Following last season missing out on the Nationals due to COVID, the HBHS Senior Squad was eager to establish itself as a top 4 team.

It was all set up for 2021 as the majority of the boys (8 in total) were Year 13, while 7 had won National titles with various Waikato age groups, proving we had the experience to go far and establish HBHS Basketball as a powerhouse.

More on that shortly but first, the Junior Premiers, who had a stand-out season winning the Tip-Off Tournament, the Waikato Championship and 3 out of 4 exchanges only losing to Auckland Grammar. Coached by Mr Alby Ellis, the Juniors had to juggle a number of rugby players unable to fully commit, so they weren't always at full strength, but did us proud with Ross Anderson named the MVP.

Mr Ellis was also an assistant for our Senior Premier team, coached by former Tall Black Mr Riki Strother. ​Our Seniors finished 4th at the 3 on 3 Nationals in Auckland while HBHS also won the second division with our development team. Our first test as a full strength squad was the annual Tip-Off tournament in Rotorua. We dominated, winning the round robin games by 40 to 70+ points. With our chemistry building we outclassed Napier in the semi final and played hometown favourites Rotorua in the final. It was close for the first 3 quarters, with only 1 point in it, but our fitness and defence was the key to a blow-out 73 - 58 victory. With HBHS winning this tournament for the first time, we were confident coming into the regular season against other local teams.

In the Waikato competition that included Rotorua, we won the round robin which featured 2 wins from 2 over the old enemy St John’s College. For the first half of the season it was clear that we were the team to beat as we took the early lead on the table having a record of 5 wins and 1 loss. Not only did we have a great run locally, but the exchange against Auckland Grammar was a highlight as HBHS prevailed in a 1 point thriller that went right down to the final buzzer. After the game Mrs Hassall stated she could not remember the last time HBHS upset Grammar in basketball, rugby and hockey all on the same day.

As well as the Waikato Competition (which COVID stopped just before the semi-finals) the second half of the season featured Super 8 at home. It was bittersweet as we wanted to at least make the final. Sadly we let a golden opportunity slip, losing to Palmerston North on the final buzzer needing a 3 to force the game into over-time. This meant we played Rotorua for 3rd place beating them for the 5th and last time convincingly. Myself and Rico Nelson were named in the Super 8 Tournament team. Coming back to the regular season we were still in first place on the table but due to COVID-19 the remainder of the season did not go ahead which meant we won the Waikato competition by default which was again bittersweet.

All up the Senior Premier team played 24 games for 19 wins and 5 losses. Special thanks to Scott Brownlee and naming sponsor Schick Civil Construction who have indicated they will continue their support in 2022. Also a huge thank you to Mr Power, Mr Strother and Mr Ellis as well as the parents for being the backbone of HBHS Basketball. Lastly, I congratulate all of the boys that played this season for their hard work and dedication. It’s been nothing but a pleasure to be your captain for 2021 and I wish you well for your future endeavours.