ODSS has struggled on the court in senior boys basketball action over the past few seasons. But if Tuesday afternoon's contest against Bishop MacDonell is any indication, this will be a year to keep an eye on the Bears.

Opening their season at home to perennial District 10 favorites Bishop Mac, the senior hoopsters set the tone early in their game against the Celtics.

Tied at two for much of the opening quarter, Orangeville soon found their stride. With Bears Gordon Dewar making things happen with saves and steals and Cody McMahon dropping points from the side, ODSS soon found themselves carrying a 12-8 lead at the end of the first and only trailing by two, 20-18 at the half.

Third quarter action saw the Celtics step up their game and start to pull away from the Bears on the scoreboard but ODSS's Sterling Emery came in off the bench and kept them in range, dropping three from the top and then driving in, through and around traffic for two more, ending the quarter with Bishop Mac leading 42-27.

In the past, it likely would have been all but over for Orangeville at that point, but not this team this year.

Again it would be McMahon and Dewar taking the lead in the fourth quarter on offense while the defense played tough, containing the Celtics to just a single basket in the final eight minutes of play.

Chipping away at Bishop Mac's lead, Orangeville would draw to within striking distance in the final minutes but just couldn't catch a break from off the rim, coming up just short at the final buzzer by a score of 44-39.