2017 Mexicali Fresh Summer Jam Preview
Written by Mike Lacey
The Mexicali Fresh Summer Jam begins its fifth season on Saturday October 28th with games being played at the Breakers training facility, 7 Atlas Place Mairangi Bay.
Entry is free with games played at 2pm and 4pm each Saturday for the next eight weeks with the final of both the Women’s and Men’s tournaments set down for December 16.
Tournament manager Lindsay Tait has placed an emphasis on youth for the 2017 event although there are still places for former internationals Dillon Boucher, Hayden Allen, Brooke Ruscoe, BJ Anthony and, in the women’s competition, ex Tall Fern Amanda Buck.
Add current Tall Blacks James Hunter and Derone Raukawa to a swag of Junior Tall Blacks past and present and there are the makings of an exciting competition.
The Men’s tournament begins with a match up between 68a Nelson Street and Railsplitters.
68a Nelson Street, named as such in memory of the basketball hotbed that was Youthtown before its demolition, will feature Boucher senior, playing alongside his son Jayden. NBL players Ana Haku, Carl Buck and Raukawa will add depth to 68a.
Railsplitters will also have plenty of NBL talent on display with Hayden Allen joined by Anthony, Hyrum Harris and Dan Green. When available, they will also be able to call on Breakers and Southland Sharks forward James Hunter.
Suiting up for The Birdmen in the second game on Saturday will be Junior Tall Blacks star Quinn Clinton who will join a handy back court that will include Brooke Ruscoe and Matt Lacey. They will also have some decent rebounding power with Nick Barrow, Dom Kelman-Poto, Tipene Friday and American Brandon Lucas pounding the boards.
The Birdmen will face off against the Breakers Academy that boasts a posse of junior internationals including Dan Fotu, Kruz Perrott-Hunt, James Moors,Tom Higgins, Thabo Manyere and Will Heather.
The Women’s competition will also have some senior players to compliment an abundance of young talent. The Sparks versus Storm fixture will open the competition at 2pm.
The experienced Mikayla Blair and Shanee Kiriau will lead the Sparks with assistance in the backcourt fromJada Manase and Ramona Fuaivaa.
The Westlake pair of Sophie Dill and Mareta Davidson will shoulder some rebounding responsibility in the absence of Sharne Pupuke-Robati, still on international duty with the NZ U17 team in India.
Storm will also be a player light for its opening fixture with Tall Fern Deena Franklin currently in Mongolia with the NZ team at the 3x3 Asia Cup.
In her absence Stevee Theyers will guide the team that includes Shauna Povey, Emme Shearer and the RangitotoCollege duo Bella Elgar and Gracie Hasler.
Experienced point guard Amanda Buck will be driving team Sky with Ashleigh Kelman-Poto and NZ U18 international Keeley Tini in the front court. St Kentigern College standout Summer-Jean Motufoua will back up Buck with Riana Rangi-Brown and Hannah Wentworth also lining up in the guard spots.
In the 4pm game Team Sky will take on the Suns that boast a pair of sisters in its squad. The more experienced Tabitha and Annabelle Jenkins will join the St Mary’s College pair of Jazzmyne and Zaaliyah Kallahi-Fulu.
Morgan Ili and Anna Lacey will add further experience to the Suns lineup.
Men's Competition Rosters -
Railsplitters
Jaylen Gerrand
Hayden Allen (Captain)
Dan Green
Tama Green
Hyrum Harris
Sam Aruwa
James Hunter
BJ Anthony
Samson Aruwa
Peter Jenkins
Coach: Jeff Green
Birdmen
Quinn Clinton
Brooke Ruscoe
Mat Lacey (Captain)
Juan Cruz Colo
Brandon Lucas
Brayden Inger
Nick Barrow
Dominique Kelman-Poto
Ugo Pierantonio
Tip Friday
68a Nelson Street
Derone Raukawa
Carl Buck
Judson Seumanu (Unavailable week 1.)
Luke Kelemete
Jayden Boucher
Ana Haku