Muskie tandem off to OFSAA

Lucas Punkari

The Muskie senior boys’ badminton doubles tandem of Robert Stevens and Spencer Pearce is off to the all-Ontarios next month.
The pair went a perfect 5-0 in capturing top spot in their division at the NWOSSAA playoffs yesterday in Marathon.
“Overall, the boys played very well,” said Muskie coach Brian Church, who accompanied the duo to Marathon.
“Whenever they found themselves in a tough match, they didn’t get upset,” he noted.
“Instead, they just dug a little deeper and kept playing a smart game.”
The pair opened play yesterday with a straight-sets victory over Kenora (21-7/21-16), then followed that with a three-set triumph over St. Ignatius (23-25, 21-20, and 21-13).
Stevens and Pearce then upended the host team in three sets (21-17, 13-21, and 21-17) before knocking off another team from St. Ignatius in two sets (21-15/21-13).
The Muskie tandem rounded out the tournament with a three-set victory over Manitouwadge (14-21, 21-15, and 21-16).
“Before that final match against Manitouwadge, the guys already knew that they had qualified for OFSAA as both teams had 4-0 records,” Church explained.
“But they [Stevens and Pearce] were hoping to get that first-place position, not only to claim the NWOSSAA gold but to also hopefully earn a better draw at OFSAA,” he noted.
The provincial showdown runs May 12-14 in Aurora.