Warriors under-12 boys win at Basketball Qld First Nations Championships

The under-12 boys scored an impressive victory at the Basketball Qld tournament on the Gold Coast. Go inside the campaign and discover how they did it.

The Rockhampton contingent of the winning Warriors - manager Kassie Hooper, coach Luke Greany, captain Chace Webber, Boston Butler, Anyieth Ayuen and Charlie McGilvary.

The Warriors under-12 boys showed great spirit and sportsmanship on their way to victory at the Basketball Queensland First Nations Championships.

Rockhampton’s Chace Webber was the captain and Luke Greany the coach of the team, which won six of its eight games at the tournament played at the Gold Coast last month.

They rounded it out with a red-hot grand final performance, beating Hoops 4 Health 54-39.

Chace’s mum and delighted team manager Kassie Hooper was instrumental behind the team’s formation, wanting to give the players a chance to explore their culture while showcasing their playing ability.

“It was a tough competition but the boys were fantastic,” she said.

Captain Chace Webber in action for the Warriors at the First Nations Championships.

“They were so good to watch, and every one of them played so well.”

Webber was joined by fellow Rockhampton and Indigenous players Boston Butler and Charlie McGilvary, Gladstone’s Kody Lawton, Brisbane’s Ayzriah Jorgensen and the Gold Coast’s Kingsley Simpson.

Teams were allowed two non-Indigenous players, who were Rockhampton Anyieth Ayuen and Brisbane’s Otis Fetoai.

The Warriors wore a uniform specially designed by Boston’s dad Brandon, a renowned Indigenous artist, and they did it proud, according to Hooper.

She was also glowing in her praise of Greany who orchestrated the victory so well with a group of boys who had not played together before.

Warriors player Boston Butler on court at the First Nations Championships.

Hooper said she had never been so nervous before a game than she was before the grand final.

But she didn’t need to be as the Warriors rode their momentum to victory, Ayuen leading the way with a game-high 20 points.

Hooper is determined to get the team back to the championships again - and she hopes to see more Rockhampton-based teams competing.

She said it was a great learning experience for this group, the majority of whom would be moving up an age division next time.

“The boys really stepped out of their comfort zones to play with new teammates and against different teams,” she said.

“That was one of the big things we wanted out of it - the boys learning to work together and to get around and support each other and they did that.”

Originally published as Warriors under-12 boys win at Basketball Qld First Nations Championships