After a 2020 season that ended in a devastating fashion and losing 6 of 10 players, the odds were stacked against the team right from the very start. This season was a rollercoaster that had a lot of ups and downs but there was always forward movement. Playing in a league against adults nearly every week is no easy feat and the boys showed great courage and strength throughout the entirety of the season. We had a few blowout wins, a few nail biting losses and a few games we let slip away from us due to our youth and inexperience in close games.

As with most sports this year, our tournament was cancelled due to covid and we also weren’t able to play in the annual Central Southland exchange as they were getting their gym redone. However, there was still one task left that was attainable, that being winning the Alexandra mens league. Unfortunately lockdown struck and as the season was in the balance it was looking like some of the boys may have played their last game in the red and gold. 

Fortunately, we were able to come out of lockdown and play the first Friday back, straight into the semi finals. We were faced with a tough task of playing with no training together for a matter of weeks and it showed on the court as the boys looked out of sync for the majority of the game. However we were able to grind out the win and move onto the big dance. 

We were now faced with an even bigger challenge in facing a team we had previously lost to three times during the regular season. This was one last chance for the team to give it everything and make something of this disrupted season. 

The previous three matchups against Mike Pero were close right up until the final whistle and this game was no different as both teams were going point for point and showing that they’d do anything to win. However, the boys weren’t letting this one slip away as a stellar defensive effort made Mike Pero crack under pressure. 

The final score was our 41 points to Mike Pero’s 27. Winning the league was an amazing achievement that the team was able to accomplish and will set the standard for the team next year. I would also like to acknowledge the B Team winning their respective final. 

The team and I would like to thank Malcolm Creagh for coaching us and developing us as players. We realise it wasn’t easy getting time off work and we appreciate the time and effort you put in. Overall, it was an unforgettable season full of emotions that was finished off by winning the league.

We started our 2021 basketball season with an inexperienced group of girls in the team. Having only one returning player from the A team last year, myself, and the rest being made up of girls from the B’s and some who had never played before, it was safe to say that there was a lot of learning to be had for the whole team. 

Once our team had begun to click and we started playing our first few games together, we came to realise that we weren’t shy in putting our coach Santilal in some stressful situations from the sidelines. Our form meant we were playing some neck in neck games, especially against the Molyneux Falcons, where we only just managed to pull off a win within the last few seconds of the game. 

Several of our games ended up being cancelled due to lockdown. However once out of this we found ourselves heading straight into the semi-finals as soon as we went into level 2 against the Molyneux Falcons. This again was another very stressful but well-fought game, that was once again won within the last three seconds, thanks to Jessie Moffit, who threw up a hopeful, last-second shot, and got it in. This resulted in us winning by one point and sending us straight to the final the following Friday night against the Alexandra All-stars who had proven to be a challenging team for us to come up against throughout the season. 

With the final right around the corner, we were all on edge as the A team in the previous two years hadn’t beaten the all-stars in the finals. Unfortunately for us, we got off to a bit of a rocky start and we didn't manage to bring our score back up with their lead. 

In the end, we were still able to proudly make second place overall in our competition. 

I am very proud of the team and all the hard work the girls put into that game, and other games throughout the season. Even though it’s not the first place we were after, it just leaves you, girls, with more determination to come out on top for next year. 

I wish you, girls, all the best of luck for next season and am very proud to say I was able to be the captain for this season and play amongst such a strong group of girls.

 A big congratulations to Isla Melton for getting the competition's most improved player this year, you definitely deserve it. 

I would also like to say a huge thank you to our coach Santilal for taking time out of your life to come and take us through our training and being there for all our games. You always provided us with jet planes during our half times and time outs. We definitely appreciate it a lot. 

I would also like to say another thank you to the rest of the teams in our competition for always providing good strong but fun games for us to play against, we would not have ended up where we are without you.