On the evening of February 6th, 2026, Team Python Basketball walked onto the court at Barnwell Upper School with one mission: to cap off a rollercoaster season with the Papawis League championship trophy. And that's exactly what they did.
The Finals: Python 84 – Trojans 64
The Trojans came into the finals battle-tested and hungry, and the first half showed it. It was a tight, physical contest with both sides trading baskets and neither team willing to give an inch. The scoreboard stayed close, and the tension inside Barnwell was palpable.
But something shifted after halftime.
Coach JP rallies the squad during a timeout — the moment the game turned.
Team Python came out of the break with a renewed intensity. Every player locked in, executed the game plan, and listened to every call from Head Coach JP Buenconsejo. The second half was a masterclass in team basketball — crisp passing, disciplined defence, and relentless energy on both ends of the floor.
The boys played with finesse tonight. Everyone bought in, everyone listened, and everyone competed. That's what championship basketball looks like.
By the third quarter, Python had opened up a comfortable lead. And by the fourth, there was no looking back. The final buzzer sounded at 84-64 — a 20-point statement victory that left no doubt about who the best team in the Papawis League was this season.
Championship trophy and MVP award in hand — the hardware that proves it.
A Season of Resilience
This championship didn't come easy. Looking back at the full season, Team Python's journey was anything but a straight line to the top.
We started Season 2 on fire — four wins from our first four league games. The squad was clicking, confidence was high, and the league was taking notice. Wins over Trojans (79-72), Sigma (85-46), New Elite (59-45), and Spartans (59-51) had us sitting pretty at the top of the table.
Then the middle of the season hit, and reality set in. We dropped a game to SlamDrunks (48-64), suffered a forfeit against the Trojans, and lost a heartbreaker to New Elite by just 5 points (65-70). A third loss to SlamDrunks in Round 2 (54-56) — decided by a single basket — meant our momentum had well and truly stalled.
At 6-4, with four losses in six games, questions started creeping in. Were we good enough? Had the league figured us out?
The Semi-Finals: Battling the Defending Champions
The answer came on January 30th, when we faced SlamDrunks in the semi-finals — the same team that had beaten us twice in the regular season and the defending Papawis League champions.
This was the game that defined our season.
It was a war from start to finish. Low-scoring, physical, and intense — neither side wanted to give anything away. Coach JP's game plan was executed to perfection. The defence was suffocating, every loose ball was contested, and the composure under pressure was something we hadn't always shown earlier in the season.
When the final whistle blew at 48-43, the celebrations said it all. We had beaten the team that had our number all season, on the biggest stage, when it mattered most. The fire was back.
The Complete Journey
Looking at the full picture, our Season 2 record tells the story:
- 12 league games played
- 8 wins, 4 losses
- Semi-final win over defending champions SlamDrunks
- Championship victory over Trojans, 84-64
From the September opener to the February finals, this team grew, adapted, and ultimately peaked at exactly the right moment. The mid-season dip could have broken us. Instead, it made us tougher.
What This Means
This championship marks the completion of our Season 1 journey as a club. When Team Python was founded, the goal was simple: build a competitive, community-driven basketball team in Stevenage that anyone could be part of, regardless of background or budget.
We did that — and then we went and won the whole thing.
None of this happens without the players who showed up every Friday, the supporters who believed in what we were building, and Head Coach JP Buenconsejo, who drove long distances week after week to lead this group with passion, discipline, and heart.
Season 2 is on the horizon. The bar has been set. And if you want to be part of what comes next — whether as a player, a supporter, or a sponsor — we'd love to have you.
The full Team Python family — players, supporters, and loved ones celebrate together on the court after the finals.
Team Python Basketball — 2026 Papawis League Champions.