1st Year Girls Make All-Ireland Semi-Final
The very talented first year girls’ team qualified for the All-Ireland Semi-Final place after two great performances in the group stage of the competition in Renmore. They qualified for the group stage by winning the 1st Year C West Region Title. The girls beat Coola from Sligo convincingly in their first match, before taking on the Kerry champions Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra, Rathmore.
The match started off very well for The Jes, with the girls racing into a 7-0 lead thanks to fine baskets from Sophie Coll and Laura Feehan. Rathmore did come back into the match towards the end of the first quarter, but The Jes still held a six point lead. The second quarter proved much tougher as Rathmore’s 2-3 zone caused serious problems. However, The Jes did manage to keep the scoreboard ticking over and a three-pointer on the buzzer from Evvie Lowndes kept The Jes five points in front at half time. The third quarter was where The Jes pulled away. Captain, Sophie Coll, led the team extremely well. She helped all the girls pick up their game and extend the lead to double digits before the last quarter. The last quarter was extremely well controlled and the time management was excellent. When Rathmore put on a full court press The Jes handled it like seasoned professionals and ended up winning the game 43-32.
The All-Ireland Semi-Final was against Our Lady’s Templemore. This match started well for The Jes with the Barna duo of Laura Feehan and Sophie Coll causing trouble for Templemore. However once Templemore settled into the match they came right back at The Jes. At the end of a tense first quarter The Jes help a four point advantage. The second quarter caused problems for The Jes, but calm heads helped them maintain a lead of two points at half time. The third quarter was not as successful as other years, with the half court pressure causing trouble. However, there was still a four point lead going into the last quarter. The fourth quarter saw Templemore get into the lead before The Jes wrestled it back off them again. As the lead changed several times it was Templemore who had the narrowest lead going into the last few seconds. With ten seconds left Templemore had extended to a two-point lead and The Jes could not get the vital basket.
Although a disappointing end to the season, it was still extremely successful. All-Ireland bronze medals is an excellent achievement, but this determined and talented group will be ready for another campaign next season where they will hope to go all the way and win the much desired All-Ireland title.
Basketball Trip to London
Jes Transition Year Basketball Players Travel to London
Nine Transition Year students, along with Mr. Adrian O’Neill and Mr. Tomas MacAodha travelled to London to watch the first ever NBA League match played in Europe when the Toronto Raptors took on the New Jersey Nets in the O2 Arena. The students left on Thursday morning on the school bus and had four very memorable days in London.
Aside from the basketball, the students got to see plenty of London. They visited Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, The Tower of London and got a boat trip down the River Thames to see some of the most famous sights of London. As well as this there was plenty of basketball to see and take part in.
In Westfield Shopping Centre the NBA had set up a competitions court, where shoppers could take part in competitions to win some prizes. The Jes students decided to enter the ‘Buzzer Beater’ Competition. This involved starting at the base line and getting five seconds to score in the far basket. Evan Wynne (off the rim), Darragh Connolly (shooting off one foot), John Daly (shooting from the half-way line), Mr. O’Neill (very unlucky) and then Timmy Molloy, who scored and won the prize!
The NBA match itself was a good a spectacle as any of the students could have hoped for, with the match going into triple overtime. It was one of the most exciting matches of the season and a great opportunity for these young basketball players to see such a show. In the end the New Jersey Nets won by a single point 127-126.
It was a hugely enjoyable trip and one that will live long in the memory of these students.
Basketball 2010-2011
This year saw an increase in the number of teams competing, with a total of nine basketball teams (four boys’ teams and five girls’ teams) entering into competition. This increase was made possible due to the extra facilities coming available after a partnership agreement was made with Our Lady’s Boys’ Club in relation to the use of their new state-of-the-art sports hall.
Under-16 and Under-19 Boys’ Teams
The senior boys’ team had a very mixed season, with the league competition not going according to plan. Unfortunately two losses, to C.B.S. Ennistymon and Coláiste Éinde made it impossible for the team to qualify for the All-Ireland Playoffs. However, in the All-Ireland cup competition was more successful when The Jes did defeat their league rivals C.B.S. Ennistymon, in what has been the highlight of the season so far, in a surprise defeat in the cup, before losing out narrowly to St. Nathy’s of Ballaghadereen in the All-Ireland Schools Cup Quarter-Final. The team was co-captained by Drew Wilkinson and Darragh Connolly, two fantastic captains to have involved in any team.
The Transition Year basketball players also got a trip to see an NBA league match in the O2 in London. The New Jersey Nets played the Toronto Raptors, and it turned out to be one of the most exciting games of the season. The match ended up going into triple overtime, which was hugely exciting. While in London the team also visited many of the tourist sights, including the highlight Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum.
1st and 2nd Year Boys’ Teams
The first year boys’ team was very unlucky not to qualify for the West Regional Final. After a very convincing win against Coláiste Éinde, the team had to travel to C.B.S. Ennistymon in the semi-final. The first year team went down twelve points in the first half and put up a brave fight to get back into the lead at the start of the fourth quarter, but C.B.S. Ennistymon had plenty left in the tank and ran out eventual winners by six to make the final, and go on to win the region.
The second year boys’ team has had a successful season so far. This team did not qualify for the All-Ireland Playoffs last year, but they turned things around superbly this year to qualify. After beating Castlerea C.S. with relative ease, this team came up against C.B.S. Ennistymon. This was a great match, where The Jes went up by ten points. C.B.S. Ennistymon made a great comeback but The Jes held out to win by a single point. This saw the second year team make the regional final, and also qualify for the All-Ireland Playoffs. Unfortunately the final did not go according to plan. Coláiste Éinde got off to a great start and despite a valiant comeback The Jes could not close the gap enough. The captain William Finnerty is looking forward to the All-Ireland Playoffs and hopes the team can continue to progress.
1st and 2nd Year Girls’ Team
The second year girls’ team got off to an unlucky start when they came up against a very strong Coláiste Éinde team. A narrow defeat in that match cost the second year girls’ team dearly. Although the team went unbeaten in the next five matches the first loss cost them a place in the Regional quarter-final. It was very unlucky for quite a talented team to lose out so early in the competition, despite the best efforts from many players, including the captain Stephanie Coll.
It was better luck for the first years who have now qualified for the All-Ireland Playoffs. This very talented team has shown huge potential from the very start of the year. So much so that the unprecedented move was taken to make two basketball teams for this age group.
The team has gone on to win five consecutive matches to get them through to the regional final. They have beaten Coláiste na Coiribe, Coláiste Éinde, Scoil Chuimsitheach An Cheathru Rua, and Dunmore C.S. There are high hopes for this very talented team. With Sophie Coll as captain hopes are high of winning a first every All-Ireland Basketball Title for The Jes.
