Basketball at ICC
It has been another hugely successful Year for Basketball at the College. Ivybridge Community College has continued to compete with the best Schools in the Country across a range of age groups
At Under 17 level, the team made it into the National Quarter Finals once again. Along the way, the boys beat teams from Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Bournemouth. In the Quarter Final we were drawn against the highly respected Holy Trinity School from Crawley. We were missing the very influential Luke Caulwell for the Quarter Final game, due to a broken leg. Despite an outstanding team performance on the day, the team came up just short. A special mention must go to Ben Fox and Fraser Kinross, who performed exceptionally well on the day, against some of the best players in the Country. Both players proved they are more than capable of competing at this level.
At the Under 13 age group, it was the first time that the boys were able to compete at National Schools level. The team qualified after winning the Devon League, beating some strong Schools across the County. The team were then drawn against Penryn School, who won the Cornish Schools League. Thomas Keeble School, from Gloucestershire was the next challenge. This game was a nail biting encounter, with the lead changing hands, several times throughout the game. With 2 seconds left in the game, Ivybridge found themselves losing by two points. A time out was called, and the boys responded in a sensational manner. Osama Hussainey caught the ball, 10ft from the basket, turned and shot, and levelled the game. The game went into overtime! Ivybridge then dominated the remaining 5 minutes of the game, to eventually go on and qualify for the final 16 of the Country.
In the next round, Ivybridge were drawn against Angerming School in Brighton. Angerming is a well-established Basketball school, and we knew this was going to be a tough game. The boys competed exceptionally well, against really tough opposition, narrowly losing the game.
This was a fantastic achievement for the team, and one we will look to build on in the next few years.
Gifted and Talented
The gifted and talented Basketball students at Ivybridge were fortunate enough to receive an afternoon of Elite Coaching from one of the best Players currently playing in the British Basketball League. Tyler Bernardini, from the Leicester Riders, came into the College to share his knowledge and expertise with our students, working on individual fundamental skills with the students. Tyler was coming off the back of a Double winning season with the Riders, winning the League and Cup. Students were keen to listen and take on board all of the advice he had to offer, and they were challenged throughout the day with new drills and techniques to improve their performance. I am sure it was an afternoon the boys will remember for a long time to come!
Luke Caulwell takes the next step to Professional Basketball
Luke has been an integral player for the College throughout his time at Ivybridge, often playing against players much older than himself. Luke has been part of the College team that has consistently made it to the National Quarter and Semi Finals. Luke has worked incredibly hard during his time at Ivybridge, both on and off the court. Luke has seen his performance improve on the court, with the help of Andy Taylor, our Strength and Conditioning coach at Ivybridge, which has helped to take his game to the next level. Luke has shown he has the dedication, commitment and attitude to succeed at the highest level, and is a good example for all students, that if you are willing to put the work in, then it will pay off.
Luke has now secured a place at Canterbury High School Basketball Academy for next year, which has a reputation as one of the best Basketball academies in the Country. On behalf of everyone at the College, we would like to wish Luke all the best with his next steps to become a professional Basketball player.