June 10th , 2010

Basketballers Jump For Joy

Young People from the Brentwood Fire Youth Council, supported by Champions Academy UK, are celebrating being awarded £40,000 from the Essex Youth Bank.

Champions Academy UK have been trying to raise funds to replace the outdated and damaged floor within the sports hall for many years.  Youngsters from the club were so passionate about replacing the floor that they set about making a short video documenting the problems associated with the existing floor.  They interviewed players of all ages asking for their opinions, documented the risks associated with the existing flooring and spent time obtaining quotations and assessing what needed to be done.  Youth Council members said “It was great to be part of the team putting together the application, to receive this amount of money made all our hard work worthwhile”.

A selection of members together with James Potter from Champions Academy attended the Essex Youth Bank Celebration evening where they were presented with a cheque for £40,000.  “It’s a dream come true for the club.  We have been trying to raise money to replace the floor for such a long time.  This money will enable us to vastly improve the conditions for players of all abilities enabling them to play great basketball”  says James Potter.

Champions Academy currently provide basketball opportunities to over 1000 youngsters per week via club and school sessions.  “We are always looking at introducing new players to the game and developing basketball within the local community.  A new floor is a great way forwards for the club” adds James.

Any new players interested in playing are always welcome to the club.  See www.championsacademy.co.uk for further information.

It is hoped that work will begin in July ready for the start of the new basketball season in the Autumn.

Photo Attached:-  Shows Brentwood Youth Council Members (left to right)
Alex Chinnery, Lewis Hall, James Potter (CAUK) Alfie Durrell (front) William Twigg and Billie Stack together with Youth Bank Members in yellow.

 

Mar 31st , 2010

Under-13s get 3rd place at Final Fours

Jetform Brentwood Fire U13 had an exciting day of basketball at the National U13 Final 4 in Nottingham on Saturday. They stepped up to their semi final against Newham All Stars Sports Academy(NASSA) with anticipation and confidence in the team's abilities. They started with their usual aggressive defense creating lots of turnovers from their opponents however these were not being converted  into baskets leaving them down by 4 at the end of the 1st quarter.  The second quarter saw Fire with relentless defense ending the half trailing 35 -29. The team continued to dig deep into the 3rd but saw the team go without a basket for 5 minutes and things seemed to be slipping away. Fire stepped up and got 20points in the 4th but this was not going to be enough to take them into the final with NASSA taking the win 77 - 60.

In the 3rd and 4th Play Off game Fire faced city team Sheffield Sharks. Coach Alex Potter knew they had one player, Marko who was exceptional and would need shutting down for the win. The quarter ended with Fire trailing by 4, but they pressed in on defense and had 2 quick baskets by Charlie Withers and Tom Harvey in the 1st minute  to close the gap. The whole team were working hard but still trailed by 5 at the half. Stepping into the 3rd the team kept pushing and consistent  scoring by  Antonio Burton-Blackman meant Fire outscored Sheffield by 4 in the 3rd quarter. As they entered the 4th two important fouls were drawn on Sheffield's main scorer , Marko Backovic. This sent him to the bench for the remaining minutes and left Fire open to dominate. 10 of Fire's 12 strong team scored in the game and Antonio Burton - Blackman took himself to an all time best of 31 points. Fire walked away with a 3rd place and a bronze medal . Well done to : Harry Tabard, Brandon Stack, Charlie Withers, Tom Harvey, Harry Finch, Jake Cook, Tim Brown, George Nash, Charles Smalley, George Head (CAPTAIN), Nathan Jackson, Antonio Burton-Blackman and coaches Alex Potter, James Gardner and James Potter. For more information on Brentwood Fire teams please contact enquiries@championsacademy.co.uk

Nando's Brentwood Fire under 18 b came against Coggeshall Cougars who currently sit top of the essex mens div 2. Fire had lost by 50 and 64  on previous meetings so had a tough task in front of them. However  some great play from the entire team made it much tougher for  Coggeshall on this meeting. Despite being in early foul trouble Josh Cannon came of the bench to score 3 of 3 from 3 point range and Corey  Adepoju made a great contribution with his hustle and scoring. Fire did unfortunatly come up short and lost the game 45-80. Top Scorers  Simon DeBere 13, Josh Cannon 9

Nando’s Brentwood Fire u14 Girls, who came fourth in the southern league, travelled to Sevenoaks to play their first round playoff game. The Sevenoaks Suns were always going to be very tough opponents so Fire hoped to build on the confidence they gained from the narrow loss to Harringay. The game started fairly evenly with Brentwood’s Lucy Ward leading the way in scoring and defensive intensity. Sevenoaks began to hit their shots from all over the court and took a half-time lead of 51-30. The third quarter ended Fire’s hope of progressing to the next round as they only put 7pts on the board and left them trailing 74-37 with 10 mins to go. The Sun’s made a number of subs late on and that allowed the Fire to end the game strongly with all the girls contributing well. Final score 89-48 to Sevenoaks.

Mar 17th , 2010

Under-13s in to semi-finals after Nottingham victory

THE Nando's Brentwood Fire Under-13 team have won through to the final four of the national cup for only the second time in the club's 20 year history.The feat came after an excellent and confident 85-59 quarter final win over Notts Nova.
The team played strong on offence, drawing four fouls in the first six minutes and sending the opposition into a team foul situation on several occasions. A confident effort at both ends gave Fire a two point lead at the end of the first quarter.A constant press from Fire's defence meant the team from Nottingham were left struggling to get the ball to their basket and their scoring was slow compared to Fire who broke away at speed on numerous occasions.
Fire were leading 46-30 at half time and the third quarter saw more of the Fire team take to the court with baskets from Charlie Withers and Harry Finch.

Coach Alex Potter said: "It was great to have so many of the team scoring, and four players ended in double figures. "Our team's are not about one superstar but value the whole team putting points on the board."
Fire ended with strong win 85 points to 59. They now proceed to the final four to be held at the Nottingham Wildcats Arena on the Saturday March 27, they will face NASSA in the semi-final.

On Thursday night the Under-18B side travelled to Wickford to face the Trailblazers, but with no natural ball-handlers available, Fire struggled with turnovers and gave Wickford the ball carelessly over and over again.

Jack Brown had a good game getting 16 points and owning the boards. Hunter Toomajian also put his best performance of the year, with his hustle plays while scoring 11 points, but it was not enough as Fire lost 95-58.

Nando's Brentwood Fire Under-18 Boys faced Westminster Warriors in West London and aimed to give the league leaders a hard fought game. The start looked promising for Fire and after four minutes the score was a mere 7-6 in favour of the home team.
The Warriors then showed their all-around strength and scoring ability taking a 73-25 half-time lead. The Brentwood boys were able to contain Westminster for only small periods of the second half and the final score of 133-55 simply highlighted the difference in class between the two sides on the day.

 

Mar 3rd , 2010

U15 Boys win 1st Round Playoff

The Nando's Brentwood Fire u15s battled through a hugely competitive and entertaining play-off game against Islington Panthers this weekend, eventually winning 59-57. Fire went out to an early lead but allowed Islington to get back into the game late on. The u15s have shown on many occassions this season that they know how to win close contests and pulled out the victory with excellent defensive effort in the final minutes of the contest. Fire will travel to Plymouth for the next round of the play-offs, looking to secure a place in the Quarter-Finals.

Nando’s Brentwood Fire u18 Boys travelled west to play one of England’s strongest Under 18 teams in Reading Rockets. The Fire boys had a full bench and looked to compete with aggression and poise against their over-sized opposition. Unfortunately the Rockets started by executing their offense and hitting from all angles leaving the Brentwood team down 27-11 after the first quarter. Throughout the game there was a noticeable gulf in playing level but the score could have ended more respectably if Fire had converted on countless makeable opportunities. Noteworthy performance came from Malachi Alimi and MVP Paul Jarvis whilst James Gardner top scored with 10pts. Final score Rockets 98 – Fire 31.

Saturday saw the Nando's Brentwood Fire under 16 girls away at Haringey Angels, arguably the 
best girls team in the country. So Brentwood's six girls battled against Haringey's 12 losing 19-92 in a game where no fouls were called either way. Top Scorers Jess Dowles 6, Megan Smith 5


Bower Park were the visitors on Sunday to the Nando's Brentwood Fire U18b team. Brentwood 
started well in the first but sloppy passes and careless turnovers meant Bower were in the driving seat by the end of the first quarter. Neither team really got away from each other with runs being made from each team meant that it was a fiercely contested game until the final buzzer with the Bucks winning 52-78. Top Scorers Jack Brown 14, Chinedu Edeh 12

Feb 23th , 2010

Nando’s Brentwood Fire U14 girls faced a strong Hounslow Hawks on Saturday in a neck and neck game of intense basketball.  Although they had beaten the Hawks previously, Fire found it challenging to hold back Hounslow’s star point guard, Asha Msabaa.  Each team battled back and forth with Fire never letting go of their lead with a score of 38-32 at the half.  Warden, Ward and Wright contributed strongly to the Fire offense and excellent rebounding came from Milly Blandford & Elysia Stevenson.  With Fire tiring and getting into foul trouble, the lead slipped by in the fourth quarter with an incredibly close finish of 69-71 to Hounslow. 

Top Scorers: Ellie Warden: 34, Lucy Ward: 14, Milly Blandford: 8

 

Feb 16th , 2010

 

Sunday saw Nando's Brentwood Fire Under 13's take on mid table Lewisham Thunder. Scoring was tough and the first half ended with Lewisham up by 3. Brentwood had only been able to materialise 1 of their 8 attempts on the freethrow line. Brentwood continued to press on defense and this paid off as they ended the half up by 2. Nathan Jackson stepped up in the half and Lewisham could not stop his powerful scoring under the basket. Fire continued to push ahead and great team pressure by GeorgeNash, George Head and Tom Harvey saw a run of 4 unanswered baskets at the start of the 4th quarter. Brentwood pulled through to win 68 -59 with Nathan Jackson getting a season high of 23 points.

Nando’s Brentwood Fire Under 18 travelled to high flying Solent Kestrals with only 6 players. Coach James Potter reminded the small team that on the court it was still 5v5 and the strategy would be to play smart and stay out of foul trouble. The boys responded with the best first quarter of their season going ahead 21-13 with great team basketball. Shore Adenekan silenced the crowd with 2 awesome dunks.
However disaster struck in the second quarter when Ross Bartley pulled up with a back injury and the team found themselves with no substitutes. Solent seized the advantage with a strong aggressive defense and caused the Fire to go on a drought of scoring up until the 4th quarter. Bartley was able to return and to their credit Brentwood never gave up competing and ended the game strongly. Final score 111 – 69 to Solent.

This weekend saw the return of the under 11 league hosted by Champions Academy. where teams from Havering, Haringey and Brentwood Fire competed. Specially noticeable was Brentwood Fire's under 10 team who were proudly wearing their new kit, thanks to new sponsors Beresfords. Some awesome display of Basketball saw the under 10s win 2 out of 3 games only losing to Haringeys under 12 girls. 

 

Feb 9th , 2010

Strong win for Fire girls

Nando’s Brentwood Fire U14 girls faced strong rivals Ipswich Bobcats this weekend and gave an incredible team performance. Winning the tip, Fire’s Lucy Ward immediately put two points on the board and set the pace for Fire. Capitalising on the Bobcats slow start, Fire then scored 11 unanswered points giving them the momentum to produce a half time lead of 51 - 34. Keeping their offense strong with Ellie Warden, Eve Wright and Ward, leading the attack, Fire managed to maintain a 20 point lead for most of the game. Despite the Bobcats fighting back, it wasn’t enough on the day. Final result – Fire 94 - Ipswich 80.
Top Scorers: Ellie Warden: 32, Lucy Ward: 24, Eve Wright: 18

Nando's Brentwood Fire U16 girls took on the Worthing Thunder, a team they beat with  only 5 players earlier in the season.  Fire took an early lead winning  the first quarter 15-1 thanks to some early scoring by Danielle Oliver and Megan Smith. The first half saw 24 fouls called for both teams leaving Fire in some serious foul trouble. Despite this, Fire kept at it and Jenny Savory's 3 consecutive baskets in the fourth quarter sealed the game, Fire winning 61-40. Four players scored double figures including top scorers Courtney Bartley 14, Megan Smith 13, Danielle  Oliver 12.

Nando's Brentwood Fire U15s had a mixed weekend, going down to a 73-66 decision against league rivals NASSA but fighting for a 62-58 win against London Greenhouse Giants. Fire were down by 12 going into the fourth quarter against Greenhouse but rallied on the back of great defensive effort to win the game. Amrit Panesar hit two massive jump shots to put Fire ahead and Matt Elliot drained his free-throws at the death to cement the victory. Fire took a huge step towards the playoffs with the win and will look to secure their place next week against Feltham Warriors.

Nando's Brentwood Fire U13's had a double header weekend of games. Saturday they took a road trip to Southampton, although confident they could beat the Solent Suns the game ended the 1st quarter 15 all. Despite drawing lots of fouls from Solent Brentwood only made 7 of their 21 attempts. Antonio Burton- Blackman got in early foul trouble and had to sit on the bench 2 minutes into the second half. However the rest of the team stepped up and the team pulled away. The second half saw 4 assists from George Nash and 3 from Tim Brown securing a 68 - 37 win for Fire. Sunday saw the team play at the Brentwood Centre. In the first half the teams scoring % was down at around 25%. Even with this poor shooting the team were pulling away from their opposition Brighton. The second half saw Tom Harvey score 6/6 and Nathan Jackson 4/5. Harry Tabard's aggressive defense took 7 steals which lead to him finishing on 5 assists. Final score 88 - 46 Fire. Coach Potter said " In both games we are not starting strong at the scoring end  but what counts is how we finish- and that is consistantly strong , confident and team based"

 

Feb 3rd , 2010

Fire end losing streak with thumping victory

NANDO'S Brentwood Fire Under-14s came off a two game losing streak with a thumping 76-44 victory over London Greenhouse Giants.
Brentwood came into the game with a lower confidence than usual, and the nerves showed early when they lost the first quarter 15-12.
But with some intense full court defence and vital steals and points from Matt Philips and Chris Skingley, Fire turned the tide and went on a 20 point unanswered run and saw their confidence return.
MVP was Matt Philips (11 points), top scorer was Rob Callender (15 points).

The Nando's Brentwood Fire Under-12s had a weekend of heavy defeats against their under-13 opposition. On Saturday they took on an athletic Lewisham. Ryan Robinson's catch and drive sliced through the defence during the fourth, but Fire were never able to catch Lewisham, losing 104 -44.

Sunday saw Ipswich come to Brentwood and in the first half the home team scored just seven points eventually losing 113-33.

The Nando's Brentwood Fire Under-13s took another confident step towards the play-offs in a 77-38 win against Solent on Saturday. The team had their slowest start all season allowing Solent to end the first quarter leading 18-8. Coach Alex Potter said: "The team were getting opportunities but constant misses made hard work of the opposition." An outside shot by Charles Smalley changed the momentum in Brentwood's favour.
The relentless defence and all round team intensity saw Solent with only two points in the second quarter. During the fourth Fire kept pushing and hit 30 points. Nathan Jackson was MVP with 18 points in the fourth quarter.

The Nando's Brentwood Fire Under-18s 'B' faced Coggeshall Cougars in the Essex Men's League on Sunday and went down 98-34.

Despite the snow and rough weather in Norfolk, Icini U14 girls braved the roads and travelled to Brentwood Saturday to face Brentwood Fire U14 girls.  Still basking in the glory of last week's victory and happy to have point guard Lucy Ward returning after an injury, Fire played a skilful first quarter with Elysia Stevenson top scorer achieving 12 of the 34 points scored.  Fire's tight defense kept Iceni from putting much on the boards, ending the first quarter 34-8.  With such a healthy lead, Fire rotation allowed good court time & game experience for new players Bremmer, Woodward, Pallet and Kelleher.  The first half ended with a strong 65-17 lead to Fire. 

A half time pep talk from coach Penny Seithel left the girls raring to go, each setting goals individually & as a team.  Eve Wright's tenacious defense earned her the title 'Steal Queen' within minutes for her thrilling interceptions. The points were racking up due to fast breaks thanks to Ellie Warden & Stevenson's great rebounding. Finishing off those fast breaks was Ricky John storming ahead to secure the basket. When not on a fast break it was down to superb ball handling and excellent jump shots from Lucy Ward and Ellie Warden.   Final Score 116-38 to Brentwood Fire. 

Points: Ellie Warden 37, Lucy Ward 19, Eve Wright 18, Ricky John 16, Elysia Stevenson 14, Emma Pallett 8, L'Wren Bremmer 4

 

Jan 27th , 2010

Warden helps girls to emphatic victory

Nando’s Brentwood Fire u14 girls travelled to Newham this weekend and produced an excellent demonstration of team performance.  Feeling confident, Fire imposed themselves on the game immediately with a basket from point guard Lucy Ward in the first minute.  Unfortunately, Ward was then injured and unable to return for the rest of the game. 

This was a blow to Fire, but stepping up came Eve Wright and Ricky John to help lead scorer Ellie Warden create an excellent offense ending the first quarter 38-11 to Fire.

Fire had exceptional defensive pressure, forcing Newham to numerous turnovers and creating quick scoring opportunities for Fire.  Youngbloods were still fighting back in the second quarter, yet despite early foul trouble from Fire the half ended with Fire having a healthy lead 68-24. 

Warden continued to bring strength to the Fire team, keeping the momentum in our favour.  Elysia Stevenson provided solid rebounding, with tenacious John’s & newcomers L’wren Bremmer and Caitlin Keller our defence was superb only allowing 8 points from Newham in the last quarter. The team have gelled and all played their part as was borne out by the final score of - Brentwood Fire 114 - Newham Youngbloods 48.

Points: Ellie Warden 58, Eve Wright 23, Ricky John 18, L'Wren Bremmer 6, Elysia Stevenson 6, Lucy Ward 2.

Nando’s Brentwood Fire Under 16 Girls

After a slow start in the 1st quarter the under 16 girls took over in the second and the third 16-4, 16-5 respectively. With a great display from Courtney Bartley and a season high in points from Jenny Savory 
the girls cruised the ret of the game winning 48-36. High scorers Ellie Gibbons 12, Jess Dowles 10, Courtney Bartley 8

Nando’s Brentwood Fire Under 18’s

Nando’s Brentwood Fire u18 Boys had a busy weekend with two fixtures Saturday and Sunday. They first travelled to Canterbury to take on a tough Medway Park team who had already beaten the Fire at Shenfield. Brentwood started the game with great team offense and matched the intensity of Medway’s style. 6’8” Shore Adenekan scored 8pts in the first 4 minutes but then missed the rest of the game, sidelined by a sprained ankle. The second quarter saw the opposition take a good lead as the Fire found it difficult to convert good opportunities. Needing new inspiration Brentwood defended with a pressing zone which stifled the home team. If they did manage to get through to the basket, Fire had Chris Lloyd to thank as he claimed an incredible 9 blocked shots. Towards the end of the game Brentwood clawed back the score and when Lloyd hit a long 3pt bomb they had a chance to launch one last attempt to win the game. However, time expired and Medway hung-on to win 74-72.

After the disappointing loss the day before, the u18 Boys played host to Plymouth. Fire made 5 changes to the team and this showed early on as the home team found it hard to play together. Plymouth could not take advantage of Fire’s poor start and the first half ended with the scores hardly in the 30’s. The key to the second half performance for Brentwood would be to work together and create for each other. They found an unlikely inspiration in Karl Perez, who was making his first A-team start, and the game was on a low-scoring knife edge until the final buzzer. With seconds to go captain Will Ashby had a chance to tie the game with 2 free-throws but one of them bounced off the rim. Then after a couple of made free-throws by Plymouth the boys were left with another harsh loss 66-63.

Nando’s Brentwood Fire Under 13’s

Nando's Brentwood Fire took on 2nd place team Ipswich at home this Saturday. The first 5 minutes started slowly with a 6 -5 lead to Fire.  The next 5 minutes saw the team step up a gear and take a 22 -8 lead. The relentless team defense created numerous mistakes by Ipswich and  easy points for the Fire team. Tim Brown continued to bruise their confidence with 3 blocks in the 4th quarter. On the final buzzer Fire took a comfortable win 75 -55. MVP was George Head with some brilliant defense on their 6 foot post player and some solid team scores at the  other end.
 
Nando’s Brentwood Fire Under 14’s
Brentwood Fire U14s: 67 - 80 :Ipswich Tomcats
Brentwood Fire U14s: 51 - 64 :Brighton Cougars

The U14s had two games this weekend. The first game was against Ipwich Tomcats and the odds were against Fire who had previously lost 125-58 in their last encounter. However Fire went into the game determined and confident and were taking the lead back and forth through the first half. However a poor third quarter sealed the result, although Fire went on a 10point run, they could not come back. Final score was 67-80, the MVP went to Rob Callender who finished the game with 16points and made some outstanding rebounds.

The u14s went on the road to Brighton the next day hoping to take some momentum into the game, but missing some players Fire were on the backfoot. Brighton started the first quarter with the momentum and outscored Fire in the first half with a high percentage of 3pointers. Fire started to put the pressure on in the the second half and went on a 12point unanswered run and with intense full court pressure forced some turnovers, but it was too late to turn it around. Harry Wellington's effort and never say die attitude earned him the MVP of the game. 

Nando’s Brentwood Fire Under 15’s

The u15 took another step towards the playoffs this week, beating Brighton Cougars 60-50. Brentwood never relinquished a lead that they posted early in the first quarter and looked comfortable throughout. Elliot Spence played through a back injury to put in a dominant performance while returning Captain Rich Hall showed his value down the stretch. The u15s now face a run of double-headers, culminating in a return trip to rivals NASSA where they will look to avenge their recent defeat.

Jan 20th , 2010

U15 Boys Lose Out To Rivals As Injuries Take There Toll

The Nando's Brentwood Fire u15s suffered their toughest loss of the season so far, going down 98-65 to their long-time rivals NASSA. Without their leading rebounder, Elliot Spence (out with a back injury), Fire were vulnerable on the boards and NASSA took full advantage, dominating the rebounding battle. Nick Sims kept the game close with a number of big 3s but Fire never recovered from a sluggish start. The u15s look to bounce back against the Brighton Cougars next Sunday at the Brentwood Centre in what promises to be a thrilling encounter.

Nando's Brentwood Fire u13 were away to Brighton on Saturday. With an unblemished record the pressure was on ! Charlie Withers started with a confident drive to the basket drawing the foul and swishing from the line. Followed by a run of baskets, the team ended the first quarter with 20points. Nathan Jackson's strong inside play and rebounding secured a 44 - 14 lead at the half. The fourth quarter saw Harry Tabard take over defensively in the back court. With a run of 10 steals Harry clocked up 16 points and Brighton had no answer. Top scorers were Tom Harvey (28) and Antonio Burton-Blackman (18). The final whistle saw Brighton defeated 102 -31.

Nando’s Brentwood Fire u18 resumed their league campaign against the much improved London United. Fire had a great start to the game led by the scoring of Simeon Esprit and good team offense. However the second quarter brought a drought of points and the opposition took a commanding 42-21 into the half-time break. The third period didn’t start much better for Brentwood until an early time-out by coach Potter caused the boys to raise their defensive effort. Dougie Bennett and Shore Adenekan had a number of strong finishes which gave the Fire a chance going into the last quarter (67-40). Inspired throughout by the performance of captain Will Ashby the team had one of their best quarters for a long time scoring 31 and conceding only 17. Eventually the earlier defecit proved too much and London United took the win 84-71. Top Scorers: Shore Adenekan 16, Renaud Von-Wielligh 13

Nando's Brentwood Fire Under 16 girls had a tough weekend away at Eastside a team that beat Brentwood earlier in the season 96-10. However determined not to have the same result, Fire came out fighting and playing with more confidence than their previous meeting back in October. Jess Dowles, Ellie Warden and Lucy Ward lead the scoring with 6 each. Eastside were however superior and the final score was 93-20.

Jan 19th , 2010

Prime Time league continues with a visit from Leopards newcomer Laurent Irish

Shenfield Sports Centre saw the return of the local primary school league 'Prime Time' this week. Matches were played over four consecutive nights with 64 teams participating from 19 local schools.
Girls and Boys from school years 4,5,and 6 represented their schools competing across 4 leagues. Junior Coaches from the Champions Academy Junior Coaching programme were on hand to help with refereeing and scoring the matches.
Players were delighted to meet Leopards newcomer Laurent Irish. Prime Time offers primary school children the opportunity to compete in a local league.

Any school interested in joining the Prime Time league should contact the Champions Academy office on 01277 214548.

Jan 12th , 2010

Nando's Brentwood Fire u16 girls  came up against 4th place, Ipswich on Sunday. Fire 
managed to keep up with Ipswich in the second and fourth quarters but after their slow start which saw ipswich up by 24 at the end of the first cost them, eventually loosing the game 38-80. Top scorers Ellie Warden 10 , Lucy Ward 6

The under 18b team also had a tough weekend facing Bower Park Bucks who are currently top of the table. Brentwood started well and looked like their high intensity defence could help to dominate. The second quarter saw Bower start to pull away but Fire were brething down thier necks the entire way, resulting in an intense game and a 56-68 loss for Fire. Top scorers Chinedu Edeh 15, Karl Perez 12

Dec 15th , 2009

U13 Boys stay top of table

Brentwood Fire U13 travelled to Ipswich this Saturday to their biggest win so far this season. Ipswich, who are second in the division could not contain Brentwood's furious full court defense creating easy baskets. After just one quarter Brentwood lead 34 -10. 
Ipswich looked shell shocked and had no answer on the court. Fire's all round teamwork meant that there was no let up in pressure for Ipswich. The final score was 133 Brentwood 62 Ipswich. Top scorers were Tom Harvey on 38 and Antonio Burton-Blackman on 36. George Nash was the MVP with exceptional defense and 20 points.

Nando's Brentwood Fire U14 girls faced their biggest rival this weekend, the Southend Swifts.  Playing in the Swifts territory, the atmosphere from the onset was tense.  Fire took a while to settle into the game allowing Swifts Amy Rogers to lead their quick scoring. Despite a disappointing first quarter ending 30-15, Fire kept their heads up determined to shift the game’s momentum.   Lucy Ward kept Fire’s offense moving with Ellie Warden, newcomer Emma Pallet and great team effort ending the first half 43-31.   During the second half, Swifts came alive, dominated the game with their three point shooting and despite all team efforts the game ran away from Fire ending 108-58.  Leading scorer for Fire, Ellie Warden with 28 points. 

Nando’s Brentwood Fire u18 Boys had a busy weekend starting with a road trip to Somerset on Saturday. For the first 3/4 of the game the Fire boys found it hard to find any good individual form or collective excellence against bottom of the league Taunton Tigers. During the 3rd quarter the team found themselves down by 16 points. Suddenly inspired by the defensive effort of Dougie Bennett and Will Ashby, Fire pulled the score back to 56-56 with 4 mins to go. The tigers then hit 2 big 3point shots to lead by 1 point with less than a minute remaining. Fire then failed to convert their last two possessions and disappointedly lost 64-61.

After their long road trip to the west country, Fire u18 faced the league leaders Reading Rockets in the quarter finals of the National Cup. Fire had lost to the same team by 12points last weekend and knew they were in for a difficult afternoon when 2 of their potential starters couldn’t make the game. Coach Potter asked the players to show discipline and togetherness as they took on the ‘giants’ from Reading. The team played much better than the day before yet were still down 14 at half-time. Malachi Alimi had a stand-out performance with Paul Jarvis also contributing a valuable effort. The strength of the Rockets continually posed too much of a threat to Fire’s hard-working defense and they went through to the semi-finals with a score of 98-62.

The Under 16 girls travelled to Ipswich to face a team that doubled them in number. Brentwood's 6 girls played well against The Tomcats 12 and  took control of the game early on. Despite Ellie Gibbons and Amber Clark both putting in their best performances of the season, tiredness kicked in and allowed Ipswich to take the game 55-49. The girls travel  to Sevenoaks on Wednesday to face the Suns. Top Scorers Ellie Gibbons  25, Megan Smith 9.

 

Dec 8th , 2009

U15 Boys Top Table

Nando's Brentwood Fire U15s put in another dominant performance, beating Barking and Dagenham Wolfpack 133-18. Debutantes Jordan Bolessa (19 Points) and Jacob De'ath (15 Points) made excellent contributions, with De'ath hitting a 3-pointer to beat the 1st quarter buzzer. The u15s go on to sterner tests, visiting Solent Kestrels next week.

U14 Brentwood Fire: 46 - NASA: 74. The large final score gap did not reflect the effort and intensity of the game. Fire played fantastic help and rotation defense, which saw the away team struggle to score in the first 7 minutes of the game. However, NASA’s skill and speed broke Fire down and strong rebounding and quick scoring were the downfall of the home team. However Fire kept the game close and were within 10 points at the end of the third quater, but NASA elevated their game in the fourth and took the game out of reach. Jacob De’ath was the MVP for his determination and leadership. Jordan Bolessa was top scorer with 13 points.

Fire's under 16 girls came up against one of the best teams they will face, Haringey Angels, who are currently undefeated in the league. Fire came up with a respectable 101 - 41 loss after battling the entire game. A superb performance from Ellie Warden saw her score 21 points despite her early foul trouble, which saw her pick up 2 fouls in the first 3 minutes of the game.

Nando’s Brentwood Fire u18 Boys played high-flying Reading Rockets at Shenfield Sports Centre. Fire were looking to end a bad run of losses and right from opening tip knew they had to be at their best to compete with the Rockets size and talent. With the score at 21-23 coach James Potter was delighted with the performance however some poor turnovers and easy baskets gave the Rockets a 25-44 half-time lead. The momentum for the opposition continued well into the second half until Simeon Esprit and Ross Bartley began to heat up and helped keep the score respectable. The Fire closed out the game with a great team defensive effort and won the final quarter 25-12. At the final whistle it was another disappointing loss but the boys can believe for better results to come. Final score 73-85 to Rockets. Top Scorers : Simeon Esprit 17, Ross Bartley 17, Dougie Bennett 13, Will Ashby 13

 

Nov 17th , 2009

Two out of four for Fire

 

Nando's Brentwood Fire U14 Boys got off to a rocky start to the game, going down by 13 points to London Feltham before scoring. Fire struggled to score throughout the first half, trailing 35 – 25. However Fire’s defensive efforts changed the game and with intense full court pressure, they forced Warriors into multiple turnovers and provided easy scoring opportunities. Fire took the final quarter down to a nail-biting finish bringing the score back to 57 -57, with Matt Philips having a basket disallowed by scoring just after the buzzer. This took the game to over time, where Fire kept up their outstanding defensive effort and prevented Warriors from getting a single overtime basket and won the game 63 – 57. MVP went to Calum Blair for his outstanding defensive rebounding and interceptions and was joint second highest scorer. Top scorers were Jordon Bolessa and Robert Callender with 12 points.

The U15s put in an excellent team performance this weekend, beating Greenhouse Giants 65-59. With only 7 players, the team pulled together to continue their winning ways against tough opposition. Elliot Fraser (18 points) and Patrick Velarde (17 points) top scored in the victory that takes the u15s to an outstanding 6-1 record.

Brentwood U14 girls travelled to Hounslow this weekend without 4 of their more experienced players. Right from the first whistle, Fire pressed the opposition to take an easy 24-9 lead. The Brentwood girls were led by the skilful ball handling of Lucy Ward and Sasha Bartley, with Ellie Warden dominating rebounds and scoring. By the end of the 1st half, Fire increased their lead 48-25.
Excellent defensive play came from Milly Blandford, giving her 7 steals; new players L’wren Bremmer, Ella Brame and Alicia Woodward also made great contributions. Even though Hounslow’s confidence grew, Fire continued to control the game giving them a final score of 100-55.
Top scorers were: Ellie Warden 55, Lucy Ward 21, Sasha Bartley 16.

Nando's Brentwood Fire U18 faced undefeated league leaders Solent Suns at Shenfield Sports Centre. Fire started the game really well and were lead by the tenacious defense of Dougie Bennett and Will Ashby. The teams looked evenly matched as the half-time approached with Ross Bartley keeping the scores close with consecutive baskets. The second half was a disappointment for the Fire boys as they failed to score easy opportunities and allowed the strong Solent players to have second and third shot attempts through poor rebounding. The game ended with another win for the Suns 103-72. Top Scorers : Will Ashby 19, Ross Bartley 15, Dougie Bennett 10

Fire U16 girls came up against local rivals, the Southend Swifts. Fire had half of their squad either ill or injured but all were present on the bench showing how together this team is becoming. The girls that played put in a superb effort eventually losing 69-90 and had spells where they threatened to really put the pressure on Southend. Top Scorers Ellie Warden 24, Jess Dowles

 

Nov 9th , 2009

Nandos Brentwood Fire Match Reports Weekend 6

Nando's Brentwood Fire u18 fell to their second straight loss away to Milton Keynes Lions. The Fire played a roller-coaster type of game with high's and lows throughout. Early on Simeon Esprit ignited the game with an impressive fake and dunk on two defenders but the Fire ended the first half down by 14. The half-time break gave the team new impetus and they went on a 16-2 run at the start of the second half. Poor defence and good shooting from the opposition gave the Lions an easy win towards the end.

The Nando's Brentwood Fire Under 16 Girls had a tough game ahead of them when they travelled to Worthing with only 5 players. However, the Brentwood girls showed character and battled hard to beat the Thunder 41-61.
Courtney Bartley put in a great performance controlling the tempo for the majority of the game. As did Jenny Savory who's rebounding was a key factor. Top scorers; Megan Smith 21, Jess Dowles 19, Danielle Oliver 9.

The U18B struggled with the size and physical play of the Coggeshall Cougars, losing 111-61. Another strong performance from guard Karl Perez who lead Fire's scoring with 14. Other top scorers were John Lucas 13, Sam Clark 10.

The Nando’s Brentwood Fire u14 boys led the game against London Greenhouse Giants from beginning to end thanks to some great assist play from Jacob De'ath & Brody Faulkner and strong rebounding from Robert Callender and Calum Blair. Fire pressured Giants into turnovers and forced shots and capitalised through fast break baskets to win the game 78 - 36. Top scorer was Robert Callender 19 and MVP was Jordan Bolessa for his all round attacking effort, finishing the game with 18 points.

 

Nov 2nd , 2009

Nandos Brentwood Fire Match Reports Weekend 5

Nando's Brentwood Fire u18 played Hackney White Heat at the Brentwood Centre and left with a frustrating 10 point loss, 100-90. Early foul trouble and injuries impacted the game for the Fire who struggled to stop Hackney's up tempo scoring. Will Ashby had a captain's performance with his first triple-double of the season (17pts, 12 assists, 10 rebounds). Top scorers Dougie Bennett 15, Ross Bartley 14, James Mason 13.

The Nando's Brentwood Fire Under 14 Girls team fought a tough away game against the Ipswich Bobcats on Saturday 31st October. The 1st  quarter began with some tough play from Fire who ended on 9 team fouls and trailing by 17 -  28.  In the second quarter Fire were frustrated and confused by some of the referees decisions and the number of fouls they found themselves on, whilst Ipswich with tremendous support at their home ground, were confident ending with a half time the score of 29 - 56.  Fire came back more focused  and much stronger in the second half, and at points thought they may claw it back, but despite some masterful play in the second half,  the game finished 68 - 96 to the Ipswich Bobcats.
Top scorers; Ellie Warden - 39, Lucy Ward - 14, Eve  Wright - 7, Milly Blandford - 6, Elyssia Stevenson - 2.
MVP for the game was Elysia Stevenson for her excellent defense & rebounding!

The Nando’s Brentwood Fire u12’s showed great determination in a 85-40 loss to Solent Stars u13. After going down 30-3 in the first quarter the team fought back with some strong defense from Josh Stannard and David Jackson. Top Scorers Josh Stannard 20, George Daly 6, Patrick King 5

The Nando’s Brentwood Fire u16 girls put in a solid performance against the Solent Suns eventually losing 47-71. Neither team ever dominated the game due to good defense from both teams. The Solent coach later confessed that Fire's zone defense was very hard to break down. Top scorers Ellie Warden 21, Ellie Gibbons 10.

Even with key players unavailable the Nando’s Brentwood Fire u18B’s got their first win of the season, beating Maldon Predators 63-45. Fire kept the pressure on all game long with strong moves to the basket and some good long range shooting. Top scorers Chinda Edeh 15, Simon DeBere 13, John Lucas 12.

 

 

Oct 26th , 2009

Nandos Brentwood Fire Match Reports Weekend 4

Fire too hot for Youngbloods

THE Nandos Brentwood Fire Under-14 Girls secured victory in their first game at home to Newham Youngbloods.

It was a late first match of the season, due to the pulling out of Solent Suns and Chiltern Pumas, but Brentwood were raring to go and triumphed 127-52.

The first shot of the game was within 90 seconds and saw Lucy Ward put two points on the board and set the pace for the rest of the quarter, which ended 44 - 6.

Newham began to fight back in the second quarter, but new Fire coach, Penny Seithel, rallied Fire and the second quarter ended 75-30. The theme of the third quarter was Fire looking tired and the Youngbloods looking desperate and the score was taken to 103-45 before Fire pushed on in the final quarter.

The points were scored by Ellie Warden 42, Eve Wright 21, Morgan Hammond 19, Lucy Ward 18, Sasha Bartley 15, Milly Blandford six and Elysia Stevenson six.

 

 

 

Oct 19th , 2009

Nandos Brentwood Fire Match Reports Weekend 3

Girls on Fire against Pumas

Brentwood Fire  - Under 16 Girls

Nando's Brentwood Fire Under 16 girls had a convincing victory over the Chiltern Pumas winning 139 - 24. They dominated the game from start to finish with 6 out of their 8 players scoring in double figures as well as winning the final quarter 42-0. Leading Scorers Ellie Warden 32, Jess Dowles 27, Megan Smith 24.

 

Brentwood Fire  - Under 14 Boys

U14 lead the Brighton Cougars throughout, going ahead by 15 points in the third quarter. However Fire allowed the Cougers back into the game and were only up by 4 points late in the 4th quarter. With important last minute baskets by Harry Wellington and Ben Mathews and an interception by Calum Blair, Brentwood held on to start their season with two straight wins 64-57. Top scorer: Harry Wellington 13, MVP: Jacob De'ath with 12points, 7 steals and 9assists.

Brentwood Fire  - Under 15 Boys

U15 ground out another strong victory against Newham Youngbloods, who they lost to in the National Playoffs last season, taking their record to 3-1. The team made their fans sweat until the end, eventually winning 88-79. Elliot Spence (22 Points) and Harry White (18 Points) had stand-out performances, in a game dominated by post play.

Brentwood Fire  - Under 18 Men

Medway Park Crusaders (Canterbury) were the next challenge to the Brentwood Fire u18 unbeaten start to the season. Without four of their key players due to injury the Fire fought hard against the most aggressive team in the league.

Tom Stainer and Jack Brown both contributed great inside play and with 5 minutes remaining the score was 69-64 in favour of Medway. Suddenly, when captain Will Ashby was questionably fouled out of the game, the tide completely turned in favour of the opposition and Fire went down to their first loss 87-69. Top Scorers Ross Bartley 16, Will Ashby 10

Brentwood Fire  - Under 18 B Men

U18 B team had their first league game against newcomers Bowerpark Bucks. However they came up short after leading for the majority of the game until the last 8 seconds, final score 60-62. Top Scorer Chinedu Edeh 14.

 

Nandos Brentwood Fire Match Reports Weekend 2

Brentwood Fire  - Under 16 Girls

Nandos Brentwood Fire Under 16 girls suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of the Eastside Eagles, a team that has 3 England players. Their aggressive pressing offense proved to be too much for the Brentwood girls with the final score 96-10. Top scorers Ellie Warden 6.

Brentwood Fire  - Under 18B

Nandos Brentwood Fire Under 18B's playing against men would be intimidating for most 15-17 year olds, but  that's what the u18B team has to do this year.  With their first game being the cup, against one of the stronger teams in the league last  year, Wickford Trailblazers. After a slow start the Brentwood boys fought hard and won the 4th quarter. Unfortunately it was too little too late, with the final score being 33-67 in Wickford's favor. Top scorers Sam Clark 7, Chineda Edeh 6.

 

Brentwood Fire  - Under 13

Nandos Brentwood Fire Under 13's made a great start to their National League season with a win at Southampton 55 -51. From the start Brentwood were ahead and were up by 22 points with 14 minutes to go.  Southampton fought back but Brentwood held their cool with a huge opposing crowd. In the final minute a strong team effort by Brentwood was too much for the Solent Kestrels to contain. Charles Smalley was MVP and Tom Harvey was top scorer with 23 points.

Brentwood Fire  - Under 18

Nando's Brentwood Fire Under 18's travelled west to Richmond to face London United. The team rose to the challenge of stopping the opposition's main threat and captain Caylan Raftopoulos and played really well to lead 42-24 late in the first half.  The Fire allowed United to be in the game right to the final seconds but Will Ashby calmed the nerves by hitting two crucial free throws and secured a second straight win 70-66. Chris Lloyd gave a strong performance throughout with 10 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 assists. Top scorers : Will Ashby 25, Simeon Esprit 17.

Brentwood Fire  - Under 15

The U15 squad had a tough loss away to Ipswich missing their injured Captain Richard Hall. Fire dominated for long periods but were unable to capitalise and eventually lost the game 82-65. Big men Harry White and Elliot Spence played well and Arminder Kahlon was effective off the bench.

Champions Academy Pack Their Bags

Members of Champions Academy UK, headed off to Sainsbury's Brentwood at the weekend as part of their ongoing fundraising efforts. Over 20 children from the basketball club based at Shenfield Sport Centre offered help to Sainsbury's customers packing their bags throughout the day.

Alexandra Potter, director of the club, said "It's a great opportunity Sainsbury's have given us to allow the young people to come along and help others whilst raising money for their club."

Club parents were also present to lend a hand to the younger members of the club who were keen to help.

"We were delighted by the support and interest the local people showed and their donations raised £650.00 which will be used to purchase new kits and equipment for the club".

NATIONAL LEAGUE OPENING WEEKEND SUCCESS FOR FIRE

Nando's Brentwood Fire teams opened their league campaigns this weekend with 3 out of 4 victories.

Under 16 girls played at Colchester with only 6 players yet put on a great performance and narrowly lost 43-58. The Fire girls were up 12-7 after the first quarter thanks to 3 successive baskets from Megan Smith. Colchester's aggressive play eventually won the battle for the home team. Top Scorers : Ellie Warden 21, Megan Smith 10, Jessica Dowles 8

Under 14 boys took on local rivals Baddow Eagles and suprizingly ran to an easy 104-19 win. 6 players scored in double figures and the team dominated throughout with intense defense and constant quick passing offense. Top Scorers : Chris Skingley 20, harry Wellington 16, Rob Callender 16.

Bristol Academy Flyers were Fire's first opponents in the Premier South Under 18 League. 24 teams compete North & South in England's top junior league and the Fire boys came through a difficult game with a narrow win 84-78. The team held their composure in the closing minutes having lost two of their key players with 5 fouls. Top scorers : Will Ashby 19, Renaud Von-Weilligh 15, Jordan Berry 11

The Under 15's played host to the Solent Kestrels and produced a strong team performance to win 70-63. Fire's two big men got into early foul trouble so it was down to higher defensive pressure in the fourth quarter that led to the tough victory. Elliott Frazer and Harry Campbell had good performances off the bench. Top Scorers : Richard Hall 24, Patrick Velarde 20

Dec 23, 2008
East England U14 Girls
3 Brentwood Fire Girls were in the East England Team that came second at the annual U14 Inter Regional tournament that took place at Lilleshall recently............

Crunch Time at CAUK

The half term holidays saw 80 children from local schools participate in the Easter Crunch Time basketball sessions.  Champions Academy ran daily sessions for both boys and girls from school year groups 2-7.  The club, based at Shenfield High School, offered five days of quality basketball coaching and competitions for children of all abilities in their newly refurbished facility. 

The camp complimented the weekly training sessions organised by Champions Academy within local primary schools and at the club offering the chance for children of all ages to improve their basketball skills.

The next camp is planned for 28th-30th May.
Anyone interested in playing basketball from complete beginner for fun, or at a more competitive level see www.championsacademy.co.uk.

Brentwood Fire's Historic Playoff Weekend

For the first time in the club's 18 year history Brentwood Fire will be represented at the National League Final Four Competition. This past weekend the Fire Under 13 team beat Baddow Eagles in the National Quarter Final and will now join three other clubs from around the country at RAF Cranwell to decide the best Under 13 team in the country.

It was a bumper playoff weekend for the whole club as the Under 18, Under 16, Under 14 and Under 12 squads all played knockout games.

Under 18
Finishing the regular season as CHAMPIONS of the South Conference the U18's played at home to the Sevenoaks Suns who finished 4th in the South Premier. The game was a roller-coaster affair from start to finish with the FIRE gaining the biggest lead of 9 points during the first half. With two minutes remaining in the game the Suns established a 4 point lead and seemed to have the momentum. As with so many games recently the FIRE U18 just do not surrender and lead by Will Ashby and Ali McCann they clawed back to be 1 point ahead with 3.6 secs remaining. Sevenoaks had the ball to win the game but turned it over to the delight of the home crowd. Final score 70-69.
Next up is a visit to TASIS in the last 16 who breezed past the Torbay Tigers by 106 - 36.

Under 16
Towards the end of their regular season the team lead by Coach Ben Eve put a string of wins together in the South I Conference to finish 2nd and clinch a playoff place. Their reward was an away game against the Spelthorne Atoms who had finished top of the South II Conference. In the 1st quarter FIRE created an ensemble of good scoring opportunities, however the shots were not falling in for them. At the other end of the court the Atoms were able to breakdown the visitors defence and establish a commanding lead which was extended into the second quarter. The response from Fire was positive and they fought back to win the 3rd quarter. However the damage had been done and it was to late to rain in a 30 points deficit. The Atoms finished the fourth and final quarter 106 - 64 winners.

Under 14
After a regular season of ups and downs in the South II League, the Under 14 squad travelled west to play the Reading Rockets in their first round playoff. With both teams playing in the playoffs for the first time it was unsurprising that the start of the game was a tense affair. Both teams struggled to convert their scoring attempts as they settled into the game. It was Fire who settled first, putting together a run of baskets to finish the first quarter 8 points up. A healthy exchange of points during the second quarter left the game completely open with Fire just ahead by 2 points. Another even quarter followed the half time break, and it was not until the last 6 minutes of the game that Rockets pushed far ahead. Unable to stop the Rockets fast break, Fire began to struggle to match points for points. Despite valiant efforts from the entire team to snatch back the lead the final score ended 74 - 62 in favour of Rockets.

Under 13
Just like the Under 18's the Under 13's finished top of their league, which earned them a favourable draw in the first rounds of the playoff. Before this past weekend they had brushed aside Northants Thunder 127 - 74 in the first round and Reading Rockets 122 - 30  in the second. This set up the quarter final game with local rivals Baddow Eagles.
Both teams were hyped up for the game, but it was Fire who turned the hype into points. They hit 32 points against Baddow in the 1st quarter, 16 of which were scored by Rich Hall. In the second quarter the lead began to slip away as Baddow narrowed the gap to 10 points by half time. As though they were answering Baddows come back in the second quarter, Fire went on an 18 - 2 scoring run after the break. From then on the game was plain sailing for Fire who ran out a 78 - 59 victory, Rich Hall finishing with 28 points and Joe Lockwood 26.

The u13 Final Four will be held at RAF Cranwell on the 29th March where Fire will be playing against Ellesmere Port Panthers in the semi-final. The other semi sees the Leeds Tigers take on the Newham All Stars.

Well done to every player who represented Brentwood Fire this weekend.

Champion Conquers Hell

After months of anticipation, training and excitement Hell Run 2007 finally came around to wreck it's unique brand of havoc on the legs of 3 thousand brave/stupid runners.

The bright sunshine of Sunday morning was a blessing to everyone who travelled to the Longmoor Army Training Base in Hampshire. Had it been raining, the prospect of running 10 miles in and over the hills, bogs, sand banks and lakes may have been off putting.

Representing Champions Academy in the trail run was coach Matt Shurlock who was raising funds for the development of Champion's new home at Shenfield.

As the starter gun fired a flurry of fireworks shot through the air which due to the bright sunshine were a little wasted, other than to startle the already confused pair of dogs watching from behind a fence.

The course started out quite gently as the course wound through the forest for the first 3 miles. Calm before the storm.

After this all manner of hill was traversed. Little hillocks complete with grassy tops right through to 30ft boulder incrusted mini-mountains. This selection of barriers lead the runners back round towards the start. However it was far from over. Swerving to the left the course ran straight through the Bog Of Doom. This was a gentle canter through waist deep black sludge which not only sapped all energy from the runners legs but also left all clothing below the chest sodden with dirty smelly water. Nice.

Another 4 miles skipped past over the rough tracks right up to the final challenge, The Hills of Hell, an assault on a 15ft bank composed entirely of sand.
Sodden, tired and sweaty each person had to run up the first slope, trot along the crest and then back down just metres from where they had just ascended. The course designer felt it was appropriate for this to be repeated four times.

And then it was to the final mile. The sense of relief evident on each runner's face as they turned into the final straight turned to a big muddy grin as they crossed the finish line.
Matt managed the course in 1 hour 24 min, which placed him 145th over all.

Already preparing for Hell Run 2008, Matt is searching for volunteers to join him next year, as well as some water proof socks.
Thank you to everyone who donated some sponsor money to the pot. If you would like to add to the kitty please speak to any Champions staff member.

We will post the total raised once it has all been handed in.

Thanks again,
Champions Academy

August 21st, 2007

Open Club Sessions September 2007

Open Club sessions become fully booked very quickly, so we're giving you this early opportunity to reserve your place for next term. All sessions will be held at Shenfield School Sports Centre, commencing week beginning Monday 3rd September.               Download Booking form

Towers Triumph at U’11 National Tournament

 

The 4th Annual Champions Academy U11 National Tournament took place this weekend at St. Martins School in Brentwood. 6 teams competed in the day-long league and playoff competition.
The league ran throughout the day with each team playing each other once.

After the league games had been completed the standings for the playoffs were decided. The fifth place playoff game was competed by Crawley Cagers and Havering Fire, both of who were making their first appearance at the competition, whilst Brentwood Fire had both their U10 and U11 Girls team competing in the third place playoff.

 

The playoff final was contested by Brentwood Fire U11 Boys and Towers. Towers had beaten Fire earlier in the day on their way to recording a flawless 5 wins from 5 games league result. The game started nervously as both teams made a number of turnovers and missed shots. As they settled into the game some great basketball began to emerge. Towers, using their much superior height, were able to command the boards at both ends and soon turned this possession into points.
Despite the height difference Fire pushed and hustled the game, creating a number of baskets through great team offence, Jacob De'ath notching up a serious number of assists.

Lindon Bobb, probably the most effective player on the court, was able to run the Tower’s offence, either dishing off pin point passes to his team mates or taking the ball to the hoop himself. If there was no option to go to the basket he was more than comfortable shooting from the perimeter.

With 5minutes left on the clock, Fire put on a string of 10 points to claw back the Tower’s lead and briefly go ahead. However the aerial dominance of Towers meant they were able to quickly reclaim the lead and push the game beyond the home team.

At the end it was Towers who took home the trophy they had won two years ago.

This was one of the last major events for Champions Academy at St. Martins before they move to Shenfield School at the start of June. It was a great success and Champions Academy would like to thank the many people who helped make it so.

The Final Playoff Standings were;
1. London Towers
2. Brentwood Fire U’11 Boys
3. Brentwood Fire U’11 Girls
4. Brentwood Fire U’10 Boys
5. Crawley Cagers
6. Havering Fire U’11

Champions Academy 8th Annual Sponsored Shootathon

Monday 21st - Friday 25th May 2007

We will soon be staging our Annual Sponsored Shootathon to see who are the hottest shooters in Champions Academy UK and raise funds for some exciting new plans for the future.
Over the past few years we have been able to purchase items such as electronic score-boards, a sound-system, team kits, baskets for schools and some of the funds have helped train coaches to a higher standard.
As of June 1st 2007 we have the opportunity to refurbish the Shenfield Sports Centre.
You can help us create a fantastic players and parents social area at our new facility.

The shootathon challenge is to score as many as you can from 100 attempts (50 lay-up shots & 50 shots at spots around the basket). Highest scorers in each age group will have the chance to win a FIBA Molten match ball.

This year we have some special prizes for the highest fund-raisers....

Unique CAUK tracksuits
BBL Guildford Heat VIP Tickets
Outback Steakhouse family meal

You can be sponsored per basket or as a total amount no matter how many you score.

All players who improve their score from last year will receive a certificate.

Please bring your sponsor form with you to each shootathon session you attend.

PART TIME CATERING ASSISTANT/S REQUIRED

£4.45 - £6.00 per hour, reviewed after training period
Flexible Hours between 5 – 9pm weekdays (school term)
Jobshare welcome.
Some weekend and holiday work available

Champions Academy UK are moving to Shenfield Sports Centre on the 1st June 2007. With our development plans for the café and social area we are looking for a number of staff to launch this project.

Staff will play a vital role in developing and delivering a fantastic food, beverage and leisure experience for all those who visit Champions Academy. Your readiness to work as part of a team will compliment your ‘hands on’ working style.

Experience in a customer facing role is desirable but we are interested in talking to people who are helpful, show initiative, confident in talking to people and enjoy the buzz of a busy environment. Experience of catering work would be advantageous but not essential, as training will be provided.

Benefits: Flexible working, development opportunities and working with a successful and forward looking organisation.

For further details and a full job description contact Carol Cannon or Alex Potter on 01277 214548.

HELP NEEDED - WORKING PARTY - 1st /2nd JUNE 2007

On the 1st June we move to our new home @ Shenfield Sports Centre. During the 1st/2nd June we will be cleaning and making some basic renovations to the facility. Could you spare an hour or more to help?
Please contact Carol Cannon on 01277 214 548 or carolc@championsacademy.co.uk

SURREY SUCCESS FOR FIRE U14’s

            BRENTWOOD FIRE    47             LANFRANC     45

          (SURREY CENTRAL VENUE LEAGUE U14 FINAL)

After finishing the season unbeaten in the Surrey Central Venue League  and Play-offs Brentwood Fire met Lanfranc in the final.
Both teams suffered from a nervous start with numerous turnovers and only one basket apiece in the first four minutes. Fire also failed to convert three out of four free throws but thanks to six points from Renaud Von-Wielligh  finished the first quarter two points up at 9-7.

Playing Pasarelle rules , Fire’s second five came out blazingat the start of the second quarter , racing to a 19-9 lead due to sensible passing from point guard Lucas Solkhon and six points from Luke matthews. Unfortunately Fire then went off the boil just as quick allowing Lanfranc back into the game. The quarter ending with Fire down by one at 19-20.

The second half started slow with neither side giving any ground and the first four minutes saw baskets being traded and the score level at 25-25. Fire then moved up a gear with point guard and captain Douglas Bennett combining well with guard Paul Jarvis , each player scoring eight points apiece during the next eight minutes putting Fire into a 45-34 lead with six minutes left on the clock.  Lanfranc suddenly woke up and only good defensive play by Fire enabled them to keep their lead at 47-43 with two minutes left. Intelligent running down of the clock by Fire and two missed free throws by Lanfranc saw fire victors at the final whistle 47-45.

Although neither team played to their usual standard it was a thoroughly entertaining final played in good spirit and both teams were heavily applauded during the presentations by a enthusiastic crowd, both for their basketball and their sportsmanship.
All of the Fire team contributed to a winning performance but mention must go to Paul Jarvis and Douglas Bennett for their strong all round performances with Douglas Bennett being named MVP by the match officials.

The Brentwood Fire team on the day was: Paul Jarvis (13 points), Douglas Bennett (11), Renaud Von-Wielligh (9), Luke Matthews (8), Lucas Solkhon (3), Tom Smith (2), James Mason (1), Ian Flemming, Sarah Cozens, Sam Payne and Chris Lloyd.

Champions on FIRE

Brentwood FIRE Under 16’s, part of Champions Academy, secured their place in the National RAF U16 Playoff quarter finals Saturday, after an extremely hard fought match away to Haringey Warriors.  They now travel to Derby to take on the Derby Trailblazers this coming weekend, hoping to book a place in the RAF Final 4 to be played at RAF Cosford on 12th May.

With a lot at stake the game started at a frantic pace, with the Warriors taking an immediate 4 point lead.

It took a little time for FIRE to settle into the action; however they soon imposed themselves on the game and began to build up a healthy lead. The team was aided by over 60 supporters who had travelled over from Brentwood to lend their vocal support throughout the game.

Warriors never looked like conceding the game and continued to chase and harass throughout. Most of FIRE’s points were coming from their powerful post players, James Gaskin (14 points) and George Callender (16 points) who formed an unstoppable force under the hoop throughout the first half. It seemed that every time they received a pass from the on-form guards Sam Horti and Will Ashby they put points on the board.

Going into the fourth quarter FIRE had lost James Gaskin and George Callender who had been so effective in the first half. Gaskin picked up his fifth foul early in the third quarter and had to sit out the remainder of the game having already made a big impact.  Callender was eventually sidelined after a series of knocks and bumps as well as a bad case of cramp.

As the game ran towards the finish FIRE’s discipline and control shone through and Warriors picked up a string of technical fouls.  Captain Ryan Kudyk (14 points) guided FIRE to victory with 10 points scored in the final 2 minutes including 4 points from the free throw line.  Ben Warden top scored with 19 points and Josh Edridge contributed a further 10 points.

Throughout what was a turbulent game, FIRE maintained both focus and discipline which was clearly fed through to them by Head Coach James Potter. As tempers flared towards the end Coach Potter kept his team’s minds on the task in hand and a 10 point win does not describe how hard fought and well won the game was.

The final score ended Warriors 72 - FIRE 82.

A bus will be running to Derby this Sunday 29th and anyone interested in travelling to support the FIRE should contact Champions office on enquiries@championsacademy.co.uk .

Champions would also like to hugely congratulate Coach Matt Shurlock who ran in the London Marathon Sunday and finished in just over three and a half hours running for chosen charity Shelter. Matt would like to thank everyone who sponsored him as well as the people who came up to London to cheer him on in the heat.

Our move to Shenfield Sports Centre

As you may be aware Champions Academy, received the offer to manage Shenfield Sports Centre and after careful consideration we decided to embrace the opportunity.

We have experienced many great years at St. Martin’s School and would like to express our gratitude to all those who have assisted and become involved in our club.

The Sport Centre will not only accommodate our full basketball programme but allow us to further develop. Some of the ways it will benefit members and parents are:

• Attached toilet and changing facilities
• Café and social area for parents and players
• Reception area
• Additional holiday activities
• Additional youth club nights at weekends
• Further adult sessions
• Gym facilities

As you can see it is an exciting move and will benefit us all in various and different ways.

You can download a feedback questionnaire and please do not hesitate to make suggestions and talk to us about any concerns you may have. We would appreciate you returning it as soon as possible to help in our planning.

Yours Sincerely,

Alex Potter

WEB RELEASE No. 1 - Shenfield Sports Centre

Champions Academy UK have recently received the offer to manage Shenfield Sports Centre. After careful consideration we have decided to embrace this opportunity and will move into our new home on 1st June 2007.

The Sport Centre will not only accommodate our full basketball programme but also allow us to further develop our expansion. As members of Champions Academy you can look forward to extended facilities which will include :- connected changing rooms and toilets, social area with cafeteria, fitness room, entrance foyer with welcome/information point

We have experienced many great years at St. Martin's School and would like to express our gratitude to all those who have assisted us and become involved with our club.

U13's
London Towers @ Brentwood Fire

A weekend of two halves for the Under 13 team that provided a win and a loss that put them 5th in the table. On Saturday, London Towers travelled to St. Martins with a 100% start to the season to continue.

Fire started the game just as they had done two weeks ago against East London Royals with strong organised defence that harassed and hassled the opposition. This coupled with bountiful fast breaks meant Fire answered each Towers basket with two points of their own. At the close of the first quarter the Towers were leading 19 – 21.

At the start of the second quarter Fire continued taking their game to Towers and began to edge out a lead. However with 5 minutes until the half time break Towers gave it back and went on a 12 point scoring run with no reply. Whilst still maintaining a good offensive approach nothing was going through the ring for Fire and conceded 28 points, scoring 9.

After a rest in the break Fire re-started as they had begun the game, pressing Towers and hitting them with an aggressive offence. Towers quickly reached team fouls as Chris Chapman and Tom Gibbs continued to drive at the basket. The score in just the 3rd was 15 – 18, but it still left Fire 22 points behind. More baskets followed in the final quarter with Lucas Solkhon reaching 18 points. The final score ended 57 – 88. MVP was awarded to Chris Chapman.

U13's
Brentwood Fire II @ Brentwood Fire

The Sunday fixture was played against the Brentwood Fire Under 12’s. With most of the U’13’s having represented the U’12’s in the same fixture last season the team knew what was expected from this game, but also knew how keen the U’12’s would be to win.
The first points of the game went to the U’12’s with Rich Hall hitting 2 from 2 free throws. The U’13 took their time getting into the game as U’12’s kept up with them throughout the first quarter finishing 12 – 8 behind their elder club mates.

In the second quarter the U’13’s woke up and started to put some serious scoring runs together, Cameron McIntosh and Sarah Cozens finding the net well. After half time Megan Smith kicked of the scoring, finishing a great passing move. Megan continued to make things happen notching up 3 assists and 6 points. Its was all about the number 8’s in this quarter as the U’12’s Fraser Knox helped his team add another 12 points to the score line.

The final quarter of the weekend saw the most points of the game. Lucas Solkhon and Jordan Maze wracked up a grander lead for the U’13’s whilst Henry Austin added to his final points tally of 9. It ended 92 – 38.

The Under 13 MVP was awarded to Lucas Solkhon who sank 30 points.

Next Saturday Fire entertains Fortismere Hawks who sit one place above them in the table. Come down at 4:00pm for what will be an exciting game.

 

Brentwood Fire Topple London Towers

U16 Boys Premier South
Brentwood Fire        101-92        London Towers

 Both teams went into this game looking to extend their unbeaten runs so it was set to be a hard fought game. Brentwood declared their intent by going on a 9-0 run and by the end of the quarter they had extended their lead by 13  points. 28-15

The Towers came out for the second quarter with a full court press and caused Fire to turn the ball over several times and within 4 minutes the Towers had pegged the score back to a 1 point game. The Towers couldn’t keep up the intensity though and Will Ashby, George Callender & Ben Warden clocked up 23 points between them to extend the lead to 6 points. 55-49

The third quarter saw Fire open their lead up to 15 points after 6 minutes with Ryan Kudyk adding 6 points to the kitty. But the Towers weren’t going to give up without a fight and once again they reduced Fires lead back to 7 points by the end of the quarter.  75-68

Fire held their nerve well in the last quarter and Josh Edridge joined the party by clocking up 8 points in the last 5 minutes. The Towers never got within 8 points of Fire and the game was won more comfortably than the score probably suggests. 101-92

Will Ashby 25;   George Callender 24;   Ben Warden 19;   Ryan Kudyk 12;   Josh Edridge 11;   Sam Horti 4;   James Gaskin 3;   Dave Bolton 2;   Jordan Berry 1.

Brentwood Fire’s next game is against Solent Kestrels at home on 11th November 2006.

Five Boys make East England squad Update.

The boys travelled to Lilleshall to play in an inter-area tournament last weekend. They finshed 5th overall. All boys that played in the tournament will now train at the APC's where, if picked, they will represent APC South in a Tournament at Walsall where the England selectors will pick the future U16 England squad.

Under 15 Boys South I

           Brentwood Fire             57  -  77             East London Royals

Always one of the toughest fought games of the season, East London journeyed to Brentwood with a score to settle, having recently lost in a close contest against Brentwood's (undefeated) U16 cadets a few weeks before.

Brentwood got off to a good start, taking an initial 4 point lead, with a basket from big man Jack Brown and a couple of free-throws from captain Will Ashby. Fire found this lead hard to maintain as East London's size and athleticism seemed to cause them some problems. London went on a 14-0 run before the Fire players were able to answer and they were sixteen ahead at the end of the 1st quarter.

Brentwood came out in the second period "guns blazin" helped by some inspired defense from the Fire backcourt. They managed to outscore london 18-15 and began to dominate the game.

Fire kept it close in the second half but it seemed that the damage done in the first quarter was too much to recover from. Final score East London 77, Brentwood 57. Brentwood top scorer was Centre Jack Brown (17 points). Also posting good numbers were Captain Will Ashby (15points) and Man of the match Tom Stainer (16 points).

Overall performance from Fire showed a lot of promise for this season. I'm sure we'll take them down in the playoffs.

 

Under 13 Boys South

           East London Royals            71  -  38             Brentwood Fire

Brentwood Fire U’13s kicked off their season with an early morning game at East London Royals this Saturday. Travelling to Whitechapel with a small squad was always going to make this a difficult game. But despite this Fire hit the ground running with an excellent passing game that swept pass the opposition with each of the starting five finding the net with ease. However the pace of the Royals as well as their consistent rebounding quickly took the game back. At the close of the first 10min the score was 22- 16, Tom Smith and Tom Gibbs contributing 5 each to the Fire tally.

The second quarter saw Fire’s small 7 strong squad suffer, as Royals were able to replenish their team with fresh legs. Some good play from Fire was not rewarded as their points to shot ratio started to slip to an uncomfortable size. The team were pleased to welcome Cameron McIntosh who made his debut mid way through the second quarter and along with Jordan Maze started to contest the Royals dominance of the backboards.

As the lead extended Brentwood heads dropped a little and the third quarter carried on in a similar way to the second as Fire failed to convert the chances they created. The last 10min were more similar to the first as Fire ignored the strong points deficit and continued to attack with aggressive drives from Chris Chapman and Sarah Cozens. Royal’s M.Umala,who had to sit out most of the second quarter and all of the third having clocked up 4 fouls in the first 10min, came on again in the fourth, fouled Cozens on her way to the basket and walked straight back to the bench again. Whilst finding the net more often Fire were still leaking points at the other end. It finished Royals 71 – Fire 38.

MVP goes to Tom Smith for his consistent hard work, great ball handling and the team’s highest scorer with 13 points.

U’13s next game takes them to north London to play Haringey Warriors on October 28th.

 

U16 Boys Premier South
Brentwood Fire        58-52        East London Royals

Both teams went into this game with unbeaten records and both had inflicted heavy defeats on their previous weeks opponents so it was set to be a good contest with Brentwood Fire the slight underdogs.
In the first quarter Fire struggled to come to terms with the height of the Royals players and struggled to pick up anything on the rebound. Brentwood Fires’ Ben Warden picked up 4 points but also found himself on 3 fouls and when they finished the quarter 10 points down at 10-20 you would have been forgiven for thinking that the writing was on the wall for Brentwood Fire.

Whatever coach Potter said after the first quarter certainly seemed to work as Fire came out all guns blazing in the second quarter. Will Ashby buried a 3 pointer, Ryan Kudyk , Josh Edridge & Sam Horti added to the kitty with 15 points between them & at the end of the half, Brentwood Fire had turned a 10 point deficit into a 4 point lead, the score 36-32. East London Royals now knew that this wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.

At the start of the third quarter it was the turn of East London Royals to turn it on & after 5 minutes the Royals had regained the lead by 4 points and Fires Ben Warden, who had done a great job on the rebounds against players 5-6 inches taller than himself was fouled out. Coach Potter introduced 14 year old, 6’ 4’’ Jack Brown to disrupt the Royals rebounding dominance & Brentwood Fire managed to steady the ship finishing the third quarter 3 points down at 45-48.

The fourth quarter was incredibly tense with East London Royals drawing first blood but then David Bolton found his range sinking a 3 pointer in the fifth minute to pull the scores level. With the crowd now at fever pitch and 90 seconds on the clock Josh Edridge got the steal and drove to the basket to put Brentwood Fire 2 points up. Could they hold on now for 45 seconds, yes they could, East London Royals failed to convert their chance and David Bolton fired his second 3 pointer of the quarter home and closed out the game.

Brentwood Fire have a 2 week break now and will face London Towers on 4th November 2006.

 

Five Boys make East England squad
Five of the ten players selected to represent the East of England 1993 squad are from Brentwood Fire Academy. Well done to Dougie Bennett, Chris Lloyd, Luke Matthews, Sam Payne and Lucas Soulkon. These players will go to an inter-area tournament in the last week of October at Lilleshall. We will let you know how they get on…

 

RAF give us their support
The RAF have given the club a substantial cash grant and will also supply some team kits for the coming season.
The RAF had applications from 72 clubs totaling £130,000. The amount that was actually available was £40,000 so not all applicants were successful but thankfully the RAF decided that LIV Brentwood Fire was a worthy cause and gave the club a substantial grant plus RAF kit which will be available later on in the season.
If anyone is interested in finding out more about over 70 different available careers with the Royal Air Force they can visit the RAF website by clicking on the RAF logo.