Basketball
Elite Teams
After returning from an incredible USA Tour in 2024, 2025 started off with a bang with more than 500 boys trying out for our Elite teams. Those who put in the effort during some intense training sessions were rewarded with one of the 60 spots available. Training commenced for the year with Eric Hayes, Jarrod Fryar and Josh Ebbels taking teams through skills, structure and fitness to be confident to compete against the metro teams. The boys trained weekly during their lunchbreak in order to create our best chance to travel to Melbourne and compete against the likes of Rowville, Berwick, Box Hill and Flinders - all known sports schools! Our boys did not disappoint!
VCC and Champions Cup
The first tournament for the year is the VCC (Victorian College Championships) held in Werribee during Term 2. This is a great chance to see where we are placed within the metro teams and whether our boys are up to the challenge.
SPC Juniors (Years 7-8) took to the court first and boy did we feel little! Some of the metro boys had obviously eaten their veggies with our biggest player (Zane Lunn – Plays Vic Country) seemingly being dwarfed by giants from St Joseph's College. To our credit, after a significant loss or two, our boys did not drop their heads. But rather, they rallied and eventually made the cross over final where we played St Joseph's, who were just too big and strong for our men. But boy we battled! Super proud of our boys for their tenacity and courage. Tinaye Chakurangeyi’s defence, Riv Sisic’s playmaking and Zane Lunn’s scoring and offence threat really pushing the opposition.
For the Champions Cup, our Juniors left SPC at 6.15am only to arrive 10 minutes late for the first game due to Melbourne traffic. Again, we were met with some big boys from Flinders College who proved too big and strong. But again, the boys didn’t take the first loss to heart and backed it up with a more competitive second game, led by Zane Lunn and Lucas Sheehan. We seemed to be building in confidence in each game.
The final game against Essendon – Keilor saw a close battle. Again, Zane and Lucas led the team but were well supported by River Sisic, Max Walsh and Tinaye Chakurangeyi. Coming off the bench was Harison Kydd, Aiden Speechley, Charlie Bursill, Jed Hasell and Jake Crack all contributing in their own way to secure a hard-fought win. Unfortunately, Buster Argle – an outstanding young talent – wasn’t able to play due to being in Bali at the time. We are very proud of our young men and are confident in years to come that this group is going to create a lot of headaches for the metro boys!
The SPC Intermediates (Years 9-10) were up next and given a fairly decent player of ours couldn’t play due to representing Australia (Lucas Byrne) our boys had to dig deep as a unit to work together to be competitive. Again, we were outsized but our boys seem to be used to that now...we just know we are going to battle.
Our SPC Intermediate Champions Cup squad showed great effort and team spirit during our tournament at Narrendjeri Stadium on Wednesday, 13 August. The boys were led by James Sheehan and Joe Buckle as Lucas Byrne was unavailable due to his commitments for the Australian U18 National squad. With the talent in this group and the experience of some of our Year 10’s we had the goal of advancing to the next stage of the tournament.
Our first game against Marcellin College was a bit of a shock for our boys at the speed and physicality that the game would be played at for the rest of the day. We found ourselves in a tight battle but were right in it until the final seconds, unfortunately losing due to a 3pt shot by Marcellin with seven seconds left. The day was not lost however, as we only needed to win three games to advance and the boys bounced back well in the next two games winning comfortably and with everyone scoring and contributing, playing some excellent team basketball.
Our last game of the day was a must win game to advance to the next stage and we played Balwyn High School. This team had two players who were 6’10 and we were very undersized for this game which was a challenge the boys struggled to overcome. Even though the effort was excellent all day and the boys competed to their best, we fell short and unfortunately did not advance to the next stage. Some great performances on the day from Joe Buckle, and Noah Phillips, plus some big dunks from Jackson Hood and James Sheehan were the highlights of the day.
ACC
SPC vs Simmonds Catholic College (Home)
Our first game was against Simmonds Catholic College. The game started point for point and Simmonds looked like they could go with us until about 5 minutes to go in the first half. Our standout players being Jake Abrams, Levi Munyard and Ashton Halsall were very confident and led our boys to the half. In the second half, Simmonds undisciplined play was causing them to break down and our boys capitalised, eventually running away with a 30-point victory.
The second team seemed to be in auto pilot for most of the game as Simmonds second team struggled against the skill and strength of our boys. Eddie Dekker, Archie Elliot and Kobi Simpson scored with ease and the rest of the boys pitched in for a 97-3 win.
SPC vs St Bernard's College Essendon (Away)
Game 2 was on the road, headed for St Bernard's College. This game a was going to be different as we saw that Parade and St Bernard's had a close first game. On arrival our boys warmed up, discussed tactics and for the most part it looked like it was going be a close game. Our standouts Jack Hexter, Brock Healy and Liam Costello played very well against a formidable SBC team. This game was going to the wire as both teams were very evenly matched. Our boys held their nerve and ran away with an 8-point victory.
The second team, on the other hand, seemed to be a bit jetlagged from the two-hour road trip. They started off slow and never seemed to recover, even with Eddi Dekker and Xavier Matherson playing well as our two big men. Archie Elliot’s athleticism and tenacity was on full display, but SBC were simply too strong and ran away with a 20-point victory.
SPC vs St Joseph's College Geelong (Away)
Game 3 saw our boys on the road, the day before Champions Cup, without our big man Brock Healy, who injured his quad in the Ballarat Miners Youth League Grand Final. Needless to say, this game didn’t start well. St Joseph's had two significant threats and they knew how to score (and dunk – whoa!). We started slow and struggled to get points on the board as it appeared the home court advantage was strong. Our leaders just didn’t seem to get control early and we were playing catch up basketball all game. Hopefully the 20-point loss allowed our boys realise the importance of training, solid warmups and team unity heading into Game 4 against Emmanual. On the flip side, our second team came ready to play. Led by Archie Elliot, Jack Skinner and Brodie Gunnser, these boys came to win. St Joseph' kept up for most of the first half but that was just a warmup as our boys then went on to win by more than 30.
Emmanual – won by 20
Parade – won by 15 to put us in the finals against Whitefriars.
Finals
Travelled to MSAC to play Whitefriars College on Wednesday, 3 September. The game was close all the way and on the last second Taj Bowman threw up a 3-point shot on the run, hitting it and sending us into overtime. Unfortunately, in overtime, Brock Healy and Levi Munyard were fouled out and we lost by five. Three years in ACC competition and we made finals every year!
BAS Competition
Throughout Term 3 our SPC boys represented the College in force! We had more than 150 boys spread over 15 teams play games weekly against other Ballarat schools.
The games were 4pm or 4.50pm mostly played in the SPC gym and refereed by our own referees, including: Jack M Clark, Aiden Ellul, Henry Ebbels, George Ebbels, Noah Phillips, Sam Keating, Archer Martin, Campbell Sims and Nicholas Willis-Pitt.
Each week the boys were well organised by their volunteer coach (SPC Staff) who made sure they knew the time and place of their game, what uniform they had and how the game would be played. We are very appreciative of how many staff members took time out of their week so the boys could participate…thank you! As seen below each of the teachers have given a brief summary of their season.
Gen Brown Team
The Year 8 SPC Team was filled with plenty of highs despite a scoreboard that indicated mixed results. This team consistently showed determination and grit, always producing their best effort, playing with a great attitude and embracing the true nature of team sports. Win or lose, they supported each other, respected their opponents, and played with heart. Consistently executing impressive ball-handling, some sharp shooting, strong defensive play, and a growing sense of tactical awareness, reflected their skills and development over the short season. This group demonstrated that character counts equally as much as points, and these boys should be proud of the way they represented themselves and their school.
Carly Twaits Team
Our Year 7 basketball team has been on fire this season – 3 wins from 4 games with one big one still to come! The “twin towers” of Abel Doolan and Tyson Nickels have been unstoppable, stacking up points and pulling down rebounds like giants in the paint. Robbie Rawlings has been running the show as our playmaker, dishing out passes and keeping the plays flowing. And you can always count on Cooper Daly and Lachie Phillips – rock-solid in defence, setting up plays, and doing all the little things that make a team great. It’s been an awesome season so far, and the boys are ready to bring the energy for their final game!
Mr & Mrs Jirik's Team
Year 7 White played a winning season, only dropping two games, the last game was a contest for the premiership against Damascus College and we won! The players were chuffed that they now have a pennant to add to those hanging in the school gymnasium.
Right from the start of the season the team showed enthusiasm and a commitment to ensuring everyone had the opportunity to be part of the game. Notwithstanding the players clearly enjoyed offence more than defence, the team’s defence was solid and improved as the season progressed, with players showing a greater understanding of positioning and communication.
Offensively, we often had the smaller side on the court and we played best when the ball was pushed into, and then around, the offensive half. Our come-from-behind win against Clarendon, played on neutral territory, was one of the stand-out games of the season.
Everyone contributed, whether through scoring, defence, or hustle plays; and what was especially pleasing was the genuine camaraderie displayed. The team is also to be congratulated for the esprit de corps they displayed each week; they represented St Patrick’s College well.
With the skills, experience, and camaraderie built this year, the future looks bright for these young players.
Mr Morris’ Team
The Year 7 SPC Blue basketball team has enjoyed a season full of effort, improvement, and teamwork. From the first jump ball, the boys have shown great spirit, representing the College with pride and determination.
Jake Martin has been a tireless competitor, bringing energy and hustle in every contest. Alongside him, Tom Blunden has been a steady and reliable scorer, often lifting the side with his poise and consistency. Jasper Beath has provided a spark in attack, stepping up with important baskets and showing he is a player for the big moments.
Byron Stanmore has worked selflessly for his teammates, applying pressure and supporting both ends of the floor. Similarly, Kobe Keen has impressed with his versatility, always willing to put his hand up when the team needs him most. Nio Filipovic has displayed courage and determination, giving his all and adding to the team’s balance.
Declan Forsythe has been one of SPC Blue’s key contributors, combining scoring power with strong presence around the court.
Aaron Voelker has been a standout, producing outstanding scoring performances and often proving a match-winner for SPC Blue. Tom Howard also shone brightly, setting the tone with his determination and scoring touch.
While individual efforts have been outstanding, what stands out most is the boys’ commitment to each other. The team has grown in confidence and character and can be proud of the way they represented SPC Blue throughout the season.
A special thank you goes to Mr Josh Ebbels, Head of Basketball, for his organisation; Mr Simon Lappin, for his leadership of the sports program; and Mr Simon Dwyer and Mr Paddy O’Brien, for ensuring the boys had everything they needed to perform at their best in every game.
Mrs Thomsons’ Team
It’s been a challenging season for the boys, despite their best efforts. Round 5 was undoubtedly the highlight, with a memorable win against Ballarat High School, who had been enjoying a strong season. With just two minutes left on the clock and a few points behind, the boys found a second wind, surged ahead, and held the lead until the final siren. I’d like to commend the team for playing with both humility and humour — they were an absolute joy to coach.