The Warragul Warriors under 12 boys have returned from the Country State Championships as division one champions, making them the number one team in country Victoria.

The Country Championships are conducted annually by Basketball Victoria and country Victorian athletes compete in what is known as the pinnacle of junior country basketball in the state.

The event was held from April 9 to 11 in Bendigo, with over 40 associations competing to determine the best boys and girls teams in the state.

Along with the boys, the Warragul under 12 girls competed hard in the tournament and after winning all their games on day one made it through to the quarter finals in division two.  

The Warragul under 12 boys were a dominant force in the tournament and over the three days played nine games and finished as the only undefeated team in the competition, to be crowned division one champions.

Coach Tim Blackley said he was proud of the team and how they have stuck together over the journey to reach their goal.

“It’s really fantastic. They had been working hard for the past few years on this and to reach the pinnacle is a great achievement by them.

“They’ve come together since under 10s and after a year of COVID, to get them all back on the court was awesome,” he said.

Throughout the tournament they took on teams from Geelong, Bendigo, Sale, Ballarat, Traralgon, Bellarine, Shepparton and finally Warrnambool in the grand final, where they triumphed 54-34.

The team was incredibly impressive throughout, leaving many in awe of their teamwork, fast style of play and aggressive defence. 

As the current Country State Champions, the Warragul team will receive an invitation to participate in the National Junior Classic later in the year.

This is an invitation only tournament that pits the best junior basketballers in the country against each other. The opportunity is hard to come by and will give the team a good incentive to continue training hard to improve and showcase.