Author: asawula

Collegiate Girls’ High confirmed its status as the team to beat in the Eastern Cape over the past weekend.

The side from Gqeberha handed their rivals, DSG Makhanda, their heftiest defeat of the season, beating them 5-1 at the Webster AstroTurf in Makhanda.

It was yet another impressive victory for coach Michael Abrahams‘ side, who have been in top form this season.

While they might have fallen short of winning the title in several tournaments, including the St Mary’s Waverley Festival, All Girls Festival, and Belgotex Sport Girls Challenge, Collegiate has dominated their derby fixtures.

At St Mary’s, they bowed out in the quarterfinals after losing to Rhenish Girls’ High on a penalty shootout before narrowly going down in the semifinals at the All Girls Festival against Oranje.

A 0-1 loss to Waterkloof in the Girls Challenge final in Cape Town means Collegiate’s only remaining chance of clinching silverware this year will be at the Fairtree Super 12 in August.

Barring those tournament heartbreaks, Collegiate’s in-season form has been outstanding. Their results include a 3-0 win over Rhenish and a 2-1 defeat of Oranje. In recent weeks, they thumped both Outeniqua and Kingswood College 7-0.

“It’s been a very good way to end the term,” coach Michael Abrahams told SuperSport Schools News after Collegiate’s emphatic win over DSG.

“It’s never easy going to Makhanda and playing DSG at their home ground.

“We know a game is never won in the first half, so for us, it was about staying in it as long as possible.”

Kerrin Gillies, who has been a star performer for the past two seasons, racked up a hat-trick against DSG, while Olivia Freecks and the dangerous Casey Grobler also struck for the Gqeberha school.

Despite conceding one goal, Collegiate’s defence was solid.

“We wanted to play where there is space, be good defensively, and make sure we could handle their aerial and long ball threats,” Abrahams said. “Taking accountability for our one-versus-one defence was also key.

“When in possession, we wanted to make sure that we could move the ball and play vertically as soon as possible.

“We scored some good goals. Before the match, we spoke about a few things tactically and worked on specifics.”

Collegiate’s fixtures for the term are complete. Exams lie ahead, followed by the Inter-Provincial Tournaments during the mid-year holiday. Then, it’s back into action in July.

Abrahams’ charges face some testing fixtures in the third term. They start it with a derby against local side Framesby before facing Oranje and Eunice over a blockbuster weekend.

Thereafter, they’ll travel to Bloemfontein for the Super 12 before ending their season at home against Clarendon.

Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) continued their impressive run by claiming yet another big scalp in the Gauteng region.

The boys from Pretoria, led by coach Jaydon Lincoln, stunned King Edward VII (KES) 3-2 in Johannesburg on Saturday.

That victory added another big name to a list of memorable wins for Affies this season, which also includes victories over Grey College, Paarl Gimnasium, and Garsfontein in recent weeks.

Affies headed into the game off the back of a 3-2 win over Grey College, while KES defeated Westville Boys’ High 1-0 and drew 4-4 with Northwood School in KwaZulu-Natal a week ago.

KES, led by coach Siya Sityana, got off to a dream start and scored two early goals through Kamohelo Tsoka and Rofhatutshedzwa Mathabi, much to the delight of their home supporters.

Affies, like they’ve done all season, refused to back down, and pulled one back through Ruahard Nienaber before Jurgen Schoeman made it 2-2 going into the break.

Playing with greater freedom and belief, the visitors upped the ante in the second half and defended extremely well to withstand the KES onslaught.

On attack, they remained dangerous and made it 3-2 with over four minutes remaining in the third chukka through ⁠Sam Wessels.

KES had their moments, particularly in the final chukka, but some brave defending from Affies kept them out. MJ Celliers pulled off a vital goalline save from a shot from Kamohelo Tsoka, and that proved to be pivotal.

“I’m very proud of the boys. It could’ve easily gone either way,” Jaydon Lincoln, the Affies’ coach, said after the game.

“There were a couple of decisions that went against us early on, but the guys stuck together.

“We spoke about how good KES were, but we know how good we are when we go behind. I don’t know what it is about the Affies boys with a never-say-die attitude, but that’s exactly what it was in this game.”

After going down by two goals early on, Affies made some adjustments to their shape and outlet, which paid off.

“We changed our shape to suit the press that KES have been successful with all season, and that worked out for us,” Lincoln explained.

“After making it 2-2, I said to the team the game was ours, and all we needed to do was to occupy the spaces, hold the lead, and defend well.

“They showed a lot of fight, and I’m happy with how we’ve shown up over the last couple of weeks.”

Affies won’t rest on their laurels with two big clashes remaining against St Alban’s College and Menlopark this term.

At St Stithians College, the home side survived a late scare to beat Parktown Boys’ High 3-2.

Saints, who went into the clash after a heartbreaking 1-2 loss to Jeppe High School for Boys in the Aitken Cup final, scored through Sebastian Pousson, Thomas Becker and the reliable Jason Joiner.

Parktown had an opportunity to level the scores in the dying seconds from a short corner, but an acrobatic save by goalkeeper Jasbir Naidoo sealed the win for the hosts.

“I thought we were very good in the first half, moved the ball very well, and manipulated their defensive efforts,” Saints’ head coach Pat Owgan said after the game.

“We also had very good pressure on the ball defensively, which was a key factor in our Aitken run.

“In the second half, they changed a few things, and we didn’t react well. We also lost our defensive intensity, but we showed good fight when we were under pressure.”

In Pretoria, St John’s College did just enough to edge out Pretoria Boys High 1-0, while St Alban’s College played to a 2-2 draw with St Benedict’s College in Bedfordview.

Jeppe, after winning the Aitken Cup, travelled to KwaZulu-Natal to play Northwood School and sealed a 1-0 win courtesy of a Jarryd Gordon-Watt strike.

RESULTS

Jeppe 1-0 Northwood
St Stithians College 3-2 Parktown Boys’ High
St Benedict’s 2-2 St Alban’s
St John’s College 1-0 Pretoria Boys High
Affies 3-2 KES

After a relatively slow start to the season, Paarl Gimnasium has started to gain some momentum, and they added a tick to the win column on Friday night in Cape Town.

Facing Wynberg Boys’ High‘s on the Astro of Dreams, Gim got back to winning ways, scoring a hard-fought 1-0 victory.

Last week, Gimmies played out a 1-1 draw with Parel Vallei before going down 1-2 against Bishops on home turf.

Wynberg, meanwhile, defeated Grey High 1-0, and the southern suburbs’ outfit was keen to follow up that major scalp with a win over another top team.

From the first chukka, it was a tightly contested affair. In the end, though, one goal, scored by Ebert Sabbagha, was enough to decide the contest.

Wynberg pushed hard for an equaliser late on, but it was Paarl Gim’s night.

“What worked really well for us was our short passing, and we won several one-versus-one battles across the field, which created an overload,” Jacques Grobler, the Paarl Gim coach, said after the game.

“We also played with composure and, when we lost the ball, the urgency to win it back and get a defensive shape was exactly what we wanted to see from our team.

“The boys have played very good hockey the last two weeks without getting the outcomes. It was encouraging to see it all come together on Friday night.”

Paarl Gim will shift its attention to Somerset College next week, while Wynberg prepares to face Parel Vallei.

Speaking of Parel Vallei, they made the trip to Newlands to face South African College High School (SACS) on Friday night.

The meeting was a repeat of the Hibbert Shield final, which SACS won 5-2 in Gqeberha at the end of April.

The hosts headed into the clash off the back of a pulsating 3-3 draw with Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) in midweek and were eager to get back to winning ways.

They did exactly that, playing some entertaining hockey on their way to a 4-0 win, thanks to goals by Jan Dijkstra, Litha Kraai, Josh Azevedo van Dyk, and Daniel de Wet.

In Stellenbosch, Paul Roos squandered an opportunity to beat Paarl Boys’ High.

Coach Michael Baker‘s side led 3-2 with seconds remaining, but Boishaai scored against the run of play to make it 3-3 at full-time.

Luc Botha, Logan Lackay, and Seth Paterson netted for PRG while Mijan Herholdt‘s hat-trick secured a share of the spoils for Boishaai.

Rondebosch Boys’ High won 3-1 against Stellenberg, courtesy of goals from Jason Warneke, Joe Beggs, and Martin Barnard.

Joining them in the winners’ circle was Somerset College, who showed fight to thump Curro Durbanville 6-3. Tongai Mlingo fired in a hat-trick for the winners, while Carl Schaefer netted a brace, and Giovanni Goncalves also scored.

Worcester Gimnasium continued its impressive run with a 4-1 win over Hugenote, while a spirited second-half display secured a 3-2 victory for Bishops against Durbanville.

RESULTS

SACS 4-0 Parel Vallei
Paarl Gimnasium 1-0 Wynberg Boys’ High
Somerset College 6-3 Curro Durbanville
Paul Roos 3-3 Paarl Boys’ High
Rondebosch 3-1 Stellenberg
Worcester Gimnasium 4-1 Hugenote
Bishops 3-2 Durbanville

After a disappointing loss at the hands of Wynberg Boys’ High last weekend, Grey High returned to action on a mission to correct some wrongs.

The boys from Gqeberha, who failed to find the back of the net despite creating multiple goal-scoring opportunities against Wynberg, travelled to Makhanda to face St Andrew’s College on Friday.

The clash was highly anticipated, with both outfits having produced strong performances in the Eastern Cape this season.

St Andrew’s was confident after beating Woodridge College, Cambridge High, and Reddam House Constantia in their previous three fixtures.

It was Grey, however, that made a bright start, rushing into a 2-1 lead in the first chukka, thanks to strikes by Logan Meyer and Ben Atkinson.

The second and third chukkas were tightly contested. Both teams created chances to change the scoreline, but Grey’s defence held firm and St Andrew’s continued to absorb the pressure.

The final chukka was frantic, particularly the closing minutes, during which the hosts played without a goalkeeper after he was sent off.

Grey capitalised on that advantage in the dying seconds when Atkinson converted from a short corner to seal the win. It was the team’s second victory in as many days after they dismantled Kingswood College 8-0 in a mid-week meeting.

In Komani, Queen’s College put on a masterclass to beat Hudson Park High 4-0. Cayden Adonis netted a brace while Jo Aucamp and Liyema Auwa sealed the win for coach Michael Baiden‘s side.

It was also a bounce-back victory for the Queenians after their 2-3 loss to Selborne College a week ago.

In Oudtshoorn, York High continued its impressive run with a 3-2 win over Langenhoven Gimnasium. It was a second win of the week for York, who also scored a 4-0 win over Oakhill on Monday.

The goals for York, co-coached by Jason and Sean Slater, came from Layton Dafel, Dom Joshua and Ross Smorfitt.

Pearson High went on a goal-scoring rampage against Kingswood College in Gqeberha, charging to a 10-2 win.

In Qonce, Dale College was forced to come from behind in a 2-2 draw with Cambridge High.

The side from KuGompo City produced a dominant first half but opened the scoring only in the third quarter through Alakhe Kewuti. Four minutes into the final chukka, Lihle Hempe stretched their lead to 2-0.

Dale responded positively and earned a share of the spoils through back-to-back goals from Unesisa George and Singumzi Funani.

Cambridge had several opportunities to snatch victory with four short corners in the closing two minutes, but their execution let them down, and it finished all-square.

RESULTS

Queen’s College 4-0 Hudson Park
Grey High 3-1 St Andrew’s College
Dale College 2-2 Cambridge High
York High 4-1 Oakhill
Grey High 8-0 Kingswood College
York High 3-2 Langenhoven Gimnasium
Pearson High 10-2 Kingswood College

Entertaining, heart-stopping, and jaw-dropping are some of the descriptions that could be applied to the pulsating 3-3 draw between Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) and South African College High School (SACS) in Stellenbosch on Wednesday night.

The clash at the Maties AstroTurf was touted to be a humdinger. It lived up to that expectation.

For the neutrals, it was a top-class hockey exhibition. For the supporters of both teams, it was an emotional rollercoaster ride, a nail-biting thriller.

Earlier this season, the sides met in the semi-finals of the Hibbert Shield, where they shared a 1-1 draw before SACS advanced to the title game after winning a penalty shootout.

Paul Roos was desperate to change the narrative against their rivals and pick up their first win against coach Sam Holmes‘s side since 2024.

Their form heading into the match was sublime. In their most recent outings, PRG had beaten high-flying Rondebosch Boys’ High 4-2, while SACS thumped Stellenberg High 5-0.

The game’s opening chukka was frenetic, but it was PRG who made a dream start. Inside the first three minutes, they won a short corner and turned to Luke van der Merwe, who slotted it just inside the post to open the scoring, much to the delight of the PRG supporters.

SACS came alive after conceding and pushed for an equaliser, but Jeandre Cilliers stood firm in PRG’s goal.

Eventually, the Cape Town boys’ efforts paid off early in the second chukka.

Captain Litha Kraai did well to evade Jeandre van Zyl and win a PC for his side. Kraai then took it upon himself and fired in a thunderbolt drag flick to level the scores.

Both sides had short corners ruled out towards the end of the second chukka, leaving the teams level at 1-1 at halftime.

The third chukka was dramatic. Only seconds in, Van der Merwe bagged his second goal, with a smart reverse-stick shot giving coach Michael Baker’s side the lead again.

SACS wasn’t intimidated. They kept coming, and a deflection goal by Jan Dijkstra brought the teams level once more.

PRG had a golden opportunity to take the lead again after winning a stroke, but Logan Lackay’s attempt didn’t bother Ethan October in the SACS goal.

Soon, though, Seth Paterson linked up with Louis Kriel, who sneaked one in against the run of play to put Paul Roos 3-2 up heading into the final chukka.

As expected, SACS came out firing in search of an equaliser. With 10 minutes remaining, Cameron Cordeiro latched onto a loose ball inside the circle, and his shot beat Cilliers to make it 3-3.

After a moment of consultation between the umpires, the goal was given.

Both sides pushed for a late winner, but their defenders remained resolute.

PRG came close to breaking the deadlock from another PC, but Ethan October denied the home side with some crucial saves.

In the heat of battle, and with five minutes remaining, a couple of cards were dished out to both teams for ill-discipline, but the score remained unchanged.

SACS faces another tough assignment on Friday, when they take on Parel Vallei. PRG hosts the unpredictable Paarl Boys’ High.

Results

U14A

Paul Roos 2-0 SACS

U16A

Paul Roos 2-0 SACS

U19A

Paul Roos 3-3 SACS

For the past four seasons, much of the talk about schoolboy hockey has centred around the fierce Western Cape rivalry between Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) and South African College High School (SACS).

The hockey powerhouses resume their rich rivalry when they lock horns in a highly anticipated clash at the Maties AstroTurf in Stellenbosch on Wednesday. Pushback is at 18:40.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

Recent meetings between the schools have been richly entertaining, delivering thrills and some jaw-dropping moments.

Last year, they met three times, and it was SACS who came out victorious on all three occasions – twice in league matches and the other time after a penalty shootout in the semi-finals of the Hibbert Shield – on their way to an unbeaten season that comprised 33 wins and two draws – against Amsterdam Hockey Club and Paarl Gimnasium – in 35 outings.

In their first match against PRG, SACS recorded a 3-1 win, thanks to a brace from Reece Theunis. Later in the year, they overcame a two-goal deficit to win the return leg 5-2.

For Paul Roos, it’s been a case of close but no cigar in the past couple of seasons.

The last time that coach Michael Baker’s side scored a victory over SACS was in the 2024 Hibbert Shield final, which they won 6-5 on penalties after the match ended 3-3.

SACS were the victors again this year in the semifinals of the Hibbert Shield, winning yet another penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw.

Those stats show just how tightly contested the rivalry has been in recent years, and this season likely won’t be any different.

Both teams have been in good form and will enter the clash brimming with confidence.

SACS, after winning the prestigious Hibbert Shield for a second year running, drew 3-3 with Rondebosch Boys’ High before thumping Durbanville 6-0 and Stellenberg 5-0 in recent weeks.

They’re not the SACS juggernauts of 2023 and 2025, which were littered with stars in every position. That has led coach Sam Holmes to rely on some of his young guns to get the job done.

The upside is that the southern suburbs’ school still has its talisman, Litha Kraai, who can change the tide of a game in a split second. There is no doubt whatsoever that he will be the key in their quest to defeat PRG.

The skills of Mohlodi Maseko and the experience of Matthew Lassen, Daniel de Wet, Cameron Cordeiro, Chavez Sanger, and goalkeeper Ethan October will be useful in the heat of the battle on the Maties AstroTurf.

For PRG, who’ve recently struck a rich vein of form, Wednesday’s showdown is an opportunity to change the narrative and claim a major scalp in front of their home supporters.

Last week, the boys from Stellenbosch delivered a top-notch performance to beat Rondebosch 4-2 away from home and clinch their first win against ‘Bosch in two seasons.

Their skipper, Seth Paterson, has lit up the turf this season, and he’ll be aiming to bring his absolute best out in front of his home crowd.

Players like Ruben Gouws, Logan Lackay, and Taylor Carter, who have come up just short against SACS in the past, will carry massive motivation into the contest. They’ll be assisted by Luke van der Merwe, who has been on a strong goal-scoring run.

Defence in such a hotly contested affair is always pivotal, and both coaches will stress the importance of keeping calm heads inside the D.

The basics, discipline, and taking opportunities will also be stressed in team talks.

While much will be revealed on Wednesday, one thing is certain: it will be a cracker.

Fixture

18:40 – Paul Roos vs SACS

At the beginning of the hockey season, Jeppe High School for Boys suffered losses against Wynberg Boys’ High and Selborne College at the Nomads Hockey Festival in Pretoria.

Both results sent shockwaves through the schoolboy hockey world. Jeppe was unbeaten in 2025, and those defeats raised questions about the side. Would the 2026 side rise to the high standards typical of Jeppe hockey?

The reality was that, in both of their losses, Jeppe dominated possession and territory. They created more goal-scoring opportunities than their opposition, but they failed to put the ball into the back of the net.

Scrutiny from various sectors of the schoolboy hockey scene ensued. South African College High School (SACS), also undefeated last season, faced similar scrutiny after going down 2–4 to Northwood School at the Founders Festival.

Those two setbacks at the Nomads Festival were not the end of the world, however. All Jeppe needed to do was to “trust the process” under the tutelage of their new coach, Gareth Heyns.

In Pretoria, they bounced back with convincing wins against Grey High and Maritzburg College but succumbed to a 0-1 loss against their Johannesburg rivals, King Edward VII (KES), in their first meeting in April.

In that loss, Jeppe let themselves down by not converting multiple opportunities.

Beyond the results, though, it was clear that the Kensington school’s performances were improving each week. Then, in their debut at the Hibbert Shield, they finished in third place, beating a Paul Roos Gimnasium team on a hot streak 2-1 to clinch the bronze medal.

On the weekend, Jeppe showed how far they have come since the start of the season by edging past St Stithians College 2-1 to clinch the prestigious Aitken Cup on Saints‘ home turf.

“We’re obviously super proud,” Jeppe’s head coach, Gareth Heyns, told SuperSport Schools News.

“Aitken is something that means a lot to the Gauteng boys’ schools, and we set a goal to win it at the beginning of the year.”

Reflecting on his charges’ growth, he said: “When there’s a new coach and a new system, the boys need to get used to it, and the fact that they’ve worked hard to get used to it is just amazing.

Turning to the title game on Sunday, Heyns added: “Finals can go either way. Saints played a really good game, but it was our day, and I’m happy the boys got the reward for the work they’ve put in.”

Jeppe’s road to the final was very similar to that of St Stithians.

They were unbeaten in Pool A and B, respectively, before outplaying their opponents in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, Jeppe needed a penalty shootout win to get by St John’s College after their clash ended 2-2, while Saints defeated St David’s Marist Inanda 2-1.

“The game against St John’s was tough,” Heyns reckoned. “Both teams arrived on the day and played for 60 minutes, which made it really difficult.

“I do think they had the momentum closer to the end, but my guys stayed in it, and there were some really nail-biting moments.”

The final, as expected, was hotly contested and a repeat of last year’s title decider, which Jeppe won 4-2. This time around, it was a much tighter contest.

The visitors opened the scoring in the second chukka through captain Cole Stanbury. Saints refused to go away, though, and levelled matters early in the third chukka through youngster Christian Bernhardi.

It was end-to-end action in the final chukka, and both teams had their fair share of goalscoring chances.

With seconds remaining, though, Jeppe was awarded a short corner. They turned to their talisman, Kade Lottering, who broke St Stithians’ hearts with a thunderbolt drag flick to seal the win.

“The message throughout the tournament was simple. We just wanted to be as consistent as possible, be very disciplined, play the hockey we know, and do the basics right,” Heyns explained.

“I was also impressed with how the guys conducted themselves this past week. They’ve been really good and behaved well in games.”

With the victory, Jeppe has now won the Aitken Cup title three years in a row, defeating Saints twice and Parktown Boys’ High in the 2024 final.

“Three titles in a row is really special for the team and the hockey fraternity at Jeppe,” Heyns said. “It’s not something that just happens; there’s a lot of support for hockey at Jeppe across the board.

“Hopefully, this win gives us momentum going into the rest of the season. Next week, we have Northwood, who are doing some great things this season, and more tough fixtures later on.”

RESULTS 

Final: Jeppe 2-1 St Stithians College
3rd/4th playoff: St John’s College 2-1 St David’s
5th/6th playoff: Parktown (3) 1-1 (1) Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge
7th/8th playoff: St Benedict’s College 4-2 Helpmekaar
9th/10th playoff: Noordheuwel 3-0 Monument
11th/12th playoff: Beaulieu College (4) 1-1 (3) Randpark
13th/14th playoff: Linden 2-0 Northcliff
15th/16th playoff: Redhill (4) 1-1 (3) HeronBridge

Selborne College survived a late onslaught by their rivals, Queen’s College, to secure a hard-fought and gritty 3-2 win in KuGompo City in a Friday Nite Lights clash.

The hosts, who were defending their good record on home turf this season, had some lapses of concentration in the second half, which allowed Queen’s back in the game.

Both teams entered the game slightly rusty after their matches were cancelled due to bad weather last week.

Selborne had been scheduled to play Dale College in Qonce, while Queen’s was meant to travel to Gqeberha and face Grey High School on the Gqeberha school’s Reunion weekend.

The lack of game time, however, wasn’t a determining factor in the game, which Selborne started like a house on fire.

Coach KJ Friend‘s side controlled the tempo in the early exchanges and opened the scoring late in the first chukka when Reid Drake converted a penalty stroke.

Queen’s College came alive in the second half and looked more dangerous in attack, but they were unable to convert their goal-scoring chances.

With two minutes remaining in the third quarter, they were punished by Drake, who scored from a penalty corner to make it 2-0 in his 50th appearance for the black and white.

Drake completed his hat-trick early in the fourth chukka through another PC. His third, though, spurred a Queen’s fightback.

The boys from Komani pulled a goal back after a smart variation inside the circle, with Asisipho Vena providing the finish.

Minutes later, Leighton Prince found himself in space and converted a rebound off a short corner to make it 3-2.

Selborne was under the pump in the closing three minutes, and it took an acrobatic save by goalkeeper Brad Collins to keep them in front. They held firm, though, and recorded a battling win over their noisy provincial rivals.

St Andrew’s College, meanwhile, produced two impressive performances to beat Cambridge High 7-0 and Reddam House Constantia 5-2, respectively.

Against Cambridge, Luke Mason scored a hat-trick while Greg Rodwell, Rourke Macnamara, Liam Painter, and Leungo Nondumo contributed the other goals.

On Saturday, they took on Reddam House and defeated the Cape Town side, thanks to braces from Likho Khayula and Mason, which were supplemented by another goal from Rodwell.

In Qonce, Stirling High School outplayed Dale College 4-0. Josh Williams scored a brace before Skylar Ganda, and Jaren Marillier sealed the win for the visitors.

York High School was also victorious, bagging a 5-1 win over Woodridge College away from home.

Coach Jason Slater‘s charges have been impressive this season. Dom Joshua struck twice for the boys from George, while Layton Dafel, Christiano Veldkornet, and Kyle Strydom also netted.

In Gqeberha, Pearson played to a 1-1 draw with Reddam House, while Hudson Park High and Graeme College shared the spoils in Makhanda.

RESULTS

Stirling High 4-0 Dale College
York High 5-1 Woodridge College
Selborne 3-2 Queen’s College
St Andrew’s College 7-0 Cambridge High
Pearson 1-1 Reddam House Constantia
Graeme College 0-0 Hudson Park
St Andrew’s College 5-2 Reddam House Constantia

Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) showed class and composure to seal a hard-fought 4-2 victory against an in-form Rondebosch Boys’ High side in Cape Town on Friday night.

The boys from Stellenbosch were on fire in the opening half and put ‘Bosch under immense pressure in front of a packed crowd at the Bosch AstroTurf.

The win was PRG’s first against Rondebosch under coach Michael Baker after they went down 0-1 in 2024 and drew 3-3 last year.

It was, undeniably, the match of the weekend in the Western Cape, with plenty on the line for both sides.

Bosch was eager to maintain their unbeaten run, while PRG wanted a stiff test from a quality opponent before facing South African College High School (SACS) on Wednesday.

Both were confident heading into the clash. PRG had picked up two massive wins a week ago, overrunning Somerset College 10-0 and Durbanville 8-1, while Rondebosch held SACS to a 3-3 draw.

On Friday, Paul Roos rushed into a 2-0 lead, but the hosts fought back, levelling matters at 2-2. The visitors, however, remained in control, and two more goals in the second half sealed the win.

Luke van der Merwe, who’s regularly found the back of the net this season, scored a brace, while captain Seth Paterson and Caleb Cilliers were also on target.

“Rondebosch is always a tough fixture; Migs (Miguel Edwards) and his team know what they are doing,” PRG head coach Michael Baker told SuperSport Schools News.

“We have been on the wrong side for a few years now, especially on their turf. So, it was great to be on the right side for once.

“When they fought back, our character was tested, but it was good to see the boys respond well.”

Coach Baker and his side will face arguably their biggest challenge thus far this season when they host SACS on Wednesday night in Stellenbosch.

The rivals faced each other in the semifinals of the Hibbert Shield, where SACS won in a penalty shootout after the teams finished regulation time level at 1-1.

“It won’t get easier because SACS are always good, and we will get a whole bunch of new questions to answer,” Baker said.

“However, we love hard games, and I have not watched an unentertaining SACS vs PRG game. So, it should be a great game for the neutrals.”

While PRG downed ‘Bosch, SACS continued their dominance in the league with a 5-0 win over Stellenberg High.

Coach Sam Holmes‘s charges picked up where they left off a week ago against Durbanville and played some free-flowing hockey.

Mohlodi Maseko struck twice, while other goal-scoring contributions came from Daniel de Wet, Jan Dijkstra, and skipper Litha Kraai.

Bishops, after beating Wynberg Boys’ High last week, added another victory to their record.

They travelled to face Paarl Gimnasium and, after a tightly contested affair, they came away with a 2-1 win, thanks to goals from Harry Morgan and Troy Stockdale.

In other matches, Parel Vallei downed Somerset College 5-2 and Wynberg edged out Grey High 1-0. Reddam House Constantia held Pearson High to a 1-1 draw in Gqeberha.

RESULTS

Paul Roos 4-2 Rondebosch
SACS 5-0 Stellenberg
Bishops 2-1 Paarl Gimnasium
Parel Vallei 5-2 Somerset College
Wynberg 1-0 Grey High
Reddam House Constantia 1-1 Pearson High

Jeppe High School for Boys and St Stithians College will meet in the Aitken Cup final on Sunday. It’s a repeat of last year’s title game.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

They booked their places in the clash for the silverware on Saturday, the third day of the tournament, which is being hosted at St Stithians, in Johannesburg.

The road to the final was similar for both sides. Jeppe finished atop Pool A after beating Monument, Northcliff, and Trinityhouse Rand Park Ridge.

In the last eight, coach Gareth Heyns‘s side brushed aside Parktown Boys’ High 3-0 to book a final four date with St John’s College.

St John’s dominated their pool, too, and cruised to a 4-0 win over St Benedict’s College in the quarterfinals.

Jeppe dominated the early exchanges of their semifinal showdown, rushing into a 2-0 lead, courtesy of goals by Kade Lottering and Jadon Havinga.

St John’s, despite being forced to play on the back foot, showed fight and grit, and that brought them rewards in the second half.

Motheo Mparutsa found the back of the net, tapping in at the far post, before Connor Cooper converted a penalty stroke to make it 2-2.

The final chukka was fiercely contested, and both sides created opportunities to grab the lead late on. By the end of regulation time, however, the game was deadlocked. A penalty shootout was needed to decide the winner.

Both outfits missed their first three takes, with the goalkeepers rescuing their teams. It took a strike by Lottering during sudden death to seal the win for Jeppe.

In the second semifinal, St Stithians College went about their business effectively and beat St David’s Marist Inanda 2-1.

Saints, playing in front of their home supporters, produced a classy performance and survived a late scare to take the win.

Jason Joiner, who has found the back of the net with relative ease throughout the tournament, scored again, and Didier le Roux struck, too.

By winning, St Stithians has a chance to reverse last year’s final result, which finished with Jeppe winning 4-2. When the sides met earlier this season, it was goalless through three chukkas, but it ended 2-2 after a frantic final quarter.

In other matches, Noordheuwel picked up wins against Randpark High and HeronBridge College, while Monument bounced back with wins against Redhill and Beaulieu College.

Linden defeated Redhill 2-1, while Northcliff posted a 3-1 win over HeronBridge.

The final day’s action kicks off bright and early at 07:30 with the final scheduled for 12:30.

RESULTS

Quarterfinals 

Jeppe 3-0 Parktown
St John’s College 4-0 St Benedict’s College
St Stithians College 3-0 Helpmekaar
St David’s 2-0 Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge

Semifinals 

Jeppe (1) 2-2 (0) St John’s College
St Stithians College 2-1 St David’s

Playoffs 

Monument 2-0 Redhill
Beaulieu 1-0 Linden
Noordheuwel 2-0 HeronBridge
Randpark 4-2 Northcliff
Linden 2-1 Redhill
Monument 4-2 Beaulieu
Northcliff 3-1 HeronBridge
Noordheuwel 5-0 Randpark

FIXTURES

@Saints Red Astro

11:00 – St John’s College vs St David’s  – 3rd/4th playoff
12:30 – Jeppe vs St Stithians College – Final

@Parktown Boys’ High 

07:30 – Parktown vs Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge
09:00 – St Benedict’s College vs Helpmekaar
10:30 – Monument vs Noordheuwel
12:00 – Beaulieu College vs Randpark
13:30 – Linden vs Northcliff
15:00 – Redhill vs HeronBridge