SPORT
I t has been an incredible year for the DC U14 basketball team, which gathered in September last year. The team, coached by Mr Faiers, performed amazingly well in the LISBA League, reaching the playoffs as top of the board with just one loss against City of London in a tough away match. At the playoffs, the Year 9 boys faced Whitgift in the semi-final and proceed to the finals with an exciting win. With everybody standing up to give their very best, the U14 team crowned themselves as LISBA League champions with a stunning and unforgettable victory. The team also participated in the U14 London Cup, winning the first matches by a great margin. In the quarter-finals, the team’s path to victory was interrupted by Christ’s School in a very hard away match, where every DC player gave it their all. BASKETBALL Captain of U14: Ludovico Federici (Year 9) A fter finishing in fourth place in the previous year’s LISBA playoffs, the U15 looked to bounce back to compete for the title of LISBA Champions. With the new addition of Marcus Loo and Geo Youakim, they enjoyed immediate success with improved consistency. Entering the playoffs as third seed, they fell just short in the semi-final due to injuries, coming third overall after beating Alleyn’s in the third and fourth final. Later on, the U15s entered the London Cup semi-finals against LISBA champions Whitgift. It was a hard-fought match and what could have been promising with a comfortable ten-point lead ended in with a regretful two- point defeat. Even though the team ended on a tough, heart- breaking loss, all the players look to come back next year stronger than ever to compete for the title. Captain of U15: Francis Yang (Year 10) T he U16s got off to an excellent start this season. The first three games featured commanding wins against Alleyn’s and KCS as well as a nail-biting thriller against St Thomas the Apostle, which came down to the last seconds of the match. Following the promising start to the season, there were tough losses to Whitgift and Bishop Thomas Grant. Things looked to be turning around after two consecutive wins over Harris Academy Peckham and Kingsdale; however, a poor run of results thereafter left the team in a difficult position in regards to playoff contention. Our playoff ambitions depended on the last game of the season against Royal Russell. Every
single player fought for the win throughout the game but unfortunately we lost on a last-second shot. Overall, the season has been somewhat underwhelming, but there is plenty to build on as we move on into the senior team.
Captain of U16: Aaron Befekadu (Year 11)
With everybody standing up to give their very best, the U14 team crowned themselves as LISBA League champions with a stunning and unforgettable victory
A fter being crowned as the champions of LISBA for three years in a row, the Dulwich U18 entered a period of rebuilding with the departure of the dominant big men and skilful guards that the team previously so relied on. Playing in a league full of teams at their prime, Dulwich, at a point, seemed to be struggling both on and off the court, as their prospects for a place in the playoffs became dim. In the crucial game against St Paul’s, where the outcome turned out to be the decider of playoff entry, the six boys representing Dulwich fought hard against a 13-man opposition, securing a victory for the well-deserved Dulwich side. Entering as the fourth seed into the playoffs, Dulwich overwhelmed the first seed with an astounding first-quarter performance in the semi- finals, but was overturned in the second half. The team came close to contending for a third place against Alleyn’s, with three three-pointers scored in a 40-second interval in the last minute of the game, but it was ultimately unable to overcome the deficit due to the potentially effective defensive strategy being called too late. The team was also able to enter into the finals of the LISBA cup as a result of favourable draws, but was defeated by City of London in the last game of the season. With improved commitment from both the coach and the team, the next season will be as promising as ever. I’d like to thank the Year 13 leavers, Stan Szymanowicz, Tate Sun, and particularly Jacob Harris, who began to play for Dulwich in Year 8, for their commitment and contribution to Basketball throughout their time here. Captain of Basketball: Michael Yu (Year 13)
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