Dorset C6 Play-off Final

WEYMOUTH COLLEGE 53

POOLE HIGH 19

WEYMOUTH College lifted the Dorset C6 title with a devastating display against Poole High.

Over the past eight months, teams from all over the county have been competing in the C6 League, aiming to be crowned the best in Dorset.

Weymouth and Poole both won their respective west and east divisions and then successfully negotiated the semi-finals to book their spot in the showpiece game.

Both sides met in last year’s semis with the East Dorset outfit coming out on top.

However, it was the College boys who gained revenge with a convincing victory this time around.

The teams went back and forth as the match got underway but strong defence saw the tie remain deadlocked.

As the first period continued, Weymouth discovered a gap with Sam Dodge and Jack Speary finding the basket.

In contrast, the visitors managed just a single point in the entire quarter.

Their fortunes only marginally improved in the second, with Weymouth’s defence as strong as ever.

And the home side extended their lead with eight points from Sam Dodge.

Weymouth opted for a more free-flowing approach as the third period got going, and it paid off when Dan Campbell landed a three-pointer.

The College continued to perform well into the final quarter, with Zack Phillips seeming to grab every rebound and a rejuvenated Gaz Williams bagging back-to-back baskets.

With minutes remaining both Connor Doherty and Dodge pressured the Poole defence, passing well and hitting the open baskets.

Tempers almost boiled over in the closing seconds, but Weymouth kept their cool and took the title with an impressive 53-19 win.

Coach Alex Fuhrmann said: “Though the players probably don’t think so, this was their best game of the season.

“Our first half was highlighted with frustration and low scoring, before something of a transformation took place in the second half.

“A team’s performance can be judged on an ability to adapt to an opponent, which we did very well while maintaining a dominant defence.

“It’s been such a great pleasure coaching these guys and I hope they will continue to find success in whatever they do.”

Roster/scorers: Dan Campbell 14, Sam Dodge 13, Gaz Williams 12, Jack Speary 12, Connor Doherty 2, Zack Phillips, Rob Legg.