Basketball New Zealand

AA & A Secondary Schools National Championships

The path to back-to-back titles just got a little tougher for defending boys champions St Patrick’s College.

St Pat’s, zone three winners, have drawn zone two winners Hamilton’s Fraser High, Auckland’s Dilworth School, Waimea College, Tauranga Boys College and Onehunga High in a tough pool A draw for the AA Secondary Schools National Championships, presented by Furnware, in Palmerston North from September 29-October 4.

Pool A features three of last year’s quarterfinalists – St Pat’s, fifth-placed Dilworth and eighth-placed Fraser – and along with pool D, headed by hosts Palmerston North Boys High School, ranks as one of the toughest.

The champs have not been beaten in 2008 on their way to winning the Wellington schools and zone three titles, Fraser were impressive in taking the zone two championship, while Dilworth ended third in zone one and made the Auckland schools final last week and Tauranga Boys were zone two semifinalists.

Pool B also features three top-eight schools from 12 months ago, with zone four champs Otago Boys High, sixth in 2007, leading out beaten finalists Nelson College and third-placed Kelston Boys High, along with St John’s College, Hamilton Boys High and Middleton Grange of Christchurch.

Zone one winners Westlake Boys High, national champions in 2005-06, join zone two runners-up St Andrew’s College and Shirley Boys High of Christchurch, New Plymouth Boys High, Rotorua Boys High and Mana College of Porirua.

Palmerston North, beaten national semifinalists last year, have drawn zone one finalists Rangitoto College, Church College, Francis Douglas Memorial School, Mt Albert Grammar and Wellington College in pool D.

Defending girls champs Church College of New Zealand have been pooled with Canterbury schools Marian College and Rangiora High, St Kentigern College, Tauranga Girls College and Wainuiomata High in pool A.

Church College, looking for their 20th girls title in the school’s penultimate year, are the only zone finalist in pool A, with Marian finishing third in zone four the next best, while Wainuiomata High, which finished 14th in 2007, only qualified as a wildcard after Mt Albert Grammar withdrew.

Last year’s beaten finalists and zone one champions Rangitoto College have drawn an equally easy pool B, which includes Auckland Girls’ Grammar, zone four runners-up Christchurch Girls High, Wellington East Girls College, Hamilton Girls High and wildcard hometown team Freyberg High, who were handed a place with Northcote College’s withdrawal.

Zone four winners Waimea College, who finished third in 2007, headline pool C, with former powerhouse Avondale College, Hamilton’s Fraser High, Cambridge High, Napier Girls High and Sacred Heart of New Plymouth.

New Plymouth Girls High, last season’s beaten semifinalists, top pool D, grouped with Massey High, Hutt Valley High, Mana College, Cashmere High and Rangi Ruru School in the toughest pool on paper.
Seedings and pool draws were calculated on final placings from the 2007 nationals.

Meanwhile, A champions Taumarunui High boys and Paeroa College girls, will attempt to defend their titles at the A Secondary Schools National Championships, presented by Furnware, in New Plymouth from October 1-4.

Taumarunui have drawn fellow zone two school St Paul’s Collegiate, Michael Park School of Auckland, zone four winners Dunstan High, and zone three’s Hato Paora College and wildcard Waitara High in pool A.

Zone four runners-up Buller High top-bill pool B, grouped with Paeroa College and Mairehau High, who finished fourth and fifth at last year’s A nationals, Opunake High and wildcards Rotorua Lakes High and Tongariro School.

After failing to qualify automatically, Paeroa College were thankful for three schools withdrawals, allowing them to take a wildcard berth in a bid to defend their title. Rotorua Lakes High also joined the seven-team field as a wildcard, along with last year’s runners-up Te Aroha College, Ruapehu College, Church College, TKKM o Te Koutu of Rotorua and Buller High.

AA Secondary Schools National Championships Draw (98KB pdf)

A Secondary Schools National Championships Draw (67KB pdf)