A TEAM of young basketball players from Ponteland set the tone for the professionals with Newcastle Eagles.

For the Year 8 group from Richard Coates Middle School (RCMS) lifted the North South Cup in front of a crowded Sport Central, who then stayed on to watch the Eagles defeat Glasgow Rocks 92-85 in the British Basketball League.

To claim the cup, RCMS beat town rivals Ponteland Middle and Gosforth Central Middle, and they are looking to build on the success at the Northumberland Schools Games after qualifying as champions of the Morpeth and Ponteland region.

The success enjoyed by the team is a product of the work done with Newcastle Eagles Foundation’s community coach Graham Heath each week, as well as the skills picked up during PE lessons.

RCMS PE coordinator Graeme Hopper said: “This bunch of lads have been coming through since Year 5, and they are doing really well and working together.

“The lads have really engaged with basketball and having Graham working with them every Friday has helped them develop. They now have the experience of playing, and winning, on the same court as the Eagles, and they can use that as a huge motivation to keep on going.”