Basketball
11 November, 2025
Hornets shine at Intersport Horsham Junior Classic
The Junior Horsham Hornets were out in full force over the weekend, with 15 teams lighting up the courts at the Intersport Horsham Junior Classic Basketball Tournament.
With almost 80 teams from 10 clubs competing across 16 divisions, four Hornets teams took championship honours.
Played between Friday, November 7, to Sunday, November 9 across Horsham, Dimboola and Warracknabeal, Horsham Basketball director Matt Lovel said the tournament ran smoothly, with plenty of talent on display.
“Speaking to various coaches and managers, the overall vibe and play from the tournament was really good,” Lovel said.
“We didn’t have any major issues, which can often happen, so everything just ran very smoothly.
Lovel acknowledged the benefits the tournament provided for Horsham.
“I haven’t talked to all the businesses, but a lot were pretty busy, which is good,” Lovel said.
“A lot of accommodation was booked up, which shows how many people came for the tournament.”
Among the strong performances all weekend, the under-16 girls, under-14 girls A team, under-14 boys A team and under-14 boys B team each took out their respective competitions, while the under-12 girls A side were defeated in the grand final.
Jordyn Burke, coach of the under-16 girls' side, was proud of his team, acknowledging the improvement they had shown since their first tournament in Hamilton a month prior.
“At the Hamilton tournament, we didn’t win a game, so the sharp improvement they have made, even game to game, is really cool to watch,” Burke said.
“With kids, it’s about confidence and enjoyment, and I think when they play with confidence and that joy, it goes a long way.”
After going through the rounds and semifinal undefeated, the under-16s just defeated Portland in the grand final, 19-15.
“Both teams were really strong defensively,” Burke said.
“Both sides had fair looks and opportunities, but we were able to hang on in the end and get the chocolates, which was pretty cool.”
Luella Burke led the under-16 girls division one competition in scoring with 52 points across five games, including an equal game-high six points in the grand final.
The under-14 girls A side overcame their first-round loss to Warracknabeal to defeat the Wildcats 34-25 in the grand final.
Warracknabeal’s Great Smith led the division with 53 overall points, while Stephanie Plazzer led the Hornets with 48 points, including 10 in the grand final.
The under-14 boys' A side was dominant throughout the tournament before taking out the grand final with a 57-18 win over Maryborough.
Tex Askew had a game-high 15 points, while also leading the division with 77 points across five games, while teammate James McDonald had 66 points.
The under-14 boys B side also went through the tournament undefeated, prevailing 56-30 over Stawell in the division two competition.
Hudson Thomas had 15 points in the grand-final winning performance, while Stawell’s Blayze Kenny notched up an impressive 97 points across five games to lead the division scoring.
Amidst several fantastic team and individual performances across the weekend, an under-12 boys A Hornets player stood out, totalled 72 points to lead the under-12 boys competition in scoring.