“At every turn we ran into Big Orange,” said Tone. “They just had our number.
“It almost seemed like they knew what we were going to do before we even did it.”
Only a week before that match the Saints had fallen to Martingrove 72-64 in the West Region semis. A week after the City Finals, the teams met again, this time in the second round at OFSAA.
“I would love to beat Martingrove more than any other team out there,” said Rutty. “I would rather beat Martingrove than beat Vaughan (Secondary), who won AAAA OFSAA, but me personally, I’ll never have that chance again.”
Tone said both Rutty and Street are honour roll students who plan to play Canadian university ball next season. As for Brown, he may return to Richview for a fifth year or head south to hone his skills at an American prep school.
“I’m really proud of them and they’re a special group to coach and certainly they’re going to be missed,” said Tone. “I really am going to miss them.”
