The Collins family is a big part of Bodden Town basketball.
Dad James (nicknamed Cadillac) is assistant coach of the squad. Sons Christopher and Justin are team members, with Chris being the star player. All see a future with more success on the court for Bodden Town with Christopher, 14, setting his eyes on a third straight PricewaterhouseCoopers Under 16 Basketball League championship.
“We’ve won two times in a row and I feel the third time’s a charm,” Christopher said. “I should have help from Maynor Brooks and some of the other guys. We are losing a couple guys though as Dominique Martucee is going to the States. Shaquille Heath and David Scott will be gone too as they are too old.
“But I’ll be back next season though it will be my last year. I turn 16 next July and after that I will be too old to play. I’ve already started playing in the U19 league last year so I will go into that from there.”
The departure of Martucee, Heath and Scott is huge. Point guard Martucee led the league in assists and was top scorer in the league final against Phillip Webb’s Shockwaves. Heath and Scott both controlled the boards averaging over 10 rebounds per game apiece. In addition the big men played great defence.
James, who leads Bodden Town under head coach and U16 coach of the year Tim Howard, states the result will be that a lot of the younger, up-and-coming players will have to step up.
“Kids want to play for us but it will hard next year,” James said. “We’re going to have to go Bodden Town primary and other places in the community to recruit guys. Losing Dominique is big because it took a lot of work in teaching him to be a pass-first point guard. We were really proud of him being the assists champion.
“But Maynor Brooks and my son Chris are coming back. Plus we have young talent like Ezra McLaughlin, my other son Justin, 11 and Maynor’s brother Michael Brooks, 12. I’m really excited about Maynor though because he’s one of those kids that if he keeps working he could get into a major US university.”
Next year’s U16 league should be just as interesting as 2011. The Shockwaves still have potential Tevin Yen. Wesleyan Christian Academy can make noise with Tim Corbett. Team Cayman Brac could earn another playoff appearance with Joel Gayle.
The departure of Bodden Town’s U16 players is not quite a loss. The district has a team in the Appleby Under 19 competition called the Reapers and the understanding is that many of the guys will join that squad. James will be helping to coach the Reapers alongside Howard, who he states is the key to any success the district has on a basketball court.
“Now I played basketball in college and I have a lot of basketball knowledge. But I’m simply assisting Tim. I’m the silent partner and he’s the guy that deserves praise. Tim resurrected basketball in Bodden Town in the last three years and is the reason there is a programme in place.”
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