Author: wgelderbloem

There was drama and a whole lot of suspense in the final of this year’s Aitken Cup.

St Stithians College dethroned Jeppe High School for Boys as champions of this prestigious and historic hockey tournament after it went to a shoot-out. The scores was locked at 2-all at full-time.

Saints won the shootout by 4-2 to end Jeppe’s dominance of the Aitken Cup since 2015. Jeppe was looking to bag their seventh successive title.

It was only the second time in St Stithians College’s history that they managed be crowned champions of the competition. Their first title came back in the 1980’s.

This defeat was Jeppe’s first of the season.

Jeppe’s captain, Jaydon Brooker opened the score board in the tenth minute, scoring from a penalty corner, putting his side in the lead and bolstering confidence in the team in this crucial final. Brooker put another one by the Saints in the 20th minute, this time, from a penalty shot.

However, the Saints were not discouraged as they replied with a half-time score of 2-1 to Jeppe – Connor Sneddon scoring for the Saints in the 26th minute. The comeback was now right-on-schedule as captain Taine Tanner-Ellis saved his team by scoring from a penalty corner in the 44th minute. 

These two sides met in last year’s final as well with Jeppe walking away with the spoils. The Aitken Cup celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. Trevor Aitken who the competition was named after was there to hand over the trophy to Saints.

Scorers: 

St Stithians College 2 (Connor Sneddon 26″, Taine Tanner-Ellis 44″); Jeppe High School for Boys 2 (Jaydon Brooker 10″, 20″). St Stithians College won 4-2 after shootout.

Arguably two of the biggest and most competitive schools hockey tournaments in South Africa kicks off this weekend namely, the Aitken Trophy and Boden Cup.

Catch all the action live on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

Having been incepted in 1974 the prestigious Aitken Trophy is once again, up for grabs. A total 38 teams will strive to clutch the title from the defending champions, Jeppe High School for Boys, having won the u18 grand prize in 2022. 

Playing host to the tournament include the likes of St Stithians College, Redhill School, Crawford International: Lonehill and Trinity House Little Falls. The latter eluding to magnitude of this championship. 

The tournament structure will consist of pool matches of two 20-minute halves on Friday  and play-offs of four 12-minute chukkas on Saturday the 13th. 

The Boden cup will feature many of the top u15 teams in the Gauteng region which will surely provide a great glimpse into the talented future of Schools Hockey.

The Boden Cup will be being hosted by Jeppe High School for Boys, St Johns College, Hoërskool Linden, Reddam Bedfordview and Reddam Waterfall. The match structure will mimic that of the Aitken Trophy. 

Schedule for Aitken and Boden Cup Clashes

Aitken Cup

12 May 2023 

07:30 – St Stithians College vs Beaulieu College; 07:45 – Jeppe High School for Boys vs Parktown Boys’ High; 08:35 – St John’s College vs Noordheuwel; 08:20 – King Edward VII vs St Benedict’s College; 09:15 – Helpmekaar vs Fourways; 09:30 – St David’s Marist vs Linden; 10:05 – CBC Boksburg vs Krugersdorp High; 10:25 – Northcliff vs Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge; 11:00 – St Stithians College vs Helpmekaar; 11:15 – Jeppe High School for Boys vs St David’s Marist; 11:50 – King Edward VII vs CBC Boksburg; 12:05 – St John’s College vs Northcliff; 12:45 – Beaulieu College vs Fourways; 13:00 – Parktown Boys’ High vs Linden; 13:35 – St Benedict’s College vs Krugersdorp High; 13:50 – Noordheuwel vs Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge; 14:30 – St Stithians College vs Fourways; 14:45 – Jeppe High School for Boys vs Linden; 15:20 – King Edward VII vs Krugersdorp High; 15:35 – St John’s College vs Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge; 16:15 – Beaulieu College vs Helpmekaar; 16:30 – Parktown Boys’ High vs St David’s Marist; 17:05 – St Benedict’s College vs CBC Boksburg; 17:20 – Noordheuwel vs Northcliff.

 

SACS: The Storm in the Cape of Good Hope

The Western Cape Southern Suburbs are about to be filled with the sound of mighty chanting. This weekend SACS takes on Rondebosch Boys’ High in a Cape Town Derby that will assuredly be a spectacle of fantastic hockey. 

SACS, under the tutelage of James Peverley (ex-Grand Challenge men’s 1st team coach) have thus far had immense success, only losing one to Paul Roos Gymnasium and drawing one to Selborne, both during the Hibbert Shield. 

With SACS’s ability to adapt their game plan according to their opponent’s each time, while maintaining their core strengths of pocket-picking and shifting the ball up the wings, SACS has proven themselves as an effective, well-coordinated machine to be reckoned with. 

The 19A team facing Rondebosch Boys’ High this weekend includes:

1 Rogan Stirk (GK)

2 Luke Salters (DEF)

4 Mike Cowen (C) (DEF)

5 Litha Kraai (FWD)

6 Mikey Royden Turner (MID)

7 Josh Opperman (MID)

8 Ozair Pillai (vC) (MID)

9 Dean Carrick (FWD)

10 Liam Haupt (MID)

11 Ray Bonnet (FWD)

13 Cole Allam (MID)

14 Steph Meyer (DEF)

15 Rowan Davis (FWD)

17 Wayne Mandabva (DEF)

Will SACS maintain their momentum, or will Rondebosch Boys’ High be able to put an end to the steam-rolling SACS side? Catch the action on https://live.supersportschools.com/upcoming/ on Friday 12 May 2023 at 18:15. 

Grey High School, having taken on Paul Roos Gymnasium just the night before, faced South African College High School (SACS).

The fatigue is slightly evident in the Grey High team, with a notable less urgency to the ball than previously seen.

Grey High relying once more on their wide trough game to make the ball do the work – a clever game plan.

However, SACS quickly noticed the latter and shifted gears, effectively closing in on the ball and using outstanding pocket-picking tackling, causing many turnovers and as a result, many counter-attacks. Grey High loses the match with a full time score of 11-0. 

Notable performance to Grey High’s goalkeeper, Adam Brown, who at the 05:20 minute mark of the 2nd chukka, denied SACS from scoring a 3-vs-goalie counter-attack, showing a lifted chin to the end of the game. 

Results:

SACS 11 (Litha Kraai (5), Dean Carrick (2), Rowan Davis, Josh Opperman, Mike Royden-Turner, Nick Paxton); Grey High School 0.