First-timers to contest finals

The CellOne Elite City League basketball finals gets under way tonight —and sees the Robin Hood Warriors and Fort Knox Panthers go head to head.

In the three years of ECL action, neither the Panthers nor the Warriors have made it to the finals.

Cecil Hendrickson, vice president of the Bermuda Basketball Association and coach of the Panthers told the Bermuda Sun: “The reason why it will be very exciting for people to watch is that these teams are the teams that took out the last two-time defending champions and the last two-time runner-ups. 

“Up to this point in the league, only two teams have ever played for the final series, and both of them were beaten in the playoffs by the two teams who will be playing in the finals.

“On the Warriors they have national players like John Lee and Jason Lowe, who are coming off of a national team victory in the Island Games. They will have their team rally around them. 

“Then you’ll have the Fort Knox Panthers, my team. We took a big chance to begin the season and basically reloaded a good majority of the team with fresh faces, and it seems to have paid off because it has got us into the finals.”

The big chance Hendrickson referred to was trading away franchise player Ryan Rabain and Dale Jackson for draft picks and star player Kevin Stevens, a move which paid off for them.

Rebounding will be key for the Panthers as they take on a disciplined Warriors squad. 

Coach Hendrickson said: “To win, mainly we have to control the boards. That’s going to be the hardest thing against this particular team, because they are a very difficult on the floor when they have John Lee on because they have him as a floor general.”

The first game of the best of three series will take place on Wednesday at Somersfield Academy at 7:30pm.