09/03/2026
SA Country Champs
Under 14 Boys
Game 1 – The Midday Miracle
A midday start - luxury. Usually the boys are playing at dawn, half-asleep and fuelled only by fumes, so the big question was, which version of the team would actually show up? Spindles had been annoying since sunrise (so… standard), and we weren’t sure if that meant turbo-mode or meltdown-mode. Thankfully, he saved the chaos for defence and came out cooking. Five minutes from the boys of absolute fury, the type of basketball that makes parents whisper, “Where did THAT come from?” Ribs was a bit flat, but the boys yapped around him like a pack of supportive chihuahuas until he perked up. They had a couple who were lightning fast, so we ditched the full court chase and played grown up defence. Eduardo copped a blood rule thanks to some rogue elbows, and with three seconds left, Spindles casually dropped our only three pointer of the entire game. Solid win. Mild chaos. Zero paramedics required.
Game 2 – Cold Water, Cold Shooting, Hot Moose
Shoutout to Chaps’ 20 year old Coleman for keeping the water cold - colder than our shooting percentage. From tip off, we looked like we’d all eaten bricks for lunch. SYP rolled out a couple of absolute units. If we duct taped Spindles, Ribs, Noodles and Sonny into one mega child, we might’ve matched their biggest player… maybe. We were sluggish. They were not. We bricked shots. They did not. Thankfully, the Big Moose Show arrived. He carried us harder than a Year 12 group assignment. Top scorer, morale booster, certified team outperformer. We won the second half (because of course we did - it's our brand), but the early damage was done. Tough loss, valuable lessons, hydration still elite.
Game 3 – Show Court and Refs with active whistles
Show court time - big stage, shot clock, big pressure. Big Moose busted out some silky spin moves under the basket, but the refs were calling everything. If someone blinked too hard, it was probably a foul. The boys struggled to adjust until Coach deployed the terrifying combo of - Bench time “Fix it” chat. Eduardo tripped over his own feet, raising questions about gravity, coordination, and whether he needs a roadworthy check. Cue third quarter: our unofficial specialty. Eduardo turned into a rebounding piranha, Sonny hit three long‑range missiles, and suddenly we were back within 6 points with two minutes left. Then came the blowout. But hey, the scoreboard doesn’t measure heart or effort. Also, major moment - after seven tournaments, Eduardo finally asked the team manager what her name was. Be better, Ed. Chloe took that to heart and exited stage left for a work trip, probably to supervise adults instead of children, leaving Marky to take over the duties.
Game 4 – Burgers & Quickeze
We actually started well… despite Moose battling a burger emergency after inhaling multiple patties and requiring urgent Quickeze intervention. Great first quarter. Second quarter… quiet. Too quiet. Intensity dropped, scoreboard followed. Third quarter revival (classic). Hunter nailed a huge three, the boys hustled, outscored Bordertown, and kept swinging until the last siren. Bordertown pulled away late, but the boys never quit. Character building stuff. Grit. Determination. Mild indigestion.
Game 5 – Hard finish to a massive weekend
Another slow start - shocking, I know. At this point we’re considering telling the boys the game starts 20 minutes earlier so they accidentally warm up on time. Second quarter we remembered what basketball is. Moodle and Noodles lit up the scoreboard like it was Christmas. But Barossa were tough, physical, and annoyingly good. Ribs fouled out in the last, equal parts frustration and exhaustion - very fair after a weekend of sprinting, sweating, and arguing with referees using only facial expressions.
Summary – Farewell Town Team Season 25/26
And that’s a wrap! What a season. What a team. What a rollercoaster of heroic plays, questionable decisions, snack related emergencies, surprise three pointers and unforgettable moments. Huge thank you to Chaps, the Coach of All Coaches - patient, knowledgeable, and capable of managing a group of 12 year old boys on zero hours of sleep. The boys will remember these days forever. And to the parents, for scoring, taxi driving, cheering, and pretending not to yell at refs - absolute legends. And to all who’ve enjoyed the weekly write ups, thank you! Signing off (for now)…
