Basketball
10 February, 2025
Wildcats pounce to amazing victory
The Warracknabeal Wildcats under-14 girls basketball team achieved a miraculous feat on Sunday, winning the Portland Basketball Tournament after never recording a win in any match before the tournament. They defeated the Hamilton Hurricanes by five points, 22-17.
In other results for the region, the Horsham Hornets under-14 girls in division one were runners-up to the Hamilton Hurricanes, while the Ararat Redbacks and Stawell Wildcats reached the quarter-finals in the under-12 boys' division, and the Redbacks reached the semi-finals in the under-14 boys' division.
The weekend, however, belonged to the Wildcats, who went through the tournament undefeated, winning over the Mt Gambier Lakers 24-13, the Hamilton Hurricanes 24-17, the Millicent Magic 26-16, and the Surfcoast Chargers 51-12.
In the grand final, they defeated Hamilton 22-17. Aleah Elliott scored eight points in the win, Harlow Krahe shot six, and both scored 41 points in five games in the tournament.
Krahe and Elliott, who usually play for the Horsham Hornets, were cleared to play, which significantly boosted the team's personnel and morale. The rest of the team was on a high and excited about what the tournament could bring.
Brad Krahe and his wife, Stacey, coached the team, and Jane Shannon was the team manager. This season was Krahe's first gig at coaching the girls after coaching the boys.
Krahe said it was a tremendous result.
"These girls have been playing for three years from the under-12s to now and have never won a game, and seeing them go from nothing to everything is massive," Krahe said.
"It was good to see the tears from the parents and players after the game as you could see how much it means for them."
Krahe said that the inclusion of Harlow and Aleah was massive.
"Their inclusion gave the girls around them a boost, and it made a big difference," Krahe said.
"The whole group was incredible and unreal. We had been preparing them for eight weeks, and I told them they could win because they were gelling well and training well.
"In the end, not only did they win, but in the process rolled the benchmark of the competition in Hamilton, and it's brilliant."
"It was good for the Hornets to let us play the girls because you want them to excel with the other kids, and they did. They got the result they wanted, and it is unreal."
The Hornets played terrific in the under-14 girls' division one tournament, finishing runners-up to Hamilton, 27-47.
They won four games and finished second on the ladder. Their loss came against the Hurricanes, 18-30. They defeated the Warrnambool Mermaids 36-12, Portland Coasters 39-11, Mt Gambier 54-18 and Millicent Magic 26-21.
Luella Burke had a great weekend for the Hornets, scoring 10 points in the grand final and 73 in the tournament.
The team consisted of Ella Schultz, Becky Webb, Luella Burke, Stephanie Plazzer, Lexi Kleinitz and Adele Tucker, with Tim Webb as the coach.
The Ararat Redbacks under-14 boys made the semi-finals and lost to the Hurricanes 76-15. They made the semi-finals on the back of two solid wins, with only percentage separating the Border Sports Academy and Millicent Magic for that semi-final spot.
They defeated Hamilton 47-33 and Millicent 38-27. They lost to Border Sports Academy 20-31 and Mt Gambier 22-58. Jackson Notting scored 31 points in five games.
Their team consisted of Jhett Turner, Archie MacPherson, Kobe Foster, Nate Rhodes, Henry Fratin, Jackson Notting, Liam Cameron, Jax Dowley, Jack Madin and Archer Reynolds.
The Redbacks under-12 boys won a single game on their way to the quarter-finals. They defeated the Pacers 18-14 and, in the quarter-finals, lost to Terang 22-41. Henry Jerram scored 25 points in four games.
Their team consisted of Ezekyal Turner, Blake Cameron, Charlie Beer, Theodore Price, Hamish Sladdin, Sam Murnane, Tanaki Waihape, Henry Jerram and Jaxon Foster.
The Stawell Wildcats under-12 boys defeated Mt Gambier 75-8 and Warrnambool 35-17 on their way to the quarter-final, where they lost to the Pacers in a thriller, 32-37. Sam Margetson scored 39 points in five games.
Their team consisted of Oscar Ellis, William Freeland, Kaeden Beaton, Jack McGregor, Billy Delahunty, Sam Margetson, Louis Fletcher and Tanner Freeland.
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