Intermediate Basketball

Our Year 9 and 10s got their turn to hit the Interschool Basketball scene on Wednesday 29th August, at the Upper Hume Intermediate tournament at the Wodonga Leisure Centre. These were the two most hotly contested Basketball teams of 2023 in terms of tryouts, with 16 boys and 15 girls trialling over 3 separate days in the Bruce Revell Sport Stadium. 

In the end, two 8-strong sides boarded the mini-bus to the Border, with the boys being unluckily crippled by Footy Injuries on the weekend prior, which ruled out key players Jack Ford and the Pensak brothers, Kallam & Lachy.

Final Standings saw the Boys finishing 1-3 from their 4 matches, defeating Wodonga Middle Years College (48-12), but losing to Cathedral College by 2 points (21-23), Galen College by 6 (24-30) and Wodonga Senior Secondary College by 2 (20-22). With all 3 losses being by narrow margins, it suggests that with a full strength team, it’s possible they may have done what they did in the Boys Netball, and won it. Jye Laxton was top scorer followed by Tom Ford.

The Girls were good enough to draw with Wodonga Senior Secondary College (12-12), but had a tougher time of it due to being made up of mostly Netballers. Pieper Gottschling was the key playmaker and top scorer, with Lucy Williamson also hitting the scoreboard.

Special thanks to staff member Amy Waide and Hailey Ronald for taking the group. To our 6 helpers, thank you for your contributions. To our 16 players, thanks again for representing our school on what was by all reports another fantastic day of Interschool Sport.

• Jud Mullins

Here is an Event Report from the Boys Head Coach, Amy Waide: 

“All the students represented the school well and showed fantastic sportsmanship. The boys were awarded 6 penalty points in the first match with Cathedral as CCW were running late. Billy Hiskins did try to argue that it should be a point for every minute they were late. If there was anyone who had brought the most enthusiasm and team spirt for the day it was Billy. 

Tom Ford showed great leadership throughout the day and at one point when the ball was fumbled and Wodonga Senior Secondary College scored, Tom called for his team mates to keep their heads up. Tom’s height served him well and enabled him to grab many rebounds. Jack Lockhart and Oscar Benson were dogged and never once quit. Jye Laxton’s speed and agility set the pace for all games and kept the ball moving quickly down the court. Kade Hadley and Hayden Cornhill were solid contributors.   

A muck around game with their mates from Galen College before their last game showed how much they enjoy just playing the game even if it didn’t count towards anything. This set the tone for their final match with Wodonga Middle Years College. The whole team was relaxed, and it showed with lots of smiles and jokes resulting in a win. 

The coaching Team of Jack Ford, Gus Jayet and Manager Emilio Milliankos-King worked well rotating players off the bench.

The girls well it wasn’t their day. As Basketballers they are fantastic Netballers. Georgia Meggs couldn’t stay on the sideline and pulled on a singlet, and Imogen Robinson desperately wanted to play and needed to be reminded that her finger is in fact broken and it wasn’t worth risking further damage.

Great bunch of young people 😊.”