Author: asawula

The final day of the Standard Bank St Stithians Hockey Festival, in Johannesburg, on Saturday, produced a whopping 33 goals across 10 matches as the teams wrapped up the action after three days of intense hockey.

Of those 33, Reddam House Constantia scored 11, while the hosts netted three to finish their campaign on a high.

It was a challenging festival for sides like Hilton College, Clifton College, Die Hoërskool Menlopark, and St David’s Marist Inanda.

While they struggled to get over the line, Reddam and Saints went about their business quietly and efficiently and racked up victories.

After a sizzling performance on Wednesday, which brought them a thrilling victory over Hilton College, the hosts defeated Clifton College 3-1 on Thursday and ended the festival with a 3-2 win over St Andrew’ College, another in-form team.

Aidan Blatch has been the name on everybody’s lips, and he duly delivered again against the Makhanda school. Lanky, unpredictable, and dangerous, he scored a brace before Jason Joiner netted to secure a hard-fought 3-2 win.

Joining Saints on the winning trail was Reddam, who recorded two emphatic victories. Coach Alex Gitlin’s side defeated St Benedict’s College 4-1 before overrunning the St Stithians College Festival Team 7-0.

Against Bennies, Charlie Naylor was on fire and bagged a pair before Kyle Jones and Chris Stewart got in on the scoring action.

Captain Joe Gitlin, Naylor, and Jones were on the scoreboard again in the match against the Saints Festival team, while Reese Hayes and Mitchell Welch completed the drubbing.

It was another superb showing from the Cape Town outfit, who picked up from where they left off at the Independent Schools Hockey Festival earlier this month.

St Andrew’s College was probably the third-best team at the festival and suffered only that one loss against the hosts.

Coach Dean Ferreira’s troops played exciting hockey throughout the weekend and on Saturday picked up a 3-0 win over St David’s Marist Inanda.

Connor McNamara struck twice before Jean de Villiers sealed the win for his side.

While St Andrew’s College impressed, Hilton College was frustrated.

In their five matches, coach Damian Kimfley‘s boys mustered one win, three draws, and a loss, which came against the hosts on day one.

They were held to draws by the Pretoria trio of Menlopark, Affies, and Pretoria Boys High for the second time this season after the sides played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at the Nomads Hockey Festival last month.

Clifton College, meanwhile, ended their festival on a high with a 4-1 win over Menlopark, while Affies failed to find the back of the net, including against Clifton, as both of their matches on Saturday ended in goalless draws.

RESULTS

Affies 0-0 Clifton
Hilton 2-2 Pretoria Boys High
Reddam Constantia 4-1 St Benedict’s
St Andrew’s College 3-0 St David’s Marist Inanda
Clifton 4-1 Menlopark
Affies 0-0 Hilton College
Reddam House Constantia 7-0 St Stithians Festival Team
Pretoria Boys High 1-1 St David’s Marist Inanda
St Benedict’s 2-1 Menlopark
St Stithians 3-2 St Andrew’s College

CLICK HERE FOR DAY 1 RESULTS
CLICK HERE FOR DAY 2 RESULTS

After a topsy-turvy opening day, on Wednesday, clouded by inclement weather, teams returned to turf action on Thursday for day two of the Standard Bank St Stithians College Easter Hockey Festival, in Johannesburg.

The playing conditions were much better, and spectators were treated to entertaining hockey throughout the day.

St Stithians College, along with Reddam House Constantia and St Andrew’s College, had impressed on day one, and they carried that momentum into Thursday’s matches.

The hosts, after their thrilling 4-3 win over Hilton College, defeated another KwaZulu-Natal outfit, this time beating Clifton College 3-1.

Aidan Blatch, who scored a hat-trick against Hilton, netted again, while youngster Jason Joiner scored a brace to seal the win.

Reddam, meanwhile, played Pretoria Boys High (PBHS) and Die Hoërskool Menlopark.

The Cape Town school, which has been causing a stir this season, mustered a 1-0 win over Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) on Wednesday, so went into Thursday’s matches in a confident mood.

They shared an entertaining 1-1 draw with Boys High, courtesy of a brilliant solo goal by Charlie Naylor. They, then, went on to beat Menlopark, 1-0, with Kyle Jones slotting the winner.

St Andrew’s College, from Makhanda, is another side that’s been enjoying a good season but flying under the radar.

They arrived at Saints having played a handful of fixtures at the Synsport Tony Godding Festival in East London last month.

On Wednesday, they recorded a 1-0 victory over St Benedict’s College but drew 1-1 with Affies on Thursday morning. Then, facing Affies’ city rivals, Pretoria Boys High, they snatched a last-gasp 1-0 win, scoring with under a minute to play.

Hilton College, after their entertaining outing against St Stithians on Wednesday night, bounced back with a 4-0 defeat of St David’s Marist Inanda. They were, however, unable to replicate that form in their night game against Menlopark, having to settle for a 2-2 draw.

Affies, after their draw with St Andrew’s College, claimed a 2-1 win over Bennies, while St David’s Marist Inanda edged out Clifton College 2-1.

The teams take a break on Good Friday and return to conclude the action on Saturday.

The action will be LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

RESULTS

Pretoria Boys High 1-1 Reddam House Constantia
St Benedict’s College 3-0 St Stithians Boys’ College Festival Team
Hilton College 4-0 St David’s Marist Inanda
St Andrew’s College 1-1 Affies
St Stithians Boys’ College 3-1 Clifton College
Reddam House 1-0 Menlopark
Affies 2-1 St Benedict’s College
St Andrew’s College 1-0 Pretoria Boys’ High
St David’s Marist Inanda 2-1 Clifton College
Hilton College 2-2 Menlopark

The opening day of the Standard Bank St Stithians College Easter Hockey Festival in Johannesburg was clouded by stoppages, delays, and uncertainty, because of the weather.

Only two matches were fully completed on Wednesday because of the threat of lightning, which resulted in three matches being cut short.

Early in the day, St David’s Marist Inanda and Die Hoërskool Menlopark played out a 1-1 draw before St Andrew’s College defeated St Benedict’s College 1-0, courtesy of a Daniel Meihuizen goal.

Reddam House Constantia picked up a 1-0 victory over Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies), thanks to their skipper, Joe Gitlin, who scored a wonderful solo goal in a game that went on for only one chukka.

The heavens cleared after that clash, just in time for the Pretoria Boys High (PBHS) vs Clifton College meeting.

PBHS was made to work hard for victory, but they pulled off a nervy 1-0 triumph after a Mwela Mutale goal.

Finally, the conditions cleared for the night clash between Hilton College and St Stithians and it turned out to be a cracker.

The hosts were on fire from the start and dominated possession in the early going. Their pressure was rewarded in the second chukka when Aidan Blatch found the back of the net.

It appeared as if the home side would head into the break leading 1-0 until a moment of magic from Reagan Mudau delivered the ball into the circle, and a touch by Tino Hove forced it into the back of the net for the equaliser.

Fireworks went off in the third chukka, and Saints, once again, started brightly.

They made it 2-1 after a Dylan Burger strike, which came after good work by young defender Jason Joiner. Soon after that goal, Blatch struck again, this time a well-placed drag flick made it 3-1.

Hilton was not going down without a fight and, with three minutes to play, they cut the deficit to one through Hove, who created space before slotting his second of the day.

Leading 3-2 heading into the final chukka, the hosts were dealt a blow when Rob Burman struck with a PC drag flick to level matters.

The score was deadlocked for only a minute, though, before Saints regained the lead through Blatch.

They earned a short corner and opted for route one, going straight to Blatch, who made no mistake and deposited the ball past Kayson Holtzhausen for his hat-trick.

Hilton pushed hard for a late equaliser, but they were kept out and Saints recorded a memorable win in front of their supporters.

RESULTS

St David’s Marist Inanda 1-1 Die Hoërskool Menlopark
Reddam House Constantia 1-0 Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool
St Andrew’s College 1-0 St Benedict’s College
Pretoria Boys High 1-0 Clifton College
St Stithians College 4-3 Hilton College

FIXTURES

Thursday, 17 April

08:30 – Pretoria Boys High vs Reddam House Constantia; 08:45 – St Stithians College Festival Team vs St Benedict’s College; 10:00 – Hilton College vs St David’s Marist Inanda; 11:00 – St Andrew’s College vs Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool; 12:00 – St Stithians College vs Clifton College; 13:15 – Reddam House Constantia vs Die Hoërskool Menlopark 15:15 – Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool vs St Benedict’s College; 16:45 – St David’s Marist Inanda vs Clifton College; 17:45 – Pretoria Boys High vs St Andrew’s College; 19:00 – Hilton College vs Die Hoërskool Menlopark.

This year’s Standard Bank St Stithians College Easter Hockey Festival in Johannesburg will feature thrilling matchups, close calls and high-level hockey.

The highly anticipated three-day extravaganza runs from 16 to 19 April and promises to deliver outstanding action on the AstroTurf.

It’s one of the country’s most prestigious Easter Hockey Festivals, bringing together various schools from different provinces.

The boys’ section will be interesting with some big names attending and looking to stamp their authority, while other teams are still in search of their mojo.

Gauteng schools in attendance include the hosts alongside St David’s Marist Inanda, Die Hoërskool Menlopark, St Benedict’s College, Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies), and Pretoria Boys High (PBHS). It is a strong Gauteng lineup, with many of the teams having already played a couple of matches this season.

Affies and Pretoria Boys High will enter the festival coming off contrasting results over the past weekend. PBHS drew 2-2 with King Edward VII (KES), while Affies suffered a heavy 1-4 loss at the hands of Paarl Gimnasium in the Western Cape.

St Benedict’s and St David’s are still trying to find their feet, having both recorded a mixed bag of results in recent weeks.

Both sides were in action at the Independent Schools Hockey Festival and found the going tough, but they’ll no doubt look to bounce back at Saints.

Reddam House Constantia is the only Western Cape representative. Coached by Alex Gitlin, the boys from Cape Town will come out with guns blazing.

They are in good form and picked up five wins at the ISHF in Pretoria earlier this month. They did suffer a 0-4 loss against Rondebosch last weekend, but that won’t dampen their spirits.

KwaZulu-Natal will be represented at the festival by Hilton College and Clifton School. Hilton are favourites to end the festival as one of the unbeaten sides, considering their form of late. They impressed at the Nomads Hockey Festival, recording two wins and two draws. Coach Damian Kimfley will demand nothing but the best from his boys when they open their campaign against the hosts on Day 1 at 19:30.

Other matches to look out for on the opening day include Pretoria Boys High versus Clifton at 18:00. Affies will look to bounce back against Reddam at 14:30, while St Andrew’s College, from Makhanda, faces St Benedict’s.

All the action throughout the three days will be LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

BOYS FIXTURES

Wednesday, 16 April:

12:30 – St David’s Marist Inanda vs Die Hoërskool Menlopark; 13:30 – St Benedict’s College vs St Andrew’s College; 14:30 – Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool vs Reddam House Constantia; 18:00 – Pretoria Boys High vs Clifton School; 19:30 – St Stithians Boys’ College vs Hilton College.

Thursday, 17 April:

08:30 – Pretoria Boys High vs Reddam House Constantia; 08:45 – St Stithians Boys’ College Festival Team vs St Benedict’s College; 10:00 – Hilton College vs St David’s Marist Inanda; 11:00 – St Andrew’s College vs Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool; 12:00 – St Stithians Boys’ College vs Clifton School; 13:15 – Reddam House Constantia vs Die Hoërskool Menlopark 15:15 – Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool vs St Benedict’s College; 16:45 – St David’s Marist Inanda vs Clifton School; 17:45 – Pretoria Boys High vs St Andrew’s College; 19:00 – Hilton College vs Die Hoërskool Menlopark.

Saturday, 19 April:

07:45 – Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool vs Clifton School; 09:00 – Hilton College vs Pretoria Boys High; 10:00 – Reddam House Constantia vs St Benedict’s College; 11:15 – St Andrew’s College vs St David’s Marist Inanda; 12:30 – Die Hoërskool Menlopark vs Clifton School; 13:15 – Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool  vs Hilton College; 14:30 – Reddam House Constantia vs St Stithians Boys’ College Festival Team; 16:45 – Pretoria Boys High vs St David’s Marist Inanda; 17:00 – Die Hoërskool Menlopark vs St Benedict’s College; 19:30 – St Stithians Boys’ College vs St Andrew’s College.

The Parel Vallei (PV) High School girls’ first-team hockey side has enjoyed a rewarding and successful couple of weeks under the tutelage of head coach Wayne Coetzee.

The girls from Cape Town kicked off the second term with a resounding 4-1 victory away from home over DF Malan this past weekend.

It was their first outing since they claimed top honours at the Courage Cup, which was hosted by Kingsmead College, in Johannesburg, earlier this month.

In an all-Cape Town final, PV defeated Reddam House Constantia 2-1 on penalties to lift the title. With that win, they booked themselves a spot at next year’s St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival.

It was crucial for coach Coetzee’s side to quickly put their holiday campaign behind them and shift their focus to the clash against DF Malan.

Recent history shows that PV has had the upper hand on DF Malan, and that dominance continued on Friday night as they scored four times, through Nikita Sulivan, Eva Blaauw, Roxy Setzkorn, and Skylar Bougaard.

PV was also solid at the back, despite conceding a goal, and it was a testament to the work they’ve put in during the pre-season.

Reflecting on the game, coach Coetzee said he’s happy with the progress made by the side in the last couple of weeks, but there’s a lot to improve on.

“The girls have grown from strength to strength in their game, physically and mentally,” Coetzee told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“Against DF Malan, we stayed calm and grew in the game and played some expansive hockey at stages, which allowed us to enter their circle from all sides.”

PV plays coach Mark Landman‘s Paarl Girls’ High side on Wednesday.

Girls’ High shared a 1-1 draw with Springfield Convent School on the weekend, with Lisa Craven finding the back of the net for them.

They are a dangerous and unpredictable side, and coach Coetzee has identified areas Parel Vallei needs to attend to before the meeting.

“We need to keep building on the positive moments that we create. A key focus will go into our PC attack and nine-yard scoring,” he said.

When Collegiate Girls’ High School travelled to the Western Cape to face Rhenish Girls’ High and HMS Bloemhof over the weekend, many thought the results were a foregone conclusion.

That’s because a week ago, both Bloemhof and Rhenish excelled at the St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival in Johannesburg.

The Western Cape duo finished in second and third positions, respectively, behind the winners, St Mary’s DSG, Kloof. Thus, there is no doubt they were favoured heading into the clashes against Collegiate.

The Gqeberha girls, meanwhile, put together a decent showing at St Mary’s. But facing Rhenish on Friday night before taking on Bloemhof the following day was a tall order.

Collegiate had nothing to lose, similar to their brother school, Grey High, who came from behind four times to draw 4-4 with Paul Roos just a few kilometres down the road.

Facing the reigning Fairtree Super 12 champions, Rhenish, they frustrated the home side and defended like their lives depended on it.

They weren’t at their best on the attack, but they capitalised on one opportunity when Kerrin Gillies found the back of the net.

Their Friday night outing ended in an encouraging 1-1 draw, which left them with a quick turnaround before a meeting with St Mary’s runner-up, Bloemhof, on Saturday. On Friday, coach Jenny King’s Bloemhof girls had narrowly defeated Herschel Girls School 2-1.

That meant both teams carried some tired legs into Saturday’s showdown. As always, it would be about which team took its chances.

The hosts scored first, but Collegiate came from behind in the second half, striking back twice with goals from Gillies and Kate Brennen to score a thrilling victory.

“I’m very happy with the outcome of this weekend,” Collegiate head coach Michael Abrahams told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“We wanted to be competitive and play a good brand of hockey. We’ve learnt a lot, and it has given us a good look at what to work on going forward.”

Looking back on their Western Cape adventure, the Gqeberha girls will take confidence from their stubborn defence, which rescued them from some sticky situations.

Abrahams said that was about good preparation: “Our approach was to be good defensively, but, at the same time, making sure we were good in possession.

“We knew coming here would be tough, especially with the quick turnaround. So, we needed to prepare accordingly.”

The positive results will be a huge morale boost for Collegiate ahead of a busy schedule in the Eastern Cape and around the country.

“It’s always good to play against teams of this calibre. It’s important that we continue to learn and grow from these types of games,” Abrahams concluded.

RESULTS

Collegiate 1-1 Rhenish Girls’ High School
Collegiate 2-1 HMS Bloemhof

The 2025 schoolboy hockey season swung into full gear in the Western Cape on the weekend, with some of the province’s top teams in action.

On Friday night, hockey fans in the region were treated to four massive derby matches and two league fixtures.

In Cape Town, Wynberg Boys’ High defeated Fairmont High School 3-0 in a league clash, while their southern suburb rivals Rondebosch Boys’ High outplayed Reddam House Constantia 4-0.

It was far from a convincing performance by Wynberg, whose last outing was the Nomads Hockey Festival in Johannesburg last month, while Fairmont was recently crowned the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament champion.

Despite not firing on all cylinders, coach Ben Wiley’s boys got the job done, courtesy of a brace by Noah Laubscher and a strike from Mustafa Kajee.

Reddam House, meanwhile, entered their clash against Bosch brimming with confidence after a stellar showing at the Independent Schools Hockey Festival.

Coach Alex Gitlin’s side impressed in Pretoria, winning all five of their matches, but they couldn’t replicate their form against ‘Bosch.

Parel Vallei (PV) was another side in top form on the weekend, and they continued their impressive season with another win. This time around, they thumped DF Malan 5-1 in a display of calm, cool, and collected hockey.

Luka Meets, who is a player to watch, netted a brace on his 50th game for the school, while Luca Jordaan, Tristan Rautenbach, and SA u17 star, Stephan Malanalso scored.

PV has two big games before the Hibbert Shield, which takes place from 1-4 May. During mid-week, they’ll face Worcester Gimnasium and then, in a big test, they’ll take on South African College High School (SACS) closer to the end of the month.

While the action lived up to expectations in Cape Town, Paarl also delivered a blinder between Paarl Gimnasium and Affies.

Both sides were in action at the Founders Festival, so they would’ve been able to make some mental notes about their opposition ahead of the clash.

Gim coach Jacques Grobler told SuperSport Schools Plus that his team was still in search of its mojo, but he will feel now that they’re getting there.

It was a different kind of performance against Affies, and the home-ground advantage had a massive positive impact on Gim’s play.

John Coetzee and Stefan Wiehahn both scored from short corners to give the locals a 2-0 lead. Two further strikes, firstly from Josh Smit, with a field goal, and then from the skipper, Juan Swanepoel, with a late penalty stroke, sealed the win.

Paarl Boys’ High was also in action against Somerset College and claimed a 1-0 win, courtesy of a Nicholas Swanepoel strike.

In Stellenbosch, Paul Roos Gimnasium shared a thrilling 4-4 draw with Grey High School.

RESULTS

Paarl Gimnasium 4-1 Affies
Wynberg Boys’ High 3-0 Fairmont High School
Paarl Boys’ High 1-0 Somerset College
Parel Vallei 5-1 DF Malan
Rondebosch Boys’ High 4-0 Reddam House Constantia
Paul Roos Gimnasium 4-4 Grey High

The Pearson High School girls’ first-team hockey side made a massive statement on Friday night when they defeated Clarendon High School for Girls 8-2, in East London.

The girls in green and black made the trip from Gqeberha with their sights set on continuing their impressive start to the 2025 season.

For Clarendon, it was about improving and trying to build momentum after a rather challenging couple of outings for coach Luaan Sedras‘s outfit.

Both sides had recently been in action at the St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival, where Pearson finished 11th and Clarendon placed 18th in the 32-team field.

Despite Clarendon’s home-ground advantage, Pearson was favoured on Friday night, and they made their presence felt from the first whistle.

They were outstanding in front of the goal, controlled the midfield well, and punished the hosts every time they entered the circle, it seemed.

After three chukkas, the girls from Gqeberha had stacked up a whopping five goals and kept the hosts at bay on the other end of the field.

They complete the drubbing in the final chukka, scoring three times to secure a big win. It was a special victory for coach Anton Peltenburg‘s side, not just because of the scoreline but because of the style in which they achieved it.

The goals were scored by eight different players – Chanelle Venter, Isabella Costa Gamaleri, Annemi De Villiers, Becci Diedericks, Lisa De Villiers, Hanna Potgieter, Kiyara Constable, and Tanna Cuff – which reflected a well-orchestrated team performance.

Pearson will have a week off next weekend to regroup and rest before they return to action in a derby against Outeniqua.

In other Eastern Cape matches, Hudson Park High School won an East London derby against Cambridge High, scoring a 2-0 win.

Erin Batting, who has been on top form early in the season, found the back of the net before forward Busiwe Mayekiso doubled her team’s tally.

Hudson’s next assignment is a mid-week match against Lilyfontein School.

Elsewhere, Stirling High defeated Queenstown Girls’ High 2-1 in Komani, while York High thumped Alexander Road 5-0 in Gqeberha.

RESULTS

Pearson High 8-2 Clarendon
York High 5-0 Alexander High
Hudson Park 2-0 Cambridge High
Stirling High 2-1 Queenstown Girls’ High

The stage was set, the atmosphere was electric, the parents flocked to the Maties AstroTurf, and a sea of maroon and light blue surrounded the field when Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) hosted Grey High School in Stellenbosch on Friday night.

A highly entertaining Hyundai Friday Nite Lights clash had it all: A drama-filled rollercoaster ride featuring outstanding skills, fast-paced action, and late goals, as the sides played out a thrilling 4-4 draw.

Heading into the match, PRG and Grey had already chalked up some outstanding results against top opposition. During the school holiday, the hosts dominated the field at the Coastal Cup, in Durban, while Grey recorded three wins against tough competition on their international tour of The Netherlands.

Past results, however, mattered very little on Friday evening.

The contest got off to a frantic start, with PRG bossing the early exchanges and just three minutes in, they were awarded a penalty corner. Logan Lackay‘s shot went wide, but the PC was re-awarded, and the second time around they made no mistake.

Instead of going to Lackay again, though, they executed a variation, with Reuben Gouws slapping the ball towards goal where Tylor Carter deflected it high and handsome into the net just before it reached Grey goalkeeper Kaino Broadhurst‘s outstretched right leg.

Playing under heavy pressure, Grey High looked uncomfortable on the ball after conceding and made some sloppy defensive errors. However, they sounded a warning with a length-of-the-field breakaway which put their skipper Luke Tait through.

He didn’t score but won a penalty corner and James Chree made no mistake with the chance, flashing a drag flick to the ‘keeper’s left to level matters after 15 minutes.

Paul Roos edged ahead once more in the second chukka when Matty Cardoza gratefully latched onto a ball that sat up nicely for him to score and give the home team a 2-1 advantage at the break.

In the third chukka, the complexion of the game changed. Both teams were firing on all cylinders.

Grey started it brightly and was awarded a PC after a cynical play by Carter. There was no question who the ball was going to and Chree gladly took on the responsibility to draw the visitors level with another pinpoint, sizzling drag flick.

It was blow-for-blow from there on, and coach Michael Baker’s Paul Roos regained the lead with a strike from captain Christo Swanepoel after he was played in on goal by Cardoza.

The drama was far from over, though. Athi Voigt was involved on a couple of occasions in one movement, which began on the right, before he finished it from in front of the net, to make it 3-3.

Then, with just 55 seconds left in the third chukka, Lackay finally got his name onto the score sheet to make it 4-3 to the hosts with one to go.

Coach Andrew Beynon‘s Grey boys were chasing the game in the last 15 minutes and they desperately took the attack to PRG, forcing the home team onto the back foot.

It took 13 minutes for the Gqeberha school to be rewarded, and their fourth goal, again, came from a short corner.

Chree, for a third time, did what he does best and fired a thunderbolt into the back of the net. Thanks to his hat-trick, Grey had evened the scores at 4-4.

There was some late drama when PRG thought they had snatched a win with 10 seconds remaining. However, Callum van Oudtshoorn‘s goal was correctly disallowed because, just before he steered the ball into the Grey High goal, it had come off Cardoza’s foot.

That was it! The final whistle sounded and the spectators warmly applauded a splendid performance from both teams who will surely continue to impress this season.

SCORERS

Paul Roos (4): Tylor Carter, Matty Cardoza, Logan Lackay, Christo Swanepoel. Grey High School (4): James Chree (3), Athi Voigt.

Selborne College, Hudson Park High School, Dale College, and Queen’s College recorded significant victories on Friday night, on the opening weekend of derby action in the Eastern Cape.

All four sides were in fine form, operating at their best, while producing entertaining hockey.

Selborne defeated Pearson High 5-1, while Hudson beat Cambridge High 4-1. Dale College joined the party with a 4-2 win over Merrifield College, and Queen’s College had a blast in Komani, beating Stirling High 5-0.

The clash between Selborne and Pearson caught the attention of many hockey fans within the Border region. It was expected to be an evenly contested game, but the hosts gained the ascendency early on.

Playing in front of their supporters after a poor showing at the Nomads Hockey Festival, Selborne came alive and showcased some great skills while controlling the tempo of the match.

Thomas Caswell led from the front, netting twice. He was joined on the scoresheet by his skipper, Gray van Heerden, who was playing his 50th game for the 1st XI. Further goals from Saneze Kweba and Inathi Gxobole sealed the win.

“The boys played some really good hockey today,” Selborne head coach KJ Friend told SuperSport Schools Plus after the game.

“It’s been a steady improvement since the start of Nomads. We just wanted to do the basics right and stick to our strengths and plan.”

After the resounding victory, Selborne will shift their attention to a massive derby clash against Dale College next weekend.

Speaking of Dale College, the boys from Qonce also kicked off their league season in style in East London. Fresh from taking part in the Founders Hockey Festival in Pretoria last month, they took on Merrifield College.

Skipper Sibongisile Nzima set a superb example and slotted a pair of goals, while his teammates Bulele Siswana and Caleb Ellis chipped in to complete the 4-2 victory.

Hudson Park, meanwhile, claimed an impressive win over their arch-rivals Cambridge High School.

Hudson is brimming with confidence, after performing well at the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Festival, which was hosted in Cape Town earlier this month. There, coach Sipe Matafeni‘s boys finished in eighth spot out of 48 teams.

They showed their intent from the get-go, made life difficult for the hosts, and capitalised on their opportunities.

Somila Mkokeli found the back of the net twice, while goals by Lunathi Solwandle and Hlomla Ndlovu completed the drubbing.

In another Friday night fixture, Queen’s College hosted Stirling in Komani.

Queen’s, who are flying under the radar this season, made a massive statement by beating the East London side 5-0.

Asi Vena led the home side’s scorers, striking twice, while Aya Maduma, Brett Hoffmann, and Tofiro Kagoro helped make it a handful of goals.

RESULTS

Selborne College 5-1 Pearson High School
Hudson Park 4-1 Cambridge High School
Dale College 4-2 Merrifield College
Queen’s College 5-0 Stirling High School