YOUNGSTERS from Forres and the surrounding area were soaring with the Eagles when the Elgin-based basketball team hosted an event for primary schools in Forres House Community Centre.

As part of a special programme, and aiming to raise the profile of basketball among children, the Elgin Eagles Basketball Club ran a 'Raising the Hoops' festival, with the pupils taking part in a competition.

Grant funding from Awards for All has strengthened the programme, and provided valuable resources to send club coaches to deliver four to six week coaching blocks and a festival for the Forres cluster schools.

Games were changed to a three player versus three (3v3) format which enabled the smaller rural schools to join in, with ten teams from six schools competing.

Teams from Alves, Anderson's, Applegrove, Dyke, Kinloss and Pilmuir were split into two leagues of five teams, with the top two from each league progressing to the semi-final play-offs.

Anderson's were undefeated throughout and will go on to represent Forres at the Grampian Schools' festival in March.

Elgin Eagles chairman Graham Stewart said he was delighted with the whole event.

"It was a great festival to be part of, with a fantastic amount of teams taking part," he said. "The noise in the finals was deafening."

Club secretary Jamie Alexander, who is the 'Raising the Hoops' coach, said the day was a great success.

"The standard of play has certainly increased, and the club sessions have significantly grown in numbers," he added. "A special thanks must go out to the team managers from each school, and the Eagles U14 players who provided some excellent officiating throughout the contest."

The club hopes the event has generated an increased level of interest in the forthcoming Moray Superleague, a competition for P5-7s or U12 clubs in and around the area.

Details of the club's competitions can be found on their website https://sites.google.com/site/elgineaglesbasketballclub/