AVONDALE BOYS BACK IN PREMIERS IN 2010

The time has come to lay it all on the line. Months of sweat and pain has come down to the last 30 seconds, “hold the
Ball” is the call with time ticking away. “10….9……8…..7….6…… with grip like intensity the ball was secured until finally
……2…….1  the whistle blows and the game is over, the ball is thrown into the air with a sense of relief and adulation the
Avondale Senior Boys become the Auckland Champions for 2009.

In 2009 Avondale basketball had increased its numbers from 3 boys teams to 5. With Head Coach Tai Upoko
at the helm and his assistant Woolley Le au’anae, 2009 was going to be the focus for its senior team getting back to the Auckland Premierships. Avondale Basketball started early in 2009 in preparation to the Western Zones Secondary Schools Championships with their first goal of the year making the top 2. It wasn’t going to be easy with last years finalists Massey and up
and coming giant killers Henderson standing in the way. One by one they felt Avondale’s might and one by one they fell. Avondale was on course to achieving ultimate supremacy by winning the Western Zones Secondary Schools
Championships. They were now the best team in Waitakere City.

With one title under their belts Avondale now went on to contest the Auckland Championships with heavyweight favourites Westlake College being piped to win its 4^th title in a row. Again Avondale showed it’s dominance by beating North Shores
Kristin College and Centrals St Peters College but narrowly losing to East Auckland’s best
St Kentigens College in the preliminary rounds. This set up a semi-final berth with last year contenders Glendowie
College with their pin point shooters and explosive guards. Avondale was on the verge of breaking
through and reaching their ultimate goal “Qualifying for the Auckland Premierships 2010”. The game ended and Avondale were the victors and along with the victory came the spoils. Avondale had qualified to play in the Premierships for 2010 and will now go on to meet the heavyweight favourites Westlake College in the final.

Led by Ben Maiava and Talon McCarthy Avondale looked focussed and determined to walk away with the title and becoming the first Avondale Senior Team to win the covered title in 16 years. The game started and with a single pounce Avondale scores with guard Filip Jovicich driving up the middle. Minute by minute time was ticking away and the reality of Avondale College becoming the Auckland Champions began to show itself with every countdown. Basket after basket the games intensity was unbearable each team not willing to
give it up, then the call “Hold the Ball” from the Coach …..10……9…..8….7…..6……”Whistle
Blows”  Avondale College are now the Auckland Champions for 2010.

“As the Head Coach for the Avondale Basketball Program I will always be in your debt boys
for allowing me to achieve the results I have as a coach and for allowing me to ride this wave of success which will go down in Avondale history as the best team ever”.

The Team:

Walter Upoko, Keenan Le auanae, Ben Maiava, Talon McCarthy, Alex Hewson, Christian Tuaifaiva, Kelvin Wang, John Navera, Filip Jovicic and Michael Gilham.