Main photo: (Back from left) Samantha Garrod, Michelle Murat, Harry Van Kooy, Holden Dupret-Smith, Mike Sykes, Riley Knox, Lachlan Mangaroff, Scott Barker; (front from left) Jacob White, Will Caswell, Oscar Finn, Jordan Watts, Elias Coles, Sam Holinshead Farnsworth, Nolan Turner, and Andy Bulloch. Missing: Eil McDougall. (Supplied photo)
The Huntsville Hurricanes Bantam Boys were undefeated at the 2017 Ontario Basketball Association U14 Cup in London last weekend.
The team played three games and won every game. On Friday, April 21, the boys played Midland and came out strong with a winning score of 49 to 28 which really set the weekend in motion to take the win all the way.
Top scorers for the game were Holden Dupret-Smith with 12 points, Jacob White with 11 points, Mike Sykes with 10 points, and Oscar Finn with 6 points.
Saturday morning’s game had Huntsville up against Guelph.
“This was the team’s biggest post-game of the season,” said Coach Samantha Garrod, “with Mike Sykes scoring a total 23 points down low. The boys were trailing behind all game. Within the last five seconds in the fourth quarter, Holden Dupret-Smith got a clutch rebound and quickly passed it off to Harry Van Kooy who got a nice bucket to tie it up. In overtime, the boys worked really hard to pull out ahead and ended up winning 40-37. This was by far the most exciting game we have had all season. It really showed the boys how to work together as a team.” Well done, Hurricanes.
By their afternoon match-up against the Whitby Saints, the boys were feeling the intensity of the games along with exhaustion, but they dug deep and came out on top with a score of 46-43. Top scorers for this game were Riley Knox with 11, Mike Sykes with 10, Jacob White with nine, Jordan Watts with seven and Holden Dupret-Smith with six.
The final game was held on Sunday against North Bay. The Hurricanes knew they would have to play hard and fight for the win, as they have played against North Bay several times during the season.
“Our boys dominated in the first half finishing the second quarter with a score of 34-8. It was a good feeling to see everything we prepped for pay off,” said Coach Garrod. “At half, we knew North Bay was going to come back hard, but the boys kept fighting and kept a 10-point lead throughout the entire second half. We had our best shooting game all season with a total of six three-pointers as a team. At this age that is huge. The end score ended up being 49-38.” The top scorers who helped the team to secure the gold were Jacob White with 15 points, Riley Knox with 12, Holden Dupret-Smith with six and Harry Van Kooy with five points.
The boys were told to leave it all on the floor this weekend and that is exactly what they did. “They played together as a team and it seemed like everything just started to click. They played outstanding defense and rebounded better than they ever have. They deserve this win, they worked hard for it and never gave up,” said Coach Garrod. “As a coach, this weekend was very rewarding.”
Congratulations to all of the players and coaches!
The Huntsville Hurricanes U16 Midget Boys team also travelled this weekend and brought home silver from Blessed Sacrament Tournament in Hamilton.
The Huntsville Hurricanes U16 Midget Boys earned silver in their latest tournament
The Huntsville Hurricanes Basketball Club will be holding a Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction fundraiser tomorrow (April 26) at the Active Living Centre for parents, athletes and friends. Doors open at 5:30, admission is by donation.
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