West Lothian Wolves are going for triple national glory this weekend as three clubs are in Scottish Cup final action.
The club’s under-16 women are first up in Dundee when they take on Falkirk Fury at 10.30am on Saturday.
That’s quickly followed by the senior men’s first-ever Scottish Cup final appearance, with their clash against favourites Boroughmuir Blaze tipping-off at 1.30pm.
And it’s back at it again the following day, with the Wolves’ under-18 men’s side putting their unbeaten record on the line in their final against Glasgow Rens – the side that knocked them out at the semi-final stage last year.
That match gets underway at 4.30pm.
The Courier caught up with all three sides as they prepared for the biggest event in the Scottish basketball calendar.
For the senior men’s head coach Marc Dickson, his side’s battle with the Blaze is a day he admits he never saw coming – even after 20 years with the club.
The 35-year-old has spearheaded the Wolves’ first-ever senior – men or women – Scottish Cup final.
They’ll be up against it as they’re considered underdogs against an impressive Boroughmuir side, but regardless of the outcome, it’s an occasion the coach admits fills him with pride.
Marc said: “It’s unbelievable that we’re in the Scottish Cup final. I’ve been with the Wolves for 20 years now and I never really thought a senior men’s side would achieve that.
“We’re in the top division playing against the best teams in the country and we’ve now made it to the Scottish Cup final.
“To be able to put this club on the biggest stage is something that’s very surreal but makes me incredibly proud. It’s a day myself and the squad are looking to embrace.”
He added: “A lot of the under-18 men have stepped up and helped us throughout the season so it’s really cool our games are on separate days so we can cheer each other on.
“Having the Wolves banner on both days of cup final weekend is amazing.”
While the senior men look to pull off a major shock, both the club’s under-16 women and under-18 men enter the showpiece event having won every game this season.
They can both feel confident, but there’s no danger of either side believing the trophy is heading to West Lothian before they even take to the court.
Stephen McCall, head coach of the under-16 women’s team, said: “We’ve had a really good season and are currently unbeaten in the league.
“Our offence has seen us create some fun and exciting basketball while we’ve been playing tough defence.
“We play a very good Falkirk Fury in the final so it should be a great game.
“We go into it with confidence but regardless of the outcome, reaching the final is a great achievement and something everyone takes great pride in. Nobody can ever take away the fact you represented your club in a national cup final.
“Our motto is ‘we are one’ and the girls really take that on board. They are a really close-knit team who look out for each other.”
He added: “To have three teams reaching cup finals is huge testament to the hard work and effort from everyone involved at the club – players, coaches, team managers and everyone behind the scenes as well as parents and family who give up the time to ferry their kids all across the country.
“Everyone involved should feel a huge sense of pride.”
That ‘team first’ mentality is one McCall’s side share with the under-18 men who will take on Glasgow Rens in the final event of the weekend.
Captain Anders Kilgour said: “I think we’ve been getting better and better as the season has gone on. A huge part of our success is that there’s no egos at all in the team. There’s nobody trying to be the star.
“We play really smart basketball and look for the best option. We take on board everything the coaches tell us and when we’re on the court we want to win for each other.”
He added: “We’re confident but very respectful of Glasgow Rens. We know we have to be at our very best if we are going to win the game.
“We were actually down by 15 points in the semi-final and brought it back. We’re a team that never lets our heads go down and we know we can replicate that if we find ourselves in a similar position.
“It’s my first Scottish Cup final and it’s an experience I’m really looking forward to – a win would be special.”
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