Training Camp
Throughout the school holidays, Waverley’s 1sts, 2nds and High-Performance players continued to work hard at training to put them in the best position for the second half of the CAS season.
Towards the end of the holidays, the annual January Basketball camp was in the lead-up to the Trinity Challenge and Newington Classic tournaments. The two-day camp tested both teams’ dedication and commitment, as the gruelling sessions were exhausting.
The camp allowed the players to prepare and develop high levels of confidence going into the tournaments. The level of intensity was high for both teams, as they knew they had to win all their games in the tournament to guarantee finishing on top of the CAS ladder.
Riverview Game
The Monday before the tournament was a real test for both Waverley’s 1sts and 2nds, with exhibition games against Riverview hosted in Lane Cove. The results of these games showed how ready and focused the teams were for the tournament and CAS season.
The day tipped off with the 2nds competing in a highly skilled and closely-fought game. Unfortunately, the 2nds lost with the final score 45-54 to Riverview. Throughout the game, the lead changes were continuous with both teams going back and forth. Late in the fourth quarter, the 2nds were down by 10 and needed to dig deep to make a comeback. Unfortunately, they were not able to crawl back and steal the lead, resulting in their third loss of the season. Tashi Harrison’s speed and Jock Edwards’ tenacity were valuable in keeping their team competitive in the close game.
The 1sts were eager to beat Riverview after watching them defeat the 2nds, however, as with the 2nds, the 1sts fell short with the end score 59-71. Right from the tip-off, Riverview were the more energised team, making the effort to grab those extra rebounds and run the lanes on the fastbreak. This killed Waverley, allowing Riverview to have a 15-point lead halfway through the second quarter.
The 1sts were able to slowly crawl back to make it a seven-point Riverview lead in the fourth quarter. Waverley then had to put the pressure on their opponent, but by the end of the fourth, they were short. The team was led by Daniel Palacio’s athleticism and Wylie Durrans’ hunger for the ball on the rebounds.
Trinity Cup
For the Waverley 1sts, the two days after the Riverview game were filled with high-intensity games at Cranbrook for the 23rd Annual Trinity Challenge. After coming from a tough loss to Riverview, the 1sts were determined to prove themselves, and they did by winning all three games on the first day, placing 1st in their pool. This included beating Barker (who they had lost to twice recently), in a well-fought game.
The next day commenced with the quarter-finals in which they matched up against Riverview, being fixated on beating them. At the tip off, the 1sts learned from their mistakes and got off to a hot start, working hard on defence. Riverview was able to adjust their game plan throughout the game to take the lead, and unfortunately stole the win knocking Waverley out of the tournament. The 1sts ended by placing an impressive 5th out of 16 teams.
Waverley’s 2nds played their games at Newington and successfully won the Newington Classic for the first time ever. The 2nds were heading into the tournament after a very successful first half of the CAS season, placing first on the standings. The 2nds pool was very competitive, and they were also able to win all three games, including defeating both Riverview and Knox, who they had previously lost against.
By the quarter-finals, the 2nds were sitting on top of their pool, and they knew that they had to do everything to win. After winning the quarter and semi-finals, they faced off against Newington in the grand final. Newington came out firing, forcing the 2nds to chase down the lead.
When it came to the fourth quarter it was a tied game, and anyone could win. Waverley was able to pull ahead and beat Newington 47-40, the first-ever Waverley team to win the Newington Classic. Big congratulations go to the team after their hard-fought tournament.
Blitz
All the As teams from Year 8 including the 1sts and 2nds, competed in a tournament against the CAS teams, playing 20-minute games across multiple venues. All the teams played against St Aloysius’, Cranbrook, Trinity and Barker.
1sts
The 1sts competed at Knox, knowing that their matchups were going to be tough. Although the Blitz didn’t actually mean anything, it was a big weekend for the team as they wanted to win, so they would have confidence coming to the final five games of the CAS season.
The whole team played tremendously as they battled injuries, only playing with seven during the whole tournament. They played with maximum effort and heart, managing to win all four games including a 14-point comeback against Trinity. This was vital for the team, as they now know they can beat every team, and they have the confidence to compete against Knox in Round 6 of the CAS season.
2nds
The 2nds played at Barker College, where they knew that there were not going to be any easy wins. After the Newington Classic, they knew they were the team to beat, and worked very hard attempting to keep that top spot. Unfortunately, the 2nds lost to both Trinity and Cranbrook, in two very close matchups. Although this was a shock to them, they know that they will still have to work very hard to win the premiership, as they match up against Knox in their first game of the year. The 2nds were able to come together in the final game with their terrific defence, holding Barker to just three points for the entire game.
10As
After a tough first half of the season, the 10As were determined to come out on top of the CAS Blitz. Their fixtures were held at Cranbrook, where they worked continuously with a maximum amount of effort, to win two out of four games. They managed to start and end the day well by beating St Aloysius’ and Barker, but unfortunately losing to Cranbrook and Trinity. Looking ahead, the 10As know they will have a close game coming up against Knox, after losing to them by just six at the start of the season.
9As
The first half of the CAS season for the 9As was a very strong one, as they managed to win all five games. Heading into the Blitz hosted at the Willoughby Leisure Centre, they knew they were the team to beat, in everyone’s eyes. The team was only able to beat Cranbrook on the day, losing the other three games by close margins. Despite the solitary win, the 9As remain the team to beat in the CAS.
8As
At Waverley, the 8As competed in their first-ever CAS Blitz, an intense heart-pounding moment for them. After having some big wins and tough losses, they were determined to showcase who they were to the other teams. They started off slow, unfortunately losing to St Aloysius’ in a jaw-clenching game, but were able to pick it up, securing the win in the next two games. Although they were just coming from two wins on the day, they were not able to steal the win from Barker, only losing their lead in the last few plays. The 8As will surely bounce back to put up a tough game against Knox this Saturday.
Thank you
A special thank you goes to coaches Mr Joff Garvey, Mr James Spargo, Mr Linden Smith-Hyde, Mr Johnston, and to convener Mr Anthony Gibbs for taking time out of their holidays and families, to help develop the Basketball program at Waverley during the break.
Year 7s
Congratulations to the Year 7s for completing their first week in high school, and good luck to them as they play their first CAS game against heavyweights, Knox.
Looking Ahead to the CAS Season
With half of the season completed for all but the Year 7 teams, we wish them good luck, and hope that they will enjoy their seasons. A big shout to the Year 12s to enjoy their last five Basketball games for Waverley, as they then transition into the Winter co-curricular season.
Daniel Palacio (Captain of Basketball)
Tom Gleeson (Captain of 1st V)
