Sports Oakville Beaver 32 SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email [email protected] • FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2012 Oakville Hawks product goes second in Jr. A lacrosse draft By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Since remaking the team five years ago, the Burlington Chiefs have put a premium on having players from Halton form the core of their team. But when the Jr. A draft rolled around this year, Chiefs general manager Mark Baldini knew there was going to be one local player that he wouldn’t be able to bring into the fold. “We tried moving up in the draft, but there are not a lot of teams willing to pass up on such a talent,” Baldini said. Indeed, Oakville’s “We tried moving up in Jackson Hulbert was long the draft, but there are gone before the Chiefs not a lot of teams made their first pick at willing to pass up on number six. Hulbert went second overall to Toronto such a talent.” Beaches. “He definitely under- Burlington Chiefs GM Mark stands the game on both Baldini, talking about sides of the ball,” said Jackson Hulbert Hulbert’s midget coach, Ken Gillies. “He’s very coachable and he has a high lacrosse IQ.” Hulbert said his defensive awareness comes from his experience with Team Ontario. Cast in more of a defensive role, he helped the provincial squad win gold at the national championships at the peewee, bantam and midg- et levels. ERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVER Hulbert’s offensive abilities are obvious, though. He had seven points in his Jr. B debut and finished the season IN DEMAND: Jackson Hulbert, a Grade 11 student at The Hill Academy, was the second overall pick in last weekend’s Ontario with five goals and 14 points in just six games as a call-up Lacrosse Association junior A draft. The 6-foot, 175-pound Hulbert, known as a strong two-way player, helped Team Ontario win nation- with the Oakville Buzz last season. al gold at the peewee, bantam and midget levels. “He didn’t look out of place,” said Gillies, who is the the dirty goals but I still need to work on my outside Hulbert has also excelled in field lacrosse, making the general manager for the Buzz. “He can finish inside. He’s shooting.” provincial midget squad and earning a silver medal at a big, strong kid.” Hulbert believes his Jr. B experience will help him nationals. His Oakville Hawks midget team went unde- The Grade 11 student at The Hill Academy, who stands adjust to Jr. A. feated until falling to Orangeville in the Ontario A final. 6-foot and 185 pounds, agrees that’s where his offensive “I feel pretty confident,” he said. “I know it’s a big jump He hopes to earn a scholarship to a U.S. college and strengths lie but says he still has work to do. from Jr. B to Jr. A. Players are going to be bigger and though he’s talked to some schools, he hasn’t committed “I’m pretty good at getting to the middle and getting faster. I’ll have to make decisions a lot quicker.” yet. Your 2010 Central-Canadian Champions! VS SupportYour Friday Hometown Team! @ 7:30 SIXTEEN MILE SPORTS COMPLEX, 3070 NEYAGAWA BLVD..