All 14 Mansfield Eagles representative teams hit the courts this past weekend in Shepparton and surrounds. With some thrilling games and results that saw four of our teams securing a spot in their divisions grand finals. Under 10s Gold Boys: Coach: Chad Owens Ass Coach: Tom Forrest Manager: Bec Mills The Mansfield Under 10 boys’ basketball team made an exciting debut at their first tournament in Shepparton. With wins over Benalla, Yarrawonga, Shepparton Blue, and Shepparton White, the boys demonstrated great teamwork and determination, winning four of their five games and secured a spot in the grand final. Their only loss for the weekend came against Moe, setting up an exciting rematch in the decider. The Mansfield boys fought hard and played with plenty of heart, but Moe again proved just too strong, taking out the win. It was a fantastic start to the team’s representative season and a performance they can all be proud of. Thanks to our sponsor Browns Fertilisers. Under 12 Girls Coach: Amy Jewson Ass Coach: Sarah Ragg Team Manager: Kylie McCormack The team’s second tournament but their first with most of their team playing. The girls put in a great deal of effort and are pulling together all of the drills and skills they have been taught at training to deliver as a team on the court. Unfortunately, the girls didn’t get a win on the board, but that was not due to their effort and determination. The girls are excited for the next tournament. Thanks to our sponsor Mansfield Bakery. Under 12 Gold Boys Coach: Karli Bramic Ass Coach: Deliah Darby Team Manager: Lee Picone U12 Gold Boys had an amazing tournament three wins and one loss. Every game fought so hard with great effort and sportsmanship. The boys came back in game four from 14 points down to win by 10. Harry Harcus dominated on rebounds under the ring and the boys stayed strong against some very physical opponents. Thank you to our sponsors Proactive Tax. Under 12 Blue Boys Coach: Flyn Loughlin Ass Coach: John Harrop Team Manager: Emy Bradford The Mansfield Eagles U12 Boys Blue team kicked off their second tournament of representative basketball season in impressive fashion at the Shepparton tournament last weekend, notching up their first two wins of the year against some strong and competitive opposition. From the opening tip-off, the young Eagles showed grit, determination, and a never-say-die attitude that had supporters on their feet. Their teamwork and tenacity on both ends of the court were a testament to their hard work on the training floor and showed their growing confidence as a unit. In their two victories, the Eagles combined disciplined defence with smart ball movement and unselfish play, showing maturity beyond their years. Every player contributed to the team’s success, hustling for rebounds, diving for loose balls, and pushing the pace in transition. Even in the games where the scoreboard didn’t go their way, the young Eagles refused to back down. They fought hard until the final buzzer each game, displaying resilience and grit - qualities that have become the hallmark of this developing squad. Thanks to our sponsors LS Quarries. Under 14 Girls Gold Coach: Glenn Thornton Ass Coach: Nadia Gardner Team Manager: Bec Mills The U14 girls came out strong from the start, remaining undefeated throughout the two-day tournament. Their impressive teamwork and undeniable skill made them tough opponents, as they secured wins against Griffith, Yarrawonga-Mulwala, Myrtleford, and Shepparton. The grand final saw a rematch against Yarrawonga-Mulwala, where the girls unfortunately fell just short of victory. Congratulations to Matilda Mills, who was awarded U14 Grand Final MVP. This marks the team’s first grand final appearance of the current season and is a fantastic reflection of their strength, determination, and unity as a team. Thanks to our sponsor Touring & Trade. Under 14 Blue Girls Coach: Chris Mitchell Ass Coach: Ben Nally Team Manager: Anna Spiers The Under 14 Girls Blue should be very proud of their effort in Shepparton. The team’s performance improved throughout the tournament against some very strong competition. Finishing at the bottom of Pool B meant facing the top team from Pool A — Bendigo — in the quarter-final. Bendigo had to fight hard for the win against a determined and cohesive Mansfield side. It was a physical and intense game, and quite an even match-up — Mansfield just needed a few more shots to find the scoreboard. Overall, it was a great way to finish their second tournament together. Thanks to our sponsor CGP. Under 14 Gold Boys Coach: Mat Picone Ass Coach: Alison Howie Team Manager: Alison Howie Another awesome tournament for the boys. What a fantastic effort to make two grand finals in two tournaments. We are incredibly proud of every one of them, what a fantastic bunch to coach. Game 1 Mansfield 30 vs Griffith 24; Game 2 Mansfield 43 vs Border Sports 27; Game 3 Mansfield 15 vs Seymour 41; Game 4 Mansfield 50 vs Benalla 7; Grand Final Mansfield 16 vs Seymour 29. The GF was a repeat of the GF at the Swan Hill tournament, with Mansfield up against Seymour. Seymour was out to win, as they’d beaten us comfortably previously. Thank you to our sponsors Merchant Coffee Roasters. Under 14 Blue Boys Coach: Jarrod McIntosh Ass Coach: Andy Marshall Team Manager: Andy Marshall The boys made the trip to Shepparton for their second tournament of the year with a bit more confidence and experience after their first tournament at Swan Hill two weeks ago. Game 1 vs Bendigo Braves - the boys were hunting for their first win of the year, and were denied in the first game, going down comfortably against a solid Bendigo outfit (21-62). Ned Forrest had an epic dribble down the court and around the corner bounce pass assist to Ben Hewitt under the ring which was a highlight of the game Game 2 vs Rochy Tigers. The second game against Rochy Tigers was a tough slog that went right down to the wire, Solomon Hurle top scored with eight points, and Koby Gridley shot two from three free throws after the buzzer to get the team’s first draw of the year in a thriller (29-29). Game 3 vs Echuca Pirates the boys defence clicked and they managed to grind out a win against a very solid Echuca team by two points. Special mentions to Jude Macintosh and Archie Kamba for their tough defence all game (26-24). Game 4 vs Shepparton Gators was another hard-fought win, with neither team giving an inch. The Eagles extended a lead late in the first half through a Christian Athanasi goal and managed to hold on in the last few minutes to walk away with the chocolates due to a best on court performance by Angus Speirs (23-17). Coach Jarrod Macintosh was super proud of the improvement of all his players and said to finish second in their pool was reflective of their efforts over the weekend. Thanks to our sponsor Clarke Engineering. Under 16 Gold Girls Coach: Hayley Craig Team Manager: Robyn Thornton It was an intense weekend of competition for the U16 girls, with a nail-biting finish to make the grand final based on percentage. They beat powerhouses, Shepparton and Wangaratta, a loss to Myrtleford and a fierce 19-18 loss to Yarrawonga-Mulwala. The grand final was a chance for redemption against Yarrawonga-Mulwala, the girls fought hard and unfortunately came runners up by three points. This makes back-to-back grand final appearances for the girls. A highlight for the club as a collective was all the siblings who made it through to their grand finals. Thanks to our sponsors All Terrain Cycles. Under 16 Boys Gold Coach: Eric Miraflores Ass Coach: Michelle Pigdon Team Manager: Michelle Pigdon Game 1 Mansfield 24v Griffith 44 Game 2 YarraMul 28v Mansfield 44 Game 3 Mansfield 58v Myrtleford 35 Game 4 Border Sports 27v Mansfield 44 Game 5 Mansfield 44v Shepparton 28 The boys came away with 4 wins and 1 loss and unfortunately missed out on the grand final by percentage, just 19.86%. Oscar Pigdon was 5th overall in Div 2 scoring 65 points, Billy Turner 19th with 33 and Reeve Purday 20th on 32 points. The U16 boys are in great hands with Eric, bringing the best out of each and every player in the team. Thanks to our sponsor West Paps Quarries. Under 16 Boys McCoombe Coach: Dave McCoombe Ass Coach: Carly Clifton Team Manager: Leah Ive Game 1 Mansfield 45 defeated Border sports 23; Game 2 Cobram 49 defeated Mansfield 40; Game 3 Mansfield 30 Defeated Shepparton 29; Game 4 Quarter Final Yarra-Mul 35 defeated Mansfield 31. Great team effort all weekend. Every player stepped up and developed individually and as a team. Well done Ben, Coby, Will, Bohdi, Levi, Chase and Mitch. Thank you Danger, Carly and Leah and all our awesome parents. Also thank you to our team sponsor, Mansfield Sportspower. Under 16 Boys Mulvihill Coach: Simon Mulvihill Team Manager: Alicia Forrest The U16 Boys’ (Mulvihill) basketball team competed with grit and determination throughout a challenging tournament weekend. Despite facing older and much taller opponents (including players over 6’4”) our boys never backed down. With one hard-fought win and several close battles, the team showed remarkable courage and teamwork. As a bottom-age group, they faced tough matchups against stronger and more experienced sides yet, continued to improve with every game. Their effort, sportsmanship, and resilience were outstanding, proving that heart and hustle can stand tall against size and experience. The boys should be proud of the way they represented themselves and the eagles. The future looks bright for this talented young team, as we continue to learn and grow. Well done Jack, Jack, Logan, Sam, Dylan, Charlie and Trenton. Thank you to our sponsors High Country Towing. Under 18 Boys Gold Coach: Eric Miraflores Ass Coach: Jason How Team Manager: Leah Ive Game 1 Wangaratta 54 Defeated Mansfield 28; Game 2 Geelong Rovers 38 defeated Mansfield 28; Game 3 Mansfield Defeated 48 to Yarrawonga-Mulwala 44; Game 4 Quarter Final Tatura 48 defeated in time on Mansfield 43. A highlight for the team was the quarterfinal game going into overtime but we couldn’t quite get over the line. It was pleasing to see in such a short amount of time how much growth and confidence each individual player has brought to the court. They will learn from these games and continue to develop strong team connections both on and off the court. Good job boys! Thanks to our sponsor RedHills Accounting. Under 18 Girls Gold Coach: Lee Huriwaka Ass Coach: Kiara Brackman Team Manager: Ange Desmond The girls had an extraordinary second tournament for the season. The girls played a massive five games over the weekend, taking away two wins and three losses, with some terrific team work meaning that there weren’t any major blowouts on the court. With Katelyn out and supporting from the bench the team is very grateful for Chloe Campbell giving up her weekend to join them on the court for the weekend. This team of girls have been working hard off the court with their coach, two sessions a week, one focusing on fitness and one on drills and skills, which is showing in their on court performance. The girls are looking forward to the next tournament in Wangaratta to put into practice more of what they have to offer. Thanks to our sponsor Desmond Concreting.
