Yorkshire takes historic 3rd place at Inter-Regional Tournament
The Yorkshire U14 boys (born in 1993) booked their best result ever at the annual Inter-Regional tournament at the National Sports Centre in Lilleshall, Oct 28 and 29, but coaches and players still were not entirely satisfied, as the ‘what ifs’ dominated the post-tournament evaluation. The luck of draw saw Yorkshire start the tournament against perennial favourites North West (frequent past winners).
The long journey made for a rusty start to the game and the rotations did not run entirely smoothly, leading to some unforced turnovers and missed assignments. As would characterize Yorkshire’s play, however, a 7-point second half deficit was quickly erased and Yorkshire drew level with 2 minutes left to play. The North West’s outstanding player, John Gould, converted crucial free throws and the North West ran out the clock, with Yorkshire having to foul and losing 37-31.
The game against East Midlands was seen as another tough match. However, Yorkshire now showed their tenacity on defense and their superior skill, running out easy winners in convincing style, 61-32, as John Stewart and Alex Steel impressed. Against the North East, who could never match Yorkshire’s speed and execution, Yorkshire recorded the greatest margin of the day, 74-29, with Saul Beavis, Jordan Nelson, Von Tapiz and Conor Faulkner showing their Yorkshire credentials. The fourth match of the day in the late evening against the East proved to be one of the best games of the tournament. The East’s superior height and shooting was difficult to contain for Yorkshire, and the legs tired as the East raced to a 5-point lead with 3 minutes to play. Some defensive hustle plays by Devon van Oostrum (21 points) and his clutch scores turned the game; Jim Rose finished well on the break and Sam Williamson hit the winning free throw and Yorkshire now ran out the clock 52-50.
As second place finishers, Yorkshire then faced London for a 3rd and 4th place. In the best team performance yet, Yorkshire were able to contain London’s penetration and Alex Knight battled in the post, while Yorkshire kept up their record scoring performance with a solid 38-29 win, securing a 3rd place finish.
When the North West easily disposed the West Midlands to win yet another Inter-Regional final, Yorkshire were only left to wonder ‘what if’ they had played the North West at a later stage, because their team rotations and play had improved so much during the tournament. Nevertheless, all the boys earned well deserved compliments from the coaching staff for the superb all-around performances.
According to Head Coach David Ransom, Yorkshire’s 4-1 record with the only loss against the eventual champion bodes well to the future; Coach Ransom also singled out Devon van Oostrum as ‘Best Player of the Tournament.’ The long journey from June to October, with many summer practices, bleep tests, and tough selections, ended with a stellar tournament for all players, who will have gained invaluable experience and can claim to be part of the best Yorkshire team ever.
Individual scores:
Devon van Oostrum 79, John Stewart 43, Alex Knight, 41, Sam Williamson 26, Alex Steel 25, Jordan Nelson 16, Von Tapiz, 13, Jim Rose 6, Saul Beavis 4, Conor Faulkner 1.
APC Selections:
The Inter-Regional Tournament is also the stage for individual player selection in their quest to become England Internationals. The Area Performance Centre is the next step up in that process and four Yorkshire players were selected to the APC North: Alex Knight, Alex Steele, John Stewart, and Devon van Oostrum.
England 1992 selections:
Devon van Oostrum and Joe Hart (East), who are already part of the 1992 England training squad, were once again recognized by England Coach Rick Wooldridge as members of that older age group. On the basis of their performance at the tournament a further 6 players were invited to the next 1992 training camp: James Tomlin (West Midlands), Joseph de Garcia (South), John Gould (North West), Jeremie Nkosi (London), Tom Riley (South West), Andre Landel (West Midlands)
From left to right: Mel Jones (Assistant Coach), Sam Williamson, Nick Dawson (Assistant Coach), Conor Faulkner, Devon van Oostrum, Von Tapiz, Alex Knight, Jordan Nelson, John Stewart, Alex Steel, Jim Rose, Saul Beavis, David Ransom (Head Coach)
