They play Middleton Grange and Nayland on Day 1, St Kentigern and Napier on Day 2 and MAGS on Day 3.
Gisborne Basketball Association chairman and Gisborne Boys’ High School head coach Dwayne Tamatea’s team — with the help of local businesses and supporters — raised $8000 to get this year’s crew to the tournament.
Not since the famous side of 1991 has a GBHS team achieved more and played at a higher level.
The Max Scott-led side won five of seven games at their Zone 2 qualifying tournament to make the national.
For the first time ever, the side have two six-foot six-inch players in Sam Veitch and Ofa Tauatevalu.
They also have a deadly shooter in Tyrese Tuwairua-Brown, who reeled off 44 and 37 points in wins over Tauranga Boys’ College and St Peter’s of Cambridge at the zone qualifiers.
The team have been further reinforced by Jake Noble, who missed the Zone 2 qualifiers due to injury, and promising junior forward Cody Tarei.
Both are over six-foot-three.
History should inspire them.
In making the Zone 3 final v Hastings at Pahiatua in 1991, the GBHS team coached by Clive Kelly, trained by Seamus Tahata and led by Jimmy Hills qualified for the national tournament in Wanganui.
They were seeded 16th of 16 yet won three and lost three — a marvellous effort in their first appearance.
They annihilated Hastings 163-79 in the playoff for seventh, Rangi Kowhai scoring what remains a school record 53 points.
The 2019 GBHS squad are — Max Scott (c), Tyrese Tuwairua-Brown, Holden Wilson, Sam Veitch, Ofa Tauatevalu, Adam Nepe, Tamati Horua, Khian Westrupp, Daley Riri, Henare Tofilau, Jake Noble, Cody Tarei.
