November 13, 2025

GBSSA VOLLEYBALL FINALS UP IN AIR AT GHS AFTER WEATHER DELAYS NEAR NORTH TEAMS, FORCING SECOND-GO FRIDAY

GRAVENHURST — An icy start in the north made the GBSSA finals a dicey day Thursday at GHS.

Junior and senior teams from Almaguin were no-shows due to bus cancellations for the Near North District School Board.

And only one team from the Penetang got to the Gravenhurst High School this morning for their 9:30 a.m. scheduled game with the host Jr. Gryphons.

And a contest between the senior Gryphs and Stayner was cancelled when the Georgian Bay finals schedule was thrown up in the air by the missing teams.

Forcing some juggling and rescheduling by the Gravenhurst teams’ coach Diana Clarke.

The catch-up is important because the school will be hosting next weekend’s provincial championship games.

And the winners need to be submitted to OFSSA officials Saturday night for that tournament schedule to be drawn up.

The Jr. Gryphons, Muskoka-Parry Sound champs, got off to good start in their first game with one win. But dropped three to visiting LeCaron in the only GBSSA finals game that got off the ground today at GHS. Left, Nic Atkinson, Tarnish Sangu Ryder Tripp, Garrett Beiers, Ethan O’Rourke, Reid Barron, Maddox Chaloux, Brody McTaggart, Oliver Gutowski, Arnaav Patel, Jordan Rogers and Jeremiah Cabading. Late for photo Clarke Natoli, Jayce Gripper.PHOTOS Mark Clairmont MuskokaTODAY.com

Meanwhile, the Gryphon junior team got things off with a good start — if a few minutes late as they waited for LeCaron players to arrive from the small French school of 100 students where there’s only one class per grade.

They represented the SCAA.

And did it well.

While the Gryphons got the jump on them in the first game with a 25-18 victory, the visitors rebounded with three successive wins 25-8, 25-15 and 25-19 to take the semi-final series.

LeCaron will play the winner of other junior semi between Almaguin and Romeo Dallaire.

Junior teams don’t have provincial championships.

**Ryder Tripp, left, looks to tip the ball back over his head as Gravenhurst was forced to play the ball more on defence than they wanted after a strong Game 1 start.**

Meanwhile the senior Gryphons, Muskoka-Parry Sound champions, will tip off at 11 a.m. Friday in their semi-final with Stayner — who they owned this season.

Almaguin and LeCaron will play after.

Followed by the senior championship game.

Games streamed on YouTube

Because GHS is co-hosting the OFSSA championships Nov. 27, 28, 29, they are streaming all the games played at GHS.

Teacher Dan Farmer had a team of students successfully testing their broadcast with this morning’s four junior games.

See those games at: https://youtube.com/@ghsgryphons

The other host schools hosting games at the provincials next weekend are Bracebridge Muskoka Lakes High School, St. Dominic’s Catholic school in Bracebridge and Huntsville High School.

Farmer, GHS music teacher, says he’s arranged photographers to provide images of those games his team will put up in their broadcast.