THE first team in a school’s history to achieve national sporting success is reuniting for one last game as part of 400th anniversary celebrations.

The story of Wolsingham Under 19s basketball team’s march to victory in 2004 includes last gasp winners, underdog triumphs and the squad being unable to play any matches at home due to them not having a suitable sports hall.

But their ultimate success in the England School’s Basketball Association Under-19s Championship has been written into folklore at Wolsingham School and Community College.

And most of the team will be getting back together to relive their great achievement with a match as part of the school’s 400th anniversary celebrations on Saturday, September 19.

Ian Hirst, who coached the championship winning side, said: “I can’t believe it is already 10 years since we did that.

“It was a great achievement, remarkable really that this group of lads from Weardale won the national title.

“Getting back together to relive it is going to be a great occasion.”

Although they played in the Under 19s championship, the squad were all aged between 15 and 16.

They did not have a sports hall at the time so had to play all of their matches away, starting with wins against schools in Newcastle and Gateshead.

The squad then travelled to Chester to take on and defeat Christleton High School setting up a quarter final against Pickering in North Yorkshire.

Having then pipped Pickering to the post, the talented teenagers faced a gruelling and tense trip to Bristol for a semi-final against Whycliffe College.

Mr Hirst said: “We were losing by a point as the final buzzer went.

“But just before it sounded, one of our players, in fact it was my son Martyn, threw the ball from the three point area, he actually slipped as he threw it, but it went in the hoop winning us the game.

“It was an incredible ending.”

The unfancied underdogs were pitched against Barking Abbey in the final in Nottingham, and despite finding themselves 8-0 down after the opening few minutes, the Weardale wonders battled back to win the game and the title.

They subsequently won the Local Heroes Team of the Year Award, while Mr Hirst won numerous awards including the BBC Sports Personality of the year award for voluntary support.

The team members were Iain Bell, Ross Edwards, Michael Hall, Jonathan Hirst, Martyn Hirst, Jack Maughan, Alan Scott, Michael Scown, Christopher Stappard, Alex Sung, Lee Tinkler and Ben White.

For more information on the anniversary events being planned, visit wolsinghamschool.net