Author: asawula

Collegiate Girls’ High School delivered a strong performance, highlighted by solid defending, on their way to a breathtaking 3-0 win over Rhenish Girls’ High in Gqeberha on Saturday.

Much was expected from the highly anticipated derby, and it lived up to the hype with both sides producing high-octane hockey.

Rhenish entered the clash on the back of a goalless draw with Oranje in midweek, while Collegiate had thumped Union High School 12-0 last weekend.

It was a cagey affair, and came down to which side used its opportunities better.

The hosts, playing in front of their supporters and parents, brought the heat and scored two goals in the first half, courtesy of experienced campaigners Kate Brennan and Kerrin Gillies.

Rhenish had their fair share of chances, but Collegiate’s defence stood firm.

Casey Grobler slammed the final nail into the coffin in the second half, and the home side went on to a famous win.

“It was always going to be a big game for both sides,” Michael Abrahams, the Collegiate coach, told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“From a spectator’s point of view, it was really good to watch, and the result doesn’t really reflect how the game went. It was a lot closer.

“It could’ve gone both ways; it was a game of opportunities. Our ladies were really up for it and capitalised on their chances, so we are really happy with the performance.”

In a tight contest, composure and calmness were crucial.

Coach Abrahams says he was impressed by his team’s patience and by how they didn’t rush play when in vital positions.

“I think our patience in building up was good, and we waited for opportunities to present themselves,” he said.

“We knew when to attack and also made sure we could defend well as a team to keep them out, which we did really well.

“Rhenish are very good, so we had to turn over the ball in certain areas and defend and attack as a team.”

The win for Collegiate means they’ve now defeated the Stellenbosch side twice in their past four meetings.

Last year, the teams drew 1-1 before Collegiate edged out Rhenish in a penalty shoot-out in the final of the All Girls Festival.

They met again at the St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival last month, and it was Rhenish who slipped by the Eastern Cape side in the quarterfinals via a penalty shootout.

It’s possible the sides could meet again at the All Girls Festival, which will be hosted by Rhenish from 27 to 30 April.

Collegiate will be focused on defending the title, and soon after that, they will head to the Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge in Paarl.

South African College High School (SACS) continued their perfect start to the Western Cape season after beating their southern suburbs’ rival, Bishops, 4-2, at the Brewery AstroTurf on Friday night.

The Edgars Friday Nite Lights clash was played in tough conditions, with rain bucketing down from the first whistle to the last.

The heavy rain also forced several matches to be abandoned because of flooding and waterlogged pitches.

At Newlands, however, the game was on.

After a slow start, SACS opened the scoring in the second chukka, with the experienced duo of Mohlodi Maseko and Litha Kraai firing in from the top of the circle to give the home side a 2-0 lead at halftime.

In the third chukka, Troy Loots got in on the scoring action after linking up with Kraai, which made it 3-0.

Kraai, the SACS’ skipper, was at the heart of their game, and he scored his second soon after Loots had struck. At 4-0 up, it appeared as if SACS would run rampant.

Bishops dug deep, however, exhibiting grit and fight, and the final chukka belonged to coach Ryan Julius‘s men.

They responded with two goals – the first from Litha Mbiko and the second from Luc Dicey, who converted a penalty stroke to ensure the final score was respectable.

“It was very competitive, very cagey, and a dogfight,” SACS head coach Sam Holmes told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“The conditions were super hard, and at one stage in the second and third chukka, I really thought the turf was going to get flooded and waterlogged.

“Credit to the guys. They showed a tremendous amount of spirit in tough conditions. They managed to do enough, and we took our chances when they arose to get the result.”

Last weekend, SACS recorded successive wins on Friday and Saturday, beating Durbanville 6-0 and Grey High 3-1.

Holmes felt the double-header was good preparation for his side. “It was nice to get some momentum from Durbanville and Grey,” he said.

“I think the first team landscape this year is ultra-competitive. You don’t have two front-runners or a group of three front-runners.

“There are 10 to 12 schools where anyone can win on the day. I think that’s exciting, and it’s what schoolboy sports should be about.”

SACS will next turn its attention to the Standard Bank Hibbert Shield, which takes place at Grey High School in Gqeberha next weekend.

Last year, the Cape Town school won the tournament, defeating Paarl Gimnasium 6-3 in the final.

“The Hibbert Shield is always lots of fun and very competitive, and I’d say right now, it’s the premium tournament,” Holmes commented.

“Obviously, we have a lot of festivals throughout the school calendar, but it’s cool to have a tournament format, which makes things very interesting

“It’s a stacked field of teams, and it’s anyone’s tournament. It will be nice to get down there, play some good hockey, and improve as a group and individuals, and have a great time while doing it.”

Other Matches

In other matches played in the Western Cape on Friday, Paarl Gim got by Grey College 3-2 in Paarl.

Goals from Dian Vorster, Rikus de Kock, and Mikal Janse van Rensburg sealed a hard-fought win for coach Jacques Grobler‘s side.

Worcester Gimnasium was on the road, in Mossel Bay, to take on Punt. In challenging windy conditions, they bagged a 3-0 win.

Dylan Purdon converted a penalty stroke while Raïel le Roux netted from a short corner. Janu Lambrechts put the final nail in the coffin late in the game.

Parel Vallei continued their impressive start to the season, blanking DF Akademie 5-0. Luka Meets finished with a hat-trick while Nathan Nissen and Luca Jordaan also found the back of the net.

Reddam House Constantia bounced back from their 0-6 loss to Grey High last week with a 3-0 win over Durbanville.

Three matches fell foul of the bad weather and were called off.

Western Cape results:

Langa Hockey Club vs Stellenberg – Abandoned due to bad weather
Paarl Gimnasium 3-2 Grey College
Worcester Gimnasium 3-0 Punt
Paarl Boys’ High vs Wynberg Boys’ High – Abandoned due to bad weather
Reddam House 3-0 Durbanville
SACS 4-2 Bishop
Rondebosch vs Fairmont High – Abandoned due to bad weather
Parel Vallei 5-1 DF Akademie

The script for the big Edgars Friday Nite Lights clash between Grey High and Paul Roos Gimnasium in Gqeberha appeared to have been run previously.

Last weekend, in Johannesburg, King Edward VII edged out their great rivals, Jeppe High School for Boys, 1-0 in a dogfight – a contest decided by several key moments.

KES was on the back foot for the majority of that encounter, but they scored the winning goal late in the third chukka and then kept Jeppe at bay to seal the win.

The KES versus Jeppe clash was almost a carbon copy of the Grey High versus Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) showdown.

Paul Roos dominated the Edgars Friday Nite Lights clash from start to finish, but it was the hosts who produced the goods when it mattered on their way to a 2-1 victory.

A hailstorm and heavy rain delayed the start of the match, but when the Rectory AstroTurf was cleared, the teams cracked on, with Dale Jennings being recognised for his 50th appearance for the Azzurri before the first whistle blew.

The opening chukka was stale, with little to separate the teams, although both sides were awarded short corners, but they didn’t capitalise.

PRG upped the ante in the second chukka, and coach Michael Baker‘s boys started dictating matters in the midfield.

Captain Seth Paterson played like a man on a mission, and his penetrating runs into Grey’s circle caused consternation for coach Andrew Beynon.

The visitors’ persistence finally paid off when Caleb Cilliers showed off some neat skills to open the scoring after receiving a sharp ball inside the circle from vice-captain Ruben Gouws.

Grey continued to make unforced errors, and they gave the ball away too easily in midfield. PRG, though, was unable to turn its dominance into goals.

The longer the game went, the more Grey played their way into it. They sensed an opportunity.

Just before the end of the third chukka, when the hosts were awarded a penalty corner, there was no deliberation beforehand. Everyone knew the drill.

James Chree duly delivered, stepping up from the second castle and firing a rocket-like drag flick past Jeandre Cilliers for the equaliser.

Paul Roos had a chance to edge ahead in the fourth chukka from a short corner, but their variation went awry, and Grey survived that scare.

With the clock winding down, the Azzurri struck. Launching a counterattack, Chree threw an overhead pass to Dante Elkington on the left. The Eastern Province representative then dribbled past two players before laying the ball on a silver platter for David Stevenson, who provided the finish.

The win was Grey High’s first against Paul Roos in three meetings. In 2025, they shared a 4-4 draw in Stellenbosch, and they lost 2-3 at home in 2024.

The sides could face off again next week at the Standard Bank Hibbert Shield.

Grey High is in Pool A, where they will face St Alban’s College, Parel Vallei High, and Durban High School (DHS), while PRG is in Pool B and up against Clifton College, Selborne College, and St Stithians College.

Easter Cape Results

Grey High 2-1 Paul Roos
Pearson High 2-1 Outeniqua
Queen’s College 3-1 Dale College
Stirling High 4-0 Merrifield College

The Bishops first-team hockey side will aim to cause a massive upset when they take on South African College High School (SACS) in Cape Town on Friday night.

The Edgars Friday Nite Lights clash will be broadcast live on DSTV Channel 216 and on the SuperSport Schools App.

The rivals meet at 19:00. The atmosphere at the venue, the Brewery AstroTurf, is expected to be electric, and it will be jam-packed with spectators.

To many, Bishops are the underdogs heading into the clash, but coach Ryan Julius will argue otherwise.

On paper, SACS is indeed the favourite, but hockey isn’t played on paper and by the odds, and the first month of the 2026 season has proved that any team can be beaten on an off day.

While SACS picked up two morale-boosting victories last week, beating Durbanville 6-0 and Grey High School 3-1, Bishops was on a break.

Coach Julius’s men last played competitive hockey at the Belgotex Sport Coastal Cup, which took place at the Riverside Hockey Club in Durban late last month.

There, Bishops flexed their muscles against some strong opposition.

In their four matches, they beat Clifton College and Menlopark, drew 2-2 with Westville Boys’ High, and succumbed to a 3-4 loss to St Andrew’s School.

While those results are promising, coach Julius knows that SACS will pose a difficult challenge.

One might feel, too, that coach Sam Holmes’s charges have not played their best hockey, but their win over Grey High last Saturday would’ve given the team a welcome boost and put a spring into the side’s step.

Barring a loss to Northwood at the Founders Festival, SACS has been on song, and a complete performance on Friday night would help them to build momentum right before the Hibbert Shield, which takes place from 24-27 April.

The hosts will take confidence from their matches against Bishops last year, which SACS won 4-1 and 9-0.

Other matches

While the southern suburbs’ rivals lock horns, a plethora of matches is lined up elsewhere in the province.

Rondebosch Boys’ High, after comfortably beating Wynberg Boys’ High 4-1 last weekend, returns to league action against Fairmont High.

Wynberg will aim to bounce back at Paarl Boys’ High, while Parel Vallei tackles DF Akademie.

Worcester Gimnasium will be on the road to face Punt in Mossel Bay, and Paarl Gimnasium takes on Grey College in a clash between big-name opponents who haven’t yet hit their stride in 2026.

Reddam House Constantia faces a tricky test against Durbanville, while the Langa Hockey Club plays Stellenberg High.

FIXTURES

Friday, 17 April

17:45 – Langa Hockey Club vs Stellenberg
18:00 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Grey College
18:40 – Punt vs Worcester Gimnasium
18:50 – Paarl Boys’ High vs Wynberg Boys’ High
19:00 – Reddam House vs Durbanville
19:00 – SACS vs Bishop
19:15 – Rondebosch vs Fairmont High
19:35 – Parel Vallei vs DF Akademie

The last two meetings between Grey High School and Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) have delivered entertaining hockey, cracking goals and dramatic moments, and both went down to the wire.

On Friday, there’s a good chance more of the same could be in store when the schools clash in their annual derby in Gqeberha.

The Edgars Friday Nite Lights encounter will be broadcast live on DSTV Channel 216, as well as on the SuperSport Schools App from 18:20.

Paul Roos, under coach Michael Baker, will aim to emulate their 2024 derby performance in the Windy City.

That year, PRG pulled off a remarkable comeback to win the match 3-2 at a buzzing Rectory AstroTurf. They trailed 0-2 at the break but showed strong character to come from behind and claim a heart-pounding victory.

When the sides met in Stellenbosch in 2025, they again produced a thriller. It was end-to-end stuff in front of a jam-packed crowd at the Maties’ Astroturf, which was a sea of maroon and shades of light blue.

The battle raged down to the final whistle and, when it sounded, the scoreboard reflected a 4-4 draw.

That night, James Chree introduced himself to first-team hockey with a hat-trick of goals, while Tylor Carter and Logan Lackay were on the scoresheet for PRG, and all three will be in action on Friday.

Grey High will be desperate to get one over one of the Western Cape’s powerhouses. Coach Andrew Beynon‘s troops began the season in style at the Tony Godding Festival and upped the ante at the Nomads Hockey Festival in Pretoria last month.

There, the Azzurri played five matches, won four and lost one against Jeppe High School for Boys on the second day.

Last weekend, they toured Cape Town and faced South African College High School (SACS) in a high-profile clash. It ended 3-1 in favour of SACS after Grey conceded two goals late in the final chukka.

They bounced back in style the following day, though, romping to a 6-0 win over Reddam House Constantia.

They face a Paul Roos side that has quietly gone about its business early in the season.

Coach Baker’s charges were last in competitive action during the Belgotex Sport Coastal Cup in Durban at the end of March because last weekend’s derby against Stellenberg was called off.

At the Coastal Cup, they suffered their first loss of the season against Durban High School (DHS), but they won against Michaelhouse, Westville Boys’ High and Pretoria’s St Alban’s College.

While the competition in the midfield will be crucial, previous meetings between the teams have highlighted the importance of set pieces and of converting opportunities inside the circle.

The derby also provides both teams with a competitive run-out before the Hibbert Shield, which will be hosted by Grey High from 24 to 27 April.

Other matches

While Gqeberha hosts Grey High versus PRG, that’s not the sole tasty treat scheduled in the Eastern Cape.

In Komani, Queen’s College renews its rivalry with Dale College on Friday afternoon during Queen’s 168th Reunion. Both sides lost last weekend, being beaten by Stirling High and Victoria Park, respectively. Nothing would be a better salve for either team than a win over their arch-rival.

Pearson High, who are currently flying and unbeaten in their past five matches, will travel to George to take on York High.

FIXTURES

Friday, 17 April

17:10 – Queen’s College vs Dale College
18:20 – Grey High vs Paul Roos Gimnasium

Saturday, 18 April

13:15 – York High vs Pearson

The St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival, which took place in Johannesburg last month, rubberstamped a point: school girls’ hockey in South Africa is thriving.

The festival brought together some of the country’s top sides, and it ended with Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje claiming top honours after beating Die Hoërskool Menlopark 2-0 in the final.

While Oranje got past Rhenish Girls’ High in the semi-finals, there was little to separate the sides. Their clash ended in a goalless draw, but went Oranje’s way after an eight-second penalty shootout.

It was the second time the sides had met in as many weeks. They had also shared a pulsating 2-2 draw at the Greg Beling Festival in East London.

When Oranje and Rhenish face off again, one thing is certain: it will be a showdown of the best versus the best, and that’s something not often seen in the boys’ game.

Their third meeting of 2026 takes place in Stellenbosch on Thursday night. It will kick-start a bumper hockey weekend for both sides.

“I think playing Oranje for the third time in less than a month is really exciting,” Rhenish head coach Chris Gerber told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“We pride ourselves on playing against the best as much as possible, and this will be another big test.

“They will come out firing, and we need to make sure we stay composed and structured as much as possible.”

After going down in their showdown semifinal with Oranje at St Mary’s Waverley, Gerber’s side drew with St Mary’s DSG, Kloof, the 2025 winners, and finished joint third.

“After St Mary’s, we had a good review of where we are and where we are going as a side,” Gerber said.

“Our key takeaways were that we still played good, structured hockey and didn’t let the [25-minute] format stop us from doing so.”

After facing Oranje on Thursday, Rhenish will head to Gqeberha to take on Collegiate Girls’ High in a derby that’s grown into one of the country’s premier clashes over the past couple of seasons.

Last year, the sides drew 1-1 in Stellenbosch, and coach Gerber expects a tough outing against coach Michael Abrahams’ charges.

“This clash will again be a very nice, strong fixture for us. They are a quality side, and we will have to be in top form.

“The girls are mentally strong and very determined, so they know what we are working towards and what our objectives are.

“When it comes to these big fixtures, the girls are excited and ready to go.”

Other matches

On their Western Cape tour, Oranje will also face Paarl Girls’ High on Friday night.

Elsewhere, HMS Bloemhof hosts Parel Vallei on Friday, while Rustenburg Girls’ High tackles Fairmont High on Thursday.

FIXTURES

Thursday, 16 April

17:00 – Fairmont vs Rustenburg Girls’ High
18:45 – Rhenish vs Oranje

Friday, 17 April

18:15 – Herschel vs DF Akademie
18:30 – Paarl Girls’ High vs Oranje
18:30 – Bloemhof vs Parel Vallei
19:00 – Paarl Gimnasium vs La Rochelle

Saturday, 18 April

10:30 – Collegiate vs Rhenish

The head coach of the South Africa u18A boys’ team, Jon-Marc de Carvalho, says their gold medal triumph at the recently concluded Australian Youth Water Polo Championships is a testament to the competitiveness of SA schools’ water polo.

The South African side ended the tournament unbeaten. In the final, they defeated Sydney Northern Beaches (SNB) Breakers 5-4 on penalties after the clash had ended in a pulsating 10-10 draw.

“Any win is pleasing. This one is especially pleasing as it’s a tournament we’ve never competed in before, and to come out on top really shows the talent we have in SA,” coach DeCarvalho told SuperSport Schools Plus.

South Africa produced entertaining water polo throughout the event, scoring 36 goals as they placed second in their group.

In the cross-pool playoff matches, they thumped the Mantas Blues 19-7, then convincingly beat the Polo Bears 21-6 and the Hunter Hurricanes 13-4.

In the last four, they edged the Melville Sharks in a shootout to secure a place in the final.

Despite the side’s dominant results, De Carvalho admitted it was tough getting the combinations right, as he had a star-studded squad from which to pick.

“Getting the right combinations was probably the hardest part with this team,” he reckoned.

“With such limited time together as a unit, the training camps and the first few games were used to work out those combinations.

“In the end, we went with as many provincial combos as we could, so that the guys were as comfortable as possible with the teammate next to them.

“Certain positions, we simply rotated each game, but others ended up being set combinations.”

It was South Africa’s debut appearance at the Australian tournament, with the side being selected after the conclusion of last year’s SWPSA Inter-Provincial Tournament in Johannesburg.

An Australian side from Brisbane, the Aussie Crocs, participated in the South African event for a second successive year. They were impressive, playing a high-tempo game, which put teams under pressure, and all those qualities gave the SA provincial sides a taste of what to expect Down Under.

“The level of polo was at a really high level [in Australia]. The top teams were well-drilled and particularly fast transitioning from defence into attack,” De Carvalho said.

“That was our biggest challenge at this tournament. All the teams here had played together for years, and we were a jigsaw puzzle, a put-together team, with little time together.

“What we did have was a lot of ‘gees’ and determination, which allowed us to come back and briefly move ahead in our two toughest games, the semi and final.

“So, the pressure was certainly put on us, but we came back every time. This can only be done with strong belief and good preparation.”

While the u18 boys’ side won gold in the A-division, the u16 girls’ team took home silver, and the u16 boys also dominated their division, winning it.

Those results, according to coach De Carvalho, are proof that South Africa can compete with the best in the world.

“This is huge for SA ‘polo,” he said.

“It proves that we are right up there with players in the top 10 nations in the world, while at the school level.

“We then, unfortunately, drop off when we transition to university and senior levels. It’s something we need to improve upon.

“The system in Australia, with a lot of their clubs associated with their universities, gives them a clear pathway and transition to the highest levels of water polo. They also have a well-set-up national league, so the continuity and development thrive.”

A total of 35 goals were scored across seven matches in the Western Cape this past weekend.

While several sides – including  Bishops and Paul Roos Gimnasium – had byes, the 14 teams in action produced entertaining hockey.

The action kicked off on Friday night with Rondebosch Boys’ High travelling to the Astro of Dreams to face their southern suburbs’ rivals, Wynberg Boys’ High.

‘Bosch went into the clash after returning from The Netherlands, where they participated in the European Hockey Club Organisation (EHCO) Trophy Tournament.

After a third-place finish, competing against leading clubs, they were confident, and it showed in their game.

They claimed a comfortable 4-1 victory, courtesy of goals by Daniel Fisher, Martin Barnard, Tate de Villiers, and Ben Hartman.

It was a performance that impressed head coach Waseem Domingo.

“I felt the boys did well despite returning from The Netherlands on Wednesday,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus. “They were dominant in possession, and I feel that the main reason for winning was down to simple, free-flowing hockey.

“Our goal is to always put the team first, and I think that in itself prioritises our overall focus as opposed to the need for individual flash.

“It was a good start to the season, and Wynberg are formidable opponents, so a win was fantastic.”

Rondebosch next faces Fairmont High in a league clash on Friday.

Another side that impressed was Parel Vallei (PV), who beat Paarl Boys’ High 4-1.

Coach Michael van Rensburg‘s troops showed glimpses of their potential at the Belgotex Sport Coastal Cup last month. It didn’t all go their way against Boishaai, though, but they got the job done.

It was the usual suspects – Luka Meets, Stephan Malan, Nicolas Havinga, and Luca Jordaan – who found the back of the net.

“We were happy to come away with the win, but not happy with our performance,” Van Rensburg said. “Paarl Boys’ did well to disrupt our plans, and credit must go to them.

“Our circle entries to outcomes are not where we would like them to be.”

PV will next face DF Akademie before heading to Gqeberha for the Hibbert Shield later this month.

“There are a couple of details at which we want to get better going into the next couple of weeks, especially with the Hibbert Shield looming,” Van Rensburg said.

“We need to improve our counter-defence and deep defensive disciplines and be better in terms of our circle entry outcomes. These specifics will form a core part of our preparation in the coming weeks.”

In other matches, South African College High School (SACS) picked up a 6-0 win against Durbanville.

Captain Litha Kraai scored a brace, as did Troy Loots. Mohlodi Maseko and Jake Hufkie completed the drubbing.

Fairmont High edged out the Langa Hockey Club 2-1, thanks to strikes by Tyler Morilly and Ryan Groenewald.

Meanwhile, DF Akademie and Curro Durbanville played to a 3-3 draw.

On Saturday, SACS returned to the Brewery AstroTurf for a high-profile meeting with Grey High and did just enough to sneak a 3-1 win late in the game.

Grey bounced back in style on Sunday and defeated Reddam House Constantia 6-0 to end their Cape Town sojourn on a high note.

RESULTS

DF Akademie 3-3 Curro Durbanville
Rondebosch 4-1 Wynberg
Fairmont 2-1 Langa
SACS 3-1 Grey High
SACS 6-0 Durbanville
Parel Vallei 4-1 Paarl Boys High
Grey High 6-0 Reddam House Constantia

A solid defensive effort, coupled with a moment of magic late in the game, sealed a hard-fought 1-0 victory for King Edward VII (KES) over their rivals, Jeppe High School for Boys, in Johannesburg on Saturday.

The “Jozi Derby”, as it’s widely known, was touted to entertain and thrill – it’s safe to say it lived up to the hype.

The hosts headed into the clash as the slight favourites, considering their impressive run at home over the past 12 months.

Before the meeting, Jeppe had not lost on the Boden AstroTurf in well over a year. The only blemish on their home record was a 2-2 draw with St Stithians College last month.

KES, however, carried some impressive momentum into the derby showdown after an outstanding showing at the KES Easter Festival a week ago.

However, as the season has already revealed, history in schoolboy hockey counts for little; it’s all about showing up on the day and seizing one’s opportunities, and the visitors had one early in the contest when Connor Kuijers found himself in a one-on-one with the Jeppe goalkeeper Jason Pressly, but he pulled his shot wide.

The action was frantic, with the game being played at an extremely high pace.

Both goalkeepers, Pressly and Ruaan du Toit, were called into action before the conclusion of the chukka.

When Jeppe was awarded a penalty corner, Du Toit pulled off a save with his legs to keep out Kade Lottering‘s shot on goal.

At the opposite end of the turf, Andrew Arouca’s drag flick was rejected by a determined Pressly, and the scores remained deadlocked.

The game’s tempo increased in the second chukka, albeit frequent turnovers halted the protagonists’ forward momentum.

Jeppe, however, dominated possession and forced KES to defend deep for most of the quarter.

At the halftime break, it was still a goalless affair, but KES broke through in the third chukka.

After solid build-up play from the back, Rofhatutshedzwa Mathabi found Zachary Klein on the left-hand side, and he laid the ball off to Yusuf Smith, who made a penetrating run into the circle, which resulted in a short corner for KES.

The Red Sticks then pulled off a training ground variation, and Blaine Candy lofted the ball into the back of the net for the opener.

Jeppe pushed hard for an equaliser in the final chukka and came close several times, but KES stood firm to secure a hard-fought win.

It was the side’s fifth victory in a row and their first against Jeppe under coach Siya Sityana, who joined the school this year.

KES will next shift its attention to Hoërskool Noordheuwel on the coming weekend, while Jeppe will aim to bounce back when they host a high-flying Westville Boys’ High side in their annual exchange derby.

In other matches, Affies defeated Paarl Gimnasium 3-1 in Pretoria on Friday, while Pretoria Boys High recorded a 2-0 win against Parktown.

Results

KES 1-0 Jeppe
Affies 3-1 Paarl Gim
Pretoria Boys High 2-0 Parktown Boys High

Pearson High School’s hockey side has enjoyed a superb start to its 2026 campaign under coach Dalan Phillips.

The boys from Gqeberha, who occasionally fly under the radar in the Eastern Cape due to Grey High‘s prominence, have carved out an impressive path early in the season.

After an accomplished showing at the Tony Godding Festival in March, Pearson headed to the KES Easter Festival, where they picked up some statement victories.

Besides those results, they also played entertaining go-forward hockey, and looked particularly dangerous every time they made a circle entry.

They dismantled Eldoraigne 7-0, Helpmekaar College 4-0, and St Charles College 3-0. Glenwood High proved to be their sternest challenge, but the boys in green, white, and black sneaked a 1-0 win to finish the festival as one of the three unbeaten teams.

Backing up those performances against Selborne College in their first home derby of the year was always going to be the challenge, however.

On Friday night, they hosted the East London school in their 100th Reunion clash and delivered one of their most mature performances of the season thus far against a strong side.

It was a thrilling affair from start to finish, with the teams swopping control of the tempo of the game early on.

The visitors opened the deadlock in the second chukka, but Pearson responded almost immediately to that setback through Tao Kudyachete.

Then, with 30 seconds remaining in the first half, Zacharee McLean scored a brilliant individual goal to double his side’s tally.

The second half was evenly matched, but the clash ended on a controversial note after Selborne’s Reid Drake appeared to have been fouled inside the circle while attempting a shot. However, the umpires discussed the incident and ruled in favour of Pearson.

“I thought the boys managed to stay patient in our build-up for most of the game,” coach Dalan Phillips told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“That helped us, and it opened up some good passing lanes going forward. As the season progresses, we would like to improve our off-the-ball work.

“With that said, I’m very happy to take the win against my alma mater.”

Pearson travel to George next week to face York High.

Speaking of York, they played to a 2-2 draw with Alexander Road High on Saturday.

Coach Jason Slater’s troops went into the match on the back of an outstanding second place finish at the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament.

They weren’t at their best against Alex, Slater admitted, adding that they will need to lift their game for the showdown with Pearson.

In other matches around the Eastern Cape, Stirling High stunned Queen’s College 2-1 in East London, Victoria Park bagged an unexpected 1-0 win against Dale College in Qonce, and Hudson Park edged out Cambridge High 1-0.

Eastern Cape results

Pearson 2-1 Selborne College
York High 2-2 Alexander Road
Hudson Park 1-0 Cambridge
Stirling High 2-1 Queens College
Victoria Park 1-0 Dale College