It has been a very long time since Hastings Boys High hasn’t qualified for the National Secondary School Tournament. 2019’s Year 13-heavy side finished 14^th in the nation, and the Junior side looks stronger than ever after last week’s Secondary School finals saw Hastings Boys High Juniors take out the Hawke’s Bay Junior Boys title 107-52 over Napier Boys.

While the future may be very bright for the traditional powerhouse, 2019 may be a year where we can’t be too bullish about Hastings Boys’ chances of qualifying for the national tournament. In all fairness, people were saying the same in 2018 as well and they pulled through once again in true Akina spirit. Head Coach Curtis Wooten puts it very succinctly when asked what the team goal is for the upcoming tournament, “Top 6” he says.

For Coach Wooten it’s as simple as that. And their excellent finish in 2018 allows them a kind draw in 2019. Kapiti College, Onslow College, Francis Douglas Memorial College and Rongotai College have been drawn in Pool D with Akina. Most observes favour Hastings Boys to advance to the Top 8 along with Rongotai College. Once you’re there, anything can happen.

Once in the Top 8; only one win is needed from the next two games in order to qualify for nationals. Hawke’s Bay faithful will trust that some Akina magic can happen as it has in so many years in the past.

Lamour Spooner has emerged as a leader and key player for Boys High this year. The lanky wing stands at 6’4 and has been causing headaches for defences all year long in the Hawke’s Bay Secondary School League. He has even taken well to playing against adults in the Elite League by being his team’s leading scorer and briefly appeared in the Top 10 scorers list for the league.

Hastings Boys have enjoyed playing in the newly formed Basketball Hawkes Bay Trail Media Elite League, which has consistently provided them with tough games against the likes of Alonzo Burton, Reece Tuala-Fata and Kareem Johnson. Pictured are Boys High defenders attempting corral Toro Atu star Ravi Mani; great preparation for facing teens next week at the Lower North Island tournament. Coach Wooten says the Elite League provides “experience against older and wiser heads,” which will no doubt be invaluable next week as the average 17 year old in Wellington won’t nearly be as tough as the aforementioned competitors in the local Elite League.

Coach Wooten is aware that his team is super young this year, which has lead to some inconsistency which will need to be ironed out before key games at the tournament next week. “(We are a) super young team so learning how to play hard with intensity, (and) with a smart basketball IQ,” is something that Coach identified as key to Hastings Boys success over the tournament. Star player Spooner echoes coach’s sentiments: “I think we’re still learning the ways of how we’re supposed to play, but we have a small team so we try to use speed against other teams”.

Time will tell as to whether Hastings can play with the consistency that Wooten and Spooner so desire, but something that is without question is that Hastings will continue to play with the indomitable Akina spirit that lives on through generations of Boys High players and families.