Basketball's best to play in all-star game

Middleton Grange players Trey Te Awa and Katie van den Bogaert will play in the Canterbury high...
Middleton Grange players Trey Te Awa and Katie van den Bogaert will play in the Canterbury high school all-star game at Horncastle Arena on December 20.
The best secondary school basketball players in Canterbury will get their chance to impress in respective boys and girls all-star games before the New Zealand Breakers game at Horncastle Arena next month.

The Breakers will host the South East Melbourne Phoenix on December 20.

Christ’s College’s Josh Book and Mason Whittaker, St Bede’s Walter Brown, Papanui’s Izzy Orr and St Andrew’s Mac Stodart will all take part in the games.

The girls game will tip off at 2.10pm and the boys game will tip off at 3.50pm followed by the Breakers and Phoenix at 7.30pm.

The high school games come after the Thomson and Whelan Trophy season as well as strong national campaigns where Cashmere High School finished fourth in the boys competition and Christchurch Girls’ High School finished eighth in the girls’ grade.

Organiser, Joe Hammond said the plan was to split the squads into two even teams to produce two even encounters.

He said squads were picked by the top six high school boys coaches and former Canterbury Wildcats coach Lori McDaniel.

“It’s been a couple of years since the game was held, but I think it’s a great way to recognise the effort and achievements of the players throughout the season,” Mr Hammond said.

There are also plans to livestream the two games.

“The Breakers have said the team will try to watch the concluding stages of the games so hopefully it will give the kids a big buzz.’’

Canterbury high school all-star boys squad

Josh Book (Christ College), Mason Whittaker (Christ College), Noa Price (Rangiora High School), Lachie McFarlane (Rangiora High School), Walter Brown (St Bedes College), Ah-Li Fenika (Middleton Grange School), Ben Carlile-Smith (Middleton Grange School), Trey Te Awa (Middleton Grange School), Jimmer Williamson (Middleton Grange School), Zach Hannen (Middleton Grange School), Mac Stodart (St Andrews College), Tanae Lavery (St Thomas College), Benji Freeman (St Thomas College), Greg Rodger (Shirley Boys High School), Loyal Patelesio (Shirley Boys High School), Tom Webley (Cashmere High School), Finn Barclay (Cashmere High School), Louis Oskam (Cashmere High School), Riley Sa (Ashburton College), Cody Wareham (Lincoln High School), Kaleb Chamberlain (Shirley Boys High School), Oki Tilaia (Cashmere High School) & Quinn Lavery (St Thomas)

Canterbury high school all-star girls squad
Helen Matthews (Kaiapoi High School), Molly Cockburn (Kaiapoi High School), Sammy Arnold (CGHS), Courtney Godinet (CGHS), Mia Abercrombie (CGHS), Violet Eaton (CGHS), Sophia Harrison (Rangi Ruru), Ashlee Strawbridge (Rangi Ruru), Millie Knight (Rangi Ruru), Abby Kneebone (CGHS), Sophie Adams (Ashburton College), Katie Jo Van Den Bogaert (Middleton Grange), Maia Williamson (Middleton Grange), Annabel Lapworth (Middleton Grange), Stella Porter (Rangiora High School), Izzy Orr (Papanui High School), Brooklyn Powhare (Avonside High School), Kyla Lynch-Brown (Avonside High School), Kate Herman (Lincoln High School) and Sila Morris (Burnside).