The Senior A Hornby High School boys' basketball team was phenomenal this year.

They came close to a very strong Lincoln side in the D2 semi-finals of the Thompson trophy, but the loss didn’t stop the Hornby High School boys continuiing to train hard! A few weeks later the team headed down to Dunedin for the South Island Small Schools' Tournament where they played the best of the other small high schools in the South Island. The boys won six straight games at the tournament but fell short in the final! Despite the defeat the team stayed positive and were gracious to the winners and officials. Coming second in the South Island meant the team had qualified for the National tournament in Palmerston North. This was only the second time a Hornby High School basketball team had qualified for nationals! The boys were excited but nervous for the experience. After a long road trip up to Palmerston North, the team had a hard time adjusting to the physical and relentless play of the North Island teams. Starting the tournament off with a loss to a tough team was hard but Hornby High School didn’t come to quit, winning three of the next four games! This showed the true courage and perseverance of these young men, and they were never willing to give up. The points differential in pool play meant the team just missed out on the top 4, finishing with eighth place in the country was something to be insanely proud of. As a coach, I’m not only proud of the success the team has had this year but the way they came together and created a true brotherhood culture by the end of the season.