Dawning of new era for Southern Cross
THE basketball program at Southern Cross Catholic College might only be in its infancy but manager Bree Denniss is adamant it will punch well above its weight.
The program was built from the ground up by Denniss and school basketball coach Fleur Hislop after they were successful in earning a wildcard entry into the Champion Basketball Schools of Queensland tournament.
The Southern Cross open boys side will be the school’s first ever basketball side at the prestigious tournament as
they prepare to play in the boys fourth division.
The team has come together over the past five months, and has worked hard to make the most of their opportunity to go toe-to-toe with some of the best young basketballers across the state.
But Denniss is adamant the Southern Cross side, captained by representative guard Adam Beaton, is far from just making up the numbers.
“Without a doubt (we can compete),” Denniss said.
“We have a range of students from Grade 9 to Grade 12. The Grade 12 students
have been playing basketball all the way through their high schooling while a lot of our Grade 9 cohort are Townsville rep players and play multiple age groups.
“(The program) is something we have always wanted to introduce, myself and Fleur Hislop are very passionate about the sport.
“We both do things for different clubs in Townsville Basketball and it is great to now offer this as a development program for our school.
“We are a wildcard entry and (they won’t know what to expect). Even in the Town High Challenge we didn’t
have a full squad, so I don’t think anyone truly knows what a full Southern Cross side looks like.
“I really do (think we have a good connection as a team). We have our grade nine boys who already have that group mentality because they play together at representative level but they also bring different things from their different club sides. Different ways of seeing things and doing things.”
Denniss believes Beaton is the glue that brings it all together, with his leadership showing through on and off the court.
“Adam is really grounded, he is a cool and calm character,” she said.
“The boys really look up to him but he also brings a nice sense of larrikinism and cheekiness that really brings the squad together.”
Southern Cross will need a finish inside the top 10 of the boys’ fourth division to ensure automatic entry for next year, and to cement the foundations of a successful basketball program.
Southern Cross are one of a large cohort of Townsville schools playing in the tournament which runs from Thursday to Sunday.