A group of talented, young athletes will do what no other Bermudian sports team has done, display their skills on the West Coast for a competitive tournament.

CedarBridge Academy varsity basketball team, the Wildcats, have been invited to play in the Durango Invitational in Las Vegas, Nevada taking place December 27 to 29.

Head coach Chris Crumpler spoke to this newspaper about his expectations, the amazing opportunity and why it's such a big deal.

"The tournament is for the top high schools in the US. It's a high end sanctioned tournament put on by the NCAA," he said.

Mr. Crumpler explained this is the first time Bermuda has been invited to play in the tournament and the first time the team has played outside of Bermuda.

The tournament will feature 16 teams from California, Texas, Nevada, Florida and now, Bermuda.

Some of the teams include Miami Senior, Basic, Cheyenne, Schurr, Green Valley, Mojave and more.

Asked how Bermuda became a part of the tournament, Mr. Crumpler explained the athletic director at CedarBridge, Mr. Watts, had a friend who coaches high school basketball in the area.

Mr. Watts talked about the team in Bermuda and said he wanted his boys to play over there. A spot was available and the team was invited.

The coach admitted the expectations in the US aren't high for his team. "We are seen as the bottom half but I'm looking for us to make some surprises," he said.

The team is made up of 13 players but only ten are going. They have been monitored for the past three months on academics, behaviour and attendance.

Mr. Crumpler, a basketball player on Bermuda's national team, said the boys found the grueling practice schedule difficult at first.

The team practices every afternoon after school and do a heavy amount of running. They have been training for the past two-and-a-half months.

In addition to practices, they played in a tournament at Bermuda College and scrimmage other high school teams.

"I think we'll be OK. We're a big team. Our front line is six feet, six inches, six feet four inches and six feet three inches.

"And we have a strong point guard. I'm excited because my boys are playing real tough. I'm preparing them as best as I can."

Mr. Crumpler wasn't a stranger to high school tournaments when he was younger and isn't sure the players understand how big this is for them.

"They appreciate it in a sense," he said. "I don't think they fully understand the opportunity. Many of them have travelled for tourism purposes like shopping. This is going to be the best time of their lives and they will remember it."

He explained the tournament is such a big deal that broadcasters, news reporters, recruits and scouts will all be in attendance watching their every move.

"They haven't played against people they don't know," he said. "Everybody says we're going to get blown out. I don't think so. We're going to play with them. It's exciting."

In order to go all the way to Las Vegas, the boys had to fundraise. They have raised almost $6,000 so far by holding a trash-a-thon, packing groceries, parking cars at the Music Festival and the Squash World Cup.

The Ministry of Education, Sports and Recreation gave them a cheque for $3,700 and David Mutch at Deloitte & Touch donated $600, personally paying for their basketball shoes.

So how do the boys feel about the opportunity? Quincy Trott, Richard Warner and Forrest Williams, all 17-year-olds have never played basketball outside of Bermuda and are excited.

"It's life-changing. We're proud to be repping our country," Richard said.

Forrest added: "To go and rep Bermuda in basketball is a really big thing."

The boys said they really appreciate their coach and think of him as a family member.

They said he is a great player and often plays with them in practice. "Just going out there and proving that we're able to keep up with the US teams is good," Quincy said.

"People think we're going to get a cut-tail, but we're going to win," Forrest said.

The boys leave on Boxing Day and are scheduled to play Mojave, a team considered one of the best in the tournament, in the first round.

The cheerleading team will travel with them and assistant coach Dale Jackson.