HELSBY High School teams have done their school and region proud by reaching the Final Fours weekend of the England Basketball Schools Premier Competition.
After an unbeaten regular season, the under 16s side led by Kyle Squire sealed their place at the big Nottingham event by beating Roundhay School of Leeds 75-68 in the last 16 and then St Columba’s College of St Albans 91-68 in the last eight.
Helsby made a flying start to their bid to become national champions for the second time in two years when they produced a fantastic performance to thrash St Bonaventure’s Catholic School 87-63 and seal their place in the final against another London school.
Barking Abbey – Great Britain’s first Regional Institute of Basketball and home to 25% of all 2010 national team players – were out for revenge having lost to Helsby in the 2009 final when both teams were in U14s age group.
And they got it after edging an intense contest 72-70 with a buzzer-beating three-point effort from the half court.
Helsby’s U15s free-scoring side, captained by England player Cameron Mackay, progressed to Final Fours weekend with a perfect winning record.
But a below-par display cost them dear in their semi-final against Kent’s Canterbury School, who ran out 64-50 winners.
Missing skipper Mackay, Helsby then lost the third-placed play-off to Northampton School for Boys 92-87 in spite of an heroic effort.
Paul Park, Helsby’s head coach and head of PE at the school, said: “All the players were an absolute credit to themselves, the school and their families.
“Both on and off the court throughout the year, the boys have shown great commitment, determination and selflessness and the U16s were desperately unlucky not to come away as national champions again against an excellent team made up of players from all over the south of England and even Europe.”
Helsby’s U14s just missed out on a place at the Final Fours after losing 45-44 at Liverpool’s St Margaret’s High School in the last eight.
