The 2026 Isle of Wight Secondary Schools Basketball season has drawn to a close, marking a banner year for the sport.
Over the last few months, 244 young athletes took to the hardwood across 5 high-octane tournaments, showcasing the rapidly rising standard of play across the Island.
Hosted by Carisbrooke College, this year’s competition benefited from the school’s expanded facilities. Utilising 3 outdoor courts alongside their primary sports hall, the tournament saw more games taking place at one time allowing for longer games to take place.
In a historic first for the modern-era, the silverware was shared equally among the schools, with 5 different institutions claiming a title.
● Year 7: Carisbrooke’s clinical start building on their Year 11 success in 2025. Carisbrooke College opened the 2026 campaign with a dominant Year 7 squad.
Entering the tournament as heavy favourites with an unbeaten regular-season record, they weathered the pressure of expectation to secure the championship and maintain their “invincible” status.
● Year 8: Cowes triumphs in a shoot-out. The Year 8 bracket was a 3-way toss-up heading into the final frame. In a high-stakes finale, Cowes Enterprise
College managed to win their final game after demonstrating nerves of steel, edging out The Bay in a dramatic shoot-out in a previous game to claim their first title since the tournament’s 2022 reinstatement.
● Year 9: The Bay’s tactical comeback. The Bay faced off against Carisbrooke in a final that tested their resolve. Trailing by four points at the half, The Bay locked
down defensively and found their rhythm in the paint, reversing the deficit to win by four. This victory ensures they maintain their impressive streak of winning at least one title every year for the past five seasons.
● Year 10: CTK closes the show. The final tournament of the season saw CTK crowned champions. In a neck-and-neck battle against Ryde School that saw
multiple lead changes, CTK ultimately prevailed in another nail-biting shoot-out, marking their fourth title in recent memory.
● Year 11: Priory wins the grudge match. The long-standing rivalry between Priory and Christ the King (CTK) within this age group reached a fever pitch in the Year 11 final. After splitting the titles over the last 2 years, Priory utilised a superior transition game to outpace a resilient CTK side, winning in style to claim their second recent championship.
While the titles were spread thin, the overall performance points told a story of consistent excellence. Carisbrooke College took the top honours for the 2026 season with 28 points, narrowly beating out The Bay and CTK, who both finished on 24.
Despite Carisbrooke’s season win, The Bay remains the Island’s statistical powerhouse with a formidable 68% overall win record and 162 cumulative points since 2022.
The tournament organisers extended their gratitude to the Isle of Wight Basketball Board for their support. Special mention for Tim Brown, whose expert officiating ensured the games were played with fairness and flow.
With eight schools represented this year and The Bay and Carisbrooke maintaining 100% attendance records since the 2022 re-establishment, the
future of Island basketball looks brighter than ever and whether it is The Bay looking to increase their overall titles which currently stands at 10 or The Island Free School looking to their first title in their history the 2027 season has the potential to be the best ever.
If your child is interested in playing club level basketball, you can find more information at this website: https://iowbasketball.club/sessions
