Author: asawula

It took a sudden death penalty, converted by vice-captain Georgia McClure, for Clarendon High School for Girls to seal a 2-1 victory over Hudson Park High School in the final of the Spar Eastern Cape Schoolgirls Hockey Challenge in East London on Sunday.

Clarendon entered the day’s proceedings having scored a convincing 2-0 win over Queenstown Girls’ High in their last game, a week earlier.

Hudson was equally confident after producing impressive results at the Oakhill Co-Ed Festival in Knysna

On Sunday, Clarendon, the hosts, were drawn in Pool A, with Grens, Stirling High School, and Lilyfontein School.

On their journey to the final, coach Luaan Sedras’s side was victorious against all their opponents. They scraped through a 1-0 win over Lilyfontein in their opener before thumping Grens 8-0.

Their toughest encounter, though, was always going to be Stirling High School. In March, Stirling beat the Clarries 1-0 at the Grens Festival, so revenge was on the cards.

Sedras’s team upped the ante and scored twice to claim a 2-0 victory, which booked them a place in the final against Hudson Park, who had also breezed through the group stages.

In the title-decider, the teams were neck-and-neck, with very little to separate them in the 20-minute-long contest.

Clarendon, though, created a scoring chance after six minutes when they received a short corner, but Cara Knott’s shot from the PC went wide.

Chances were few and far between, but Hudson was creative, and almost went ahead with nine minutes to go when Busiwe Mayekiso’s dangerous run from halfway came close to breaking the deadlock, but Juliana Saffy defended it well to keep the game scoreless.

Mayekiso was a constant threat to the Clarendon defence, threatening with her strong runs, but her shot execution let her down.

After time ran out and the teams remained stuck at 0-0, the final went to a penalty shootout.

There, Clarendon kicked matters off, and McClure had her first shot saved by Mbali Khumalo. Hudson’s Melnique Langley took her side’s first shot and also missed.

It was next Cara Knott’s chance for Clarendon, but Khumalo pulled off another save before Demi Knott scored for the hosts.

Hudson’s skipper, Tarelle Jones pulled one back, but Mayekiso shot wide, which meant sudden death would decide who would be crowned the champions.

Jones stepped up for Hudson Park, but she misfired. Then McClure, who had been stopped at the start of the penalty shootout, struck when it counted the most, netting to capture the title for Clarendon.

In the third/fourth play-off, Stirling High School and Cambridge High School also went to penalties, with Stirling coming away with a 1-0 win.

The Clarendon Invitation side grabbed fifth after a 1-0 win over Lilyfontein, and Greenpoint High School shocked Grens 1-0 to end their campaign in seventh place.

Final Standings

Clarendon High School for Girls
Hudson Park High School
Stirling High School
Cambridge High School
Clarendon Invitation
Lilyfontein School
Greenpoint High School
Hoërskool Grens

There were wins for Parel Vallei, Stellenberg High, HMS Bloemhof, and Pinelands High School during this past weekend’s girls’ hockey action in and around the Western Cape.

The action, however, began on Friday afternoon, when Bloemfontein’s Oranje made the trip down to face Paarl Girl’s High in their first encounter of the weekend.

Both sides came into the fixture after positive results the week before.

Girls High had defeated Parel Vallei (2-1), while Oranje was held to a (2-2) draw by Garsfontein in the Free State.

This particular clash, as expected was tough, and close but Oranje did just enough against Coach Anri Keevy’s side, scrapping through a (1-0) win.

In their second match of the weekend on Saturday morning, the Bloem side came up against the stern challenge of Paarl Gimnasium.

Before the clash, the two sides had met at this year’s St Mary’s Waverley Festival and played out to a nail-biting (1-1) draw.

Early on, it didn’t look like a draw would repeat itself with Gim taking a (2-0) after they scored late in the first chukka, before doubling their lead in the second.

Their goals were netted in by Jone de Winnaar and Isabella Nel. Approaching half-time, Gim became complacent, and allowed the visitors an opportunity to creep back into the game, as Oranje pulled on back to go into half-time training (2-1).

The Bloemfontein side wasn’t done and capitalized on Gim’s lapse of concentration in the third chukka, leveling things out at (2-2).

Try as they, the hosts couldn’t get a third goal in, and both sides had to share the spoils.

In other matches on the weekend, Parel Vallei’s solitary goal proved just enough to beat St Cyprian’s. Outeniqua and Durbanville played out to a (0-0) draw.

Bloemhof beat Paarl Girls High (3-1) on Saturday morning, while Stellenberg proved too strong for Reddam Constantia. Pinelands were the big winners, netting in five against Milnerton High School.

The action returns to your screens next weekend, and you can catch it LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

RESULTS:
Paarl Girls’ High 0-1 Oranje
Outeniqua 0-0 Durbanville
Stellenberg High 4-1 Reddam Constantia
Parel Vallei 1-0 St Cyprian’s
Bloemhof 3-1 Paarl Girls’ High
Paarl Gimnasium 2-2 Oranje
Pinelands High 5-1 Milnternon High School

South African College High School (SACS), Bishops Diocesan College, and Wynberg Boys’ High all kept their unbeaten records in the Western Cape this season intact on a busy weekend of hockey.

SACS faced two potential banana skins, but they were up for the challenge. On Friday night, they beat Rondebosch Boys’ High 3-0 before thumping Grey High 5-2 at the Brewery Astroturf on Saturday morning.

Bishops, meanwhile, overran Reddam House Constantia 7-1 at the Woodlands Astroturf, while Wynberg Boys’ High held Grey High to a 2-2 draw at home.

SACS entered their clash with Rondebosch as the favourites. They were, however, wary of coach Waseem Domingo’s side after ‘Bosch shocked Paul Roos 1-0 the previous week.

SACS, however, have played some fantastic hockey this season and, fresh off a 7-1 win over Parel Vallei, they showed steely resolve to withstand a rugged Rondebosch challenge and come away with a 3-0 victory.

On the scoresheet was Litha Kraai, who twice converted penalty strokes, and Reagan Wille. SACS could have had more because they won plenty of penalty corners, but ‘Bosch ‘keeper Marley Musasa did an excellent job of keeping them out.

Well less than 24 hours later, on Saturday morning, SACS took on Grey High School at home and pulled off a calm and relaxed 5-2 win. It was a game that presented itself as one of the toughest challenges the Cape Town school will face this season, but they were up for it and large and in charge once again.

Without seeming to truly exert themselves, SACS controlled the contest, dominating ball possession and territory to keep the boys from Gqeberha under pressure. This time, Kraai added another three goals to his season’s tally, and Reece Theunis bolstered his haul with another two.

Also on Friday night, in another clash that took place in the southern suburbs, Bishops continued on their unbeaten run with a straightforward and comprehensive 7-1 win over Reddam House Constantia.

Since the start of the season, Bishops has been on an upward trajectory, stacking wins and producing impressive results while sharpening the brand of hockey they want to play.

Last weekend, they dismantled DF Malan 8-0. Before that, coach Ryan Julius’s team won all of their matches at the Bishops 175 Festival.

In Friday’s outing, they were aided to the emphatic victory by goals from Robert Veldtman, Bryn Parry, James Grieve, and doubles by both Joshua Mettler and Harry Morgan.

Next week, they will face one of their toughest challenges yet, when they host Wynberg Boys’ High at home.

Wynberg is another team that has been good on the eye early in the season. Coach Ben Wiley‘s boys have gone about their business in a low-key but effective manner.

They began their local campaign with a resounding 5-1 win over Curro Durbanville on the opening weekend of hockey action earlier this month and followed up with a 5-1 thumping of Paarl Boys’ High in Paarl.

On Saturday, a brace by SA Schools’ cricket captain Beni Hansen helped them hold the high-flying Grey High to a 2-2 draw.

Wynberg’s clash against Bishops next Friday will be one to keep an eye on.

Results 

Parel Vallei 4-2 Worcester Gimnasium
Worcester Gimnasium 3-1 Hugenote
DF Malan 3-0 The Settlers
Paarl Gimnasium 1-1 Grey College
Wynberg Boys’ High 2-2 Grey High
Bishops 7-1 Reddam House Constantia
Rondebosch Boys’ High 0-3 SACS
Paul Roos 4-0 Paarl Boys’ High
Outeniqua 2-2 Durbanville
Pinelands 4-1 Milnerton High School
Stellenberg 11-0 Brackenfell
SACS 5-2 Grey High

Dale College produced arguably their best performance of the season to score a treasured 3-2 win over Queen’s College at the Komani school’s 166^th Reunion on Friday afternoon.

Last season, Queen’s won both meetings, but the bragging rights now belong to the boys from Qonce.

Heading into the highly anticipated clash, Dale was undeniably the underdog, especially after taking a 9-0 hammering from Grey High School at home last weekend.

Queen’s, on the other hand, were brimming with confidence after they held Selborne College to a 1-1 draw in their FNB Classic Clash encounter in East London. Before that match, Selborne had won 15 matches in succession since the start of the season.

As expected, the opening chukka of Friday’s match didn’t produce much in the way of clear-cut goalscoring opportunities.

Dale, however, grabbed the lead about four minutes into the second chukka. Pushing deep into the Queen’s half, Amangile Songelwa whipped in a cross, which was met by an unmarked Gavin Walton on the far post, and he converted to give his side a 1-0 lead at half-time.

Coach Junior Mqingwana’s team had the bit between their teeth, and they came out firing in the third chukka, causing the hosts several issues.

Queen’s had an opportunity to pull one back via a short corner, but the visitors defended it well.

At the opposite end of the field, a Dale counterattack culminated in their second goal of the game. Some smart play gained them a circle entry and Sonwabiso Dyani provided the finishr.

It appeared as if Dale was cruising to victory, but Queen’s, playing in their backyard, refused to go down without a fight.

In the final chukka, the hosts drew level, courtesy of goals from skipper Bevaneo Maytham and vice-captain Aiden van Jaarsveld, which set up a tense final five minutes of the match.

That tension was brought to an end when Dale’s co-captain, Sibongisile Nzima, slotted a late winner.

It wasn’t straightforward, however, as the umpires deliberated whether or not the ball had crossed the boundary line before Nzima netted. They gave his strike the thumbs-up and Dale sealed the victory.

“The win was important to reinstall the trust the boys have in our systems,” coach Mqingwana told SuperSport Schools after the match.

“The changeroom is buzzing and, most importantly, it’s one from one in the targeted games.

“Next week, we go again,” he concluded.

Dale will shift their focus to Cambridge High School next weekend, while Queen’s travels to Bloemfontein to face St Andrew’s School.

Another Eastern Cape side that was in action was Grey High School, who were in Cape Town to face Wynberg Boys’ High and SACS.

On Friday night, Andrew Beynon’s charges played out to a 2-2 draw against Wynberg. They were, however, blown away on Saturday morning, going down 2-5 against a well-structured and skilful SACS side.

Grey will need to put those results behind them and regroup as they prepare for another big challenge when they host Paul Roos in Gqeberha next weekend.

Scorers

Dale College (3): Gavin Walton, Sonwabiso Dyani, Sibongisile Nzima. Queen’s College (2): Bevaneo Maytham, Aiden van Jaarsveld.

After suffering a shocking 0-1 defeat at the hands of Rondebosch Boys’ High last weekend, Paul Roos Gymnasium (PRG) redeemed themselves by claiming a hard-fought 4-0 victory over Paarl Boys’ High at the Maties Astroturf in Stellenbosch on Friday night.

Part of the reason for PRG’s downfall in their defeat against ‘Bosch was their failure to convert clear-cut opportunities in front goal.

They also struggled to make the most of their short corners and entered the clash against Boishaai seeking to correct that.

Their task was made a little easier early in the first chukka when Reuben Gouws opened the scoring for the hosts by tucking home a rebound from Boishaai’s shot-stopper, Luan Bornman.

The next two chukkas were evenly contested, with both sides holding their own while trying to force their gameplans on their opponents.

PRG, just like last weekend, found the going frustrating at penalty corner time. Their skipper, Reuben Sendzul, usually so effective at the set piece, pushed two PCs wide and had another run down by the first wave runner. Variations, too, didn’t yield the desired results.

Heading into the final chukka, Paul Roos led by a solitary goal, but Callum van Oudshoorn then gave them some breathing room when he found the back of the net off a rebound from a Barend Geldenhuys shot, which struck the goalkeeper’s pads.

Coach Michael Baker’s charges clicked after doubling their advantage, playing into spaces and creating more opportunities.

Geldenhuys joined in on the scoring party when he sent a backstick shot screaming past Bornman, and Gouws then added his second to seal a comfortable win for the hosts.

“Paarl played well and challenged us in the first three chukkas,” Baker told SuperSport Schools after the clash.

“Again, we weren’t clinical on goal. We didn’t convert short corners, which leads to scoreboard pressure. We lost discipline and got a few cards.

Ending on a positive note, he added: “I think the boys showed good character to score three goals in the last chukka and finish the game the way they did.”

Paul Roos, next weekend, will turn their attention to Grey High School when they travel to Gqeberha for a full inter-schools’ derby and a showdown against coach Andrew Beynon’s team.

Boishaai will have a bye before returning to action on the first weekend of May against Somerset College.

In another enthralling clash on Friday night, Grey College salvaged a late draw against Paarl Gimnasium in Paarl.

Both teams entered the game after scoring convincing victories last weekend, with Gim winning 3-0 in Pretoria against Affies and Grey thumping Outeniqua 6-0 at home.

The hosts opened the scoring in the first chukka after a smart variation at a short corner resulted in captain LD Nel finding Juan Swanepoel, who put away the opportunity.

There was very little to separate the two sides in the second and third chukkas, with scoring chances few and far between as both teams’ defensive lines held strong.

Neilyandro van Schalkwyk and Ayanda Ngxaki propelled Grey forward, but the Paarl Gim defenders did a good job of cutting off their passes.

Then, with 57 seconds left on the clock, the moment of the match arrived.

Grey started a counterattack, with MJ Bam receiving the ball out on the right. He wound his way into the circle, beating three defenders, before earning his side a penalty corner.

From that set piece, Matthias Visser delivered a powerful drag flick, straight down the middle, to strike for Grey and snatch a 1-1 draw for the visitors.

It doesn’t get any easier for both sides next week, as the action intensifies. Paarl Gim will host SACS, who have staked a strong claim to again being the number one team in South Africa, while Grey College travels for a clash with Selborne College. The East London school won 15 consecutive matches before being held to a 1-1 draw by Queen’s College last weekend.

You can catch all that action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

Scorers

Paul Roos Gimnasium (4): Reuben Gouws (x2), Callum van Oudsthoorn, Barend Geldenhuys. Paarl Boys’ High 0.

Paarl Gimnasium (1): Juan Swanepoel. Grey College (1): Matthias Visser

Both Paarl Gimnasium and Paarl Girls’ High will face one of the toughest challenges of their seasons when they host Bloemfontein’s Oranje this weekend in the Western Cape.

The action kicks off at Girls’ High on Friday afternoon at 15:30. Then, on Saturday morning, at 10:15, Oranje takes on Gim.

Catch all the hockey action on SuperSport Schools.

The local sides both picked up wins over the past weekend, with Girls’ High grinding out a 2-1 victory over Paarl Vallei, while Gim impressed in Pretoria, where goals from Marieka Neethling, Karea de Ridder, and Tanya Pieterse carried them to a 3-0 win at Affies.

Both schools were in action at the St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival earlier this month in Johannesburg, where 32 of South Africa’s best teams went after the prestigious title.

There, Gim achieved the highest position of any of the Western Cape teams, ending fourth after going down 0-1 to St Stithians College in the third-place play-off match.

Coach Anri Keevy’s Paarl Girls’ side found the going tougher and placed 19th. They will look to their influential captain Heyke Lombard and vice-captain Rouxné Pentz to lead their challenge against Gyster van Schalkwyk’s charges.

Oranje started their season on fire, easily winning all of their games at the Balling Festival in Bethlehem, in February, and further extended their winning run at the Greg Beling Festival in East London, which followed.

At St Mary’s, Rhenish handed them their first loss of the season, by a goal to nil, and Oranje later went down 0-1 to St Stithian’s. In the end, they finished in fifth place.

Last weekend, they were held to a 2-2 draw by Pretoria’s Garsfontein, so they will be eager to return to winning ways. That is, after all, the usual state of affairs for the Bloemfontein school.

Oranje has won the last three times they’ve met Girls’ High. Last year, it was a tight 1-0 affair at the All Girls Festival, while they cruised to a 7-0 victory in 2022.

Paarl Gim has been a much tougher nut to crack for the Bloemfontein side. At St Mary’s, the teams shared a 1-1 draw. Meanwhile, at last year’s Super 12 Tournament, Gim won 2-1.

Other matches

On Friday, at 16:00, Bloemhof and Wynberg Girls’ High meet, while Outeniqua and Durbanville play at 19:00.

On Saturday, Stellenberg High hosts Reddam Constantia, while Parel Vallei will be looking to get back to winning ways, after their defeat to Paarl Girls’ High, when they take on St Cyprian’s.

Bloemhof will be back in action on Saturday, too, with a 09:50 clash against Paarl Girls’ High. Pinelands plays Milnerton High School, and Curro Durbanville welcomes Tygerberg High.

Fixtures

Friday, 19 April 2024

15:30 – Paarl Girls’ High vs Oranje
16:00 – Bloemhof vs Wynberg Girls’ High
19:00 – Outeniqua vs Durbanville

Saturday, 20 April 2024

08:00 – Stellenberg High vs Reddam Constantia
09:00 – Parel Vallei vs St Cyprian’s
09:50 – Bloemhof vs Paarl Girls’ High
10:15 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Oranje
10:30 – Pinelands High vs Milnternon High School
10:30 – Curro Durbanville vs Tygerberg High

After showing signs of improvement early in the season, Dale College will aim to claim their biggest scalp so far, when they face their traditional rivals, Queen’s College, on Friday afternoon at the Komani school’s 166th Reunion.

The game starts at 17:00 and you can catch all the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

The sides enter the match in contrasting form. Last weekend, the hosts scored an impressive 1-1 draw at Selborne College, which was the first time the East London side had failed to win this season in 16 matches.

Meanwhile, Dale was trounced 9-0 by the in-form Grey High in Qonce.

Those results will mean little when the sides square off on the Chris Harker Astroturf. Derby clashes between traditional rivals are among the least predictable games.

Dale, unlike in 2023, began their season positively at the Tony Godding Festival. There, coach Junior Mqingwana’s charges performed well, played an attractive brand of hockey, and found the back of the net regularly, which helped them to wins over Montana High School (5-0), Bethlehem Voortrekker (4-3), Linden (5-0).

They finished the festival unbeaten, with the only blemish on their record being a 1-1 draw with Curro Waterstone in their opening match.

Soon after that, Dale visited Kearsney College for the Founders Festival, which brought together some of the country’s leading teams.

They found the going much tougher in Botha’s Hill, where a tough fixture list included outings against Rondebosch, Parktown, and Kearsney.

“We made really good progress from the Tony Godding Festival heading into Founders,” coach Mqingwana told SuperSport Schools ahead of their Queen’s clash.

“At Tony Godding, we got to play the type of hockey we wanted to play, the transition, and building. At Founders, I think we were good. It was just that last game [a big loss to Parktown] where we couldn’t get the result.

“I think we competed quite well and punched above our weight, so I’m very pleased with the progress.”

Dale is currently in a rebuilding phase after a nightmarish 2023 hockey season.

To help build the team’s culture, and to instil hope and belief in the players, Mqingwana is supported by two assistant coaches, Nazo Mlakalaka and Mvume Mqingwana, while Sibulele Zingitwa manages the team.

Mqingwana, who previously coached the u14s and u16s at the school, said it has been a rewarding season thus far.

“The journey has been amazing,” he reckoned. “I can say the only thing we wanted from this bunch of players is to not lose the change room.

“We wanted to get them to fall in love with playing hockey again. But it wasn’t as difficult as it should’ve been, because I’ve grown up with this group since u14 and u16, and now at the first team level.

“I think, for us, it’s all about working hard, representing our school as best as we can and, of course, competing on the turf.”

A stiff challenge awaits Dale in Komani. Queen’s, too, is a team that has made strides this season.

“Queen’s is a good team, and the difference between the sides will be who takes their chances,” Mqingwana said.

“We play a similar brand of hockey. It’s not identical, it’s just that whoever takes their chances in front of goal will win.

“That’s how you win hockey matches, and hopefully we’ll take ours,” he concluded.

TEAMS

Dale College: Libhongo Mgijima, Afika Ganda, Siyabonga Madlwabinga, Joe Mendoza, Naledi Mosebi, Akanani Msuthu, Sibongisile Nzima (Captain), Amangile Songelwa (Captain), Sonwabiso Dyani, Gavin Walton, Lihlumelo Nchukana, Imanathi Matshikwe, Caleb Ellis, Endinako Mnguni, Unesisa George, Avuyile Ngqawana.

Queen’s College:  Rowan Miles (gk), Asi Tybosch, Brett Hoffmann, Yibonge Mquqwana, Mafu Mandaba, Aiden van Jaarsveld (vc), Morgan Hayes, Mbasa Batyi, Damian Miles, Bevaneo Maytham (c), Liso Mtalaliso, Liyema Auwa, Asi Vena, Tafiro Kagoro.

Stellenbosch and Paarl will play host to two massive schoolboy hockey matches this week as Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) and Paarl Gimnasium prepare to welcome Paarl Boys’ High and Grey College respectively on Friday night.

Paul Roos faces Boys’ High at the Maties AstroTurf, with that clash kicking off at 19:30. Meanwhile, Paarl Gim and Grey College play at 18:00.

Catch all the Hockey action live on SuperSport Schools

PRG and Boishaai both enter the clash on the back of disappointing results last time out. Paul Roos suffered a narrow 0-1 defeat at Rondebosch Boys’ High, in Cape Town, while Boishaai was handed a hefty 5-1 drubbing by Wynberg Boys’ High.

In their clash against ‘Bosch, coach Michael Baker’s boys were made to pay for their inaccuracies in front of goal.

Level at 0-0 at half-time, Paul Roos had several opportunities to break the deadlock through short corners and circle entries in the final two chukkas.

Their skipper, Ruben Sendzul, who was declared fit to play on the morning of the game after an injury scare on Thursday, misfired with his drag flicks and the side failed to score for the first time since the season began.

Baker commented to SuperSport Schools after the match: “It’s frustrating. We had about seven short corners, and a couple of circle entries, but couldn’t score one goal.

“I don’t think we played badly. We just have to find a way to score and convert short corners. If we can’t convert short corners, we can’t win games. Hopefully we will be okay next week.”

To get back to winning ways, Baker will need his captain Sendzul to fire on all cylinders.

He will also look to players like Barend Geldenhuys, SA u17 player, Josh Smith, Keith Siebrets, Seth Patterson, and vice-captain, Christo Swanepoel to take charge on the park.

At the back, Louan van Zyl and Hanno Basson will lead PRG’s staunch defence.

Boishaai, on the other hand, has had a rather difficult start to the season. That perception would change quickly if they managed to spring a surprise against their old foes.

Last weekend, coach Nic Neethling’s charges, playing at home, were blown away by a good Wynberg team.

Before that, Boys’ High was in action at the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament. There, they finished in 11th place out of 40 schools, defeating a SACS Invitational side 2-1 on penalties in their last playoff game.

To spring a surprise against Baker’s boys, Boishaai will need AJ Mostert and shot-stopper Luan Borman to be at their best. Both players recently received their 50th caps for the first team.

Getting good performances out of Tiaan Liebenberg, Liam Coetzee, Divan van der Westhuizen, and Gideon du Toit, will also be important for Boishaai’s chances of success.

In Paarl, expect a massive tussle between Paarl Gimnasium, and Grey College.

Paarl Gim might be the slight favourites. They’ve played some excellent hockey this season and have looked deadly in front of goal.

In their season opener against Outeniqua, Jacques Grobler‘s charges cruised to a 5-1 win.

Last weekend, they visited Pretoria, where they defeated Affies 3-0 in their backyard.

Their skipper, LD Nel has been a key performer so far and led his side to gold at the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament.

Juan Swanepoel has also been a standout player for Gim and was named the Player of the Tournament at the Belgotex event.

Bloemfontein’s Grey College will not be pushovers. They’ve produced some very good hockey this season. They’re a well-balanced team, good at both ends of the field, and last week they thumped Outeniqua 6-0.

Before that, Grey thrived at the annual KES Easter Hockey Festival, winning four of their five matches. They also delivered some good results at the Nomads Festival, where they beat Jeppe, Pretoria Boys High and KES and pushed a strong Hilton College team all the way before succumbing 2-3.

Other matches

Apart from the two big matches happening in Paarl and Stellenbosch, there’s more action to look forward to in other parts of the Western Cape.

An interesting showdown between Parel Vallei and Worcester Gimnasium starts the action on Thursday night.

Vallei will be aiming to get back to winning ways after going down to a big 0-7 defeat to SACS last Friday. Meanwhile, staying consistent will be the primary message from Worcester’s head coach Edrich Janse Van Rensburg after they picked up a 5-2 win against Hoërskool Punt.

Worcester will be in action on Friday again, when they take on Hugenote.

Wynberg Boys’ High hosts Gqeberha’s Grey High School on Friday. Both took part in the Nomads Festival, where Grey was one of only two teams to turn in a perfect five out of five record.

SACS, meanwhile, will do double duty, tackling Rondebosch on Friday night, followed by Grey High on Saturday. Both should be cracking games.

Outeniqua will aim for a bounce-back performance against Durbanville, Stellenberg travels to Brackenfell, and DF Malan takes on The Settlers.

FIXTURES

Thursday, 18 April 2024

18:45 – Parel Vallei vs Worcester Gimnasium

Friday, 19 April 2024

16:00 – Worcester Gimnasium vs Hugenote
17:00 – DF Malan vs The Settlers
18:00 –Paarl Gimnasium vs Grey College
18:15 – Wynberg Boys High vs Grey High
18:30 – Bishops vs Reddam House Constantia
19:20 – Rondebosch Boys High vs SACS
19:30 – Paul Roos vs Paarl Boys High
20:00 – Outeniqua vs Durbanville

Saturday, 20 April 2024

09:00 – Pinelands vs Milnerton High School
11:00 – Stellenberg vs Brackenfell
12:00 – SACS vs Grey High

Some of the information used in this article is credited to Short Corner Hockey (shortcornerhockey@gmail.com)

After kicking off their league season with commanding performances against Fairmont High School and Parel Vallei, SACS will face a stern challenge when tackle Rondebosch Boys’ High, and Grey High School in Cape Town this weekend.

SACS faces ‘Bosch on Friday night at 19:20, before hosting Grey on Saturday at 12:00.

As they did in 2023, SACS have begun their season in the best way possible, dominating every opponent they’ve faced so far.

They began competitive action at the Founders Festival, hosted at Kearsney College late last month.

There, coach Sam Holmes’ boys were the pick of the teams in action, recording emphatic results against some of the country’s best sides. In five matches, they scored a whopping 31 goals and conceded only two.

Those emphatic victories came against Affies (5-1), Parktown Boys’ High (7-1), Northwood School’s 2nd XI (8-0), Queen’s College (5-0), and Gauteng’s St Stithians College (6-0).

SACS has continued that momentum in their Western Cape league fixtures, first dismantling Fairmont 6-0, before overwhelming Parel Vallei 7-0 last weekend.

“With the number of fixtures we are playing and pre-season prep, it’s been greatly satisfying to get off to a good start,” coach Sam Holmes told SuperSport Schools before his side took on Parel Vallei.

“We’ve worked hard, but that doesn’t give you the right to win fixtures. Everyone works hard.

“But, with that said, it’s been fantastic to see the boys adapt to different styles and pressure environments and perform as a collective.”

Holmes’s team entered the season bearing the weight of SACS being the number-one-ranked team in the country last year.

With the start they’ve had, they have certainly given hockey enthusiasts around the country many reasons to believe that they could repeat last year’s feat.

As exciting as that may sound, Holmes said their focus this season is to play a brand of hockey that gets the school and hockey community excited about coming down to the Brewery Astroturf on Friday nights.

They will be well supported this weekend when they face both ‘Bosch and Grey, in games sure to excite hockey fans, in quick succession. Rondebosch upset Paul Roos 1-0 last weekend, while Grey, who are also unbeaten, put nine past Dale College.

“‘Bosch is very well coached and organised, which always makes them a tough adversary,” Holmes said, when asked about the threats their southern suburbs’ rivals possess.

“It’ll be a tall order to beat them at home but, if we manage to apply the necessary pressure, hopefully the dam wall will break.

“On the other hand, this group has had some great tussles with Grey over their age group years, which makes this fixture a mouth-watering prospect.

“We will have to be at our clinal best in the final third to put them away.”

SACS will also have to bring their A-game to both clashes if they are to continue their impressive start to the season. Both Rondebosch and Grey, of course, would like nothing more than to claim the biggest scalp in SA schoolboys’ hockey at present.

SACS boasts a high-quality squad, but Holmes mentioned two players who he feels have made significant impacts this season, Nick Paxton and Aidan Hughes.

He explained: “Hughes’s positional flexibility and Paxton’s one-versus-one elimination ability stand out. They have been able to create countless opportunities going forward and made crucial interventions while defending.”

TEAMS

SACS: Noah Venter, Jo Le Roux, Aiden Hughes, Dave Versveld, Nick Paxton, Kevin Oosthuizen, Stéphan Meyer (c), Zac Redfern. Litha Kraai, Reece Theunis, Cohen Williams, Regan Wille, Cole Allam, Matthew Jones, Mike Mthunzi, Matthew Lassen

Rondebosch Boys’ High: Marley Musasa, ⁠Thomas Gordon, Joshua Beattie, Hilton Lima (c), ⁠Nathan Ball, ⁠Noah Heath, ⁠Raeeq Daniels, ⁠Daniel Powell, ⁠Anam Nkohla, ⁠Jamie Hundermark, ⁠Martin Barnard, ⁠Cade Miller, ⁠Jasper Southwood, ⁠Imaad Martin, ⁠Oliver Roach

Grey High School: Kiano Broadhurst, Marco Giaconi, Zac Thornton, Ben Ristow, Robbie Stow, Kian Cambier, Luke Tait, Caden Skinnette, Athi Jansen, Blake Muller, Jordyn Julies, Xander Elkington, Iviwe Mazomba, Liam Poole, Caleb Humphreys.

On the back of a 3-1 win against Pinelands High School and finishing fifth at the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Festival, Somerset College will enter this weekend’s Kingswood College Hockey Festival in high spirits and keen to further build upon their early season achievements.

The festival pits Eastern Cape sides against the likes of York High, Glenwood House, and Oakhill School.

Over 800 kilometres from home, Somerset is one of a number of Western Cape sides looking to make a statement.

Last weekend, they got their Western Cape league season off to a commanding start with a 3-1 win over Pinelands, with skipper Michael du Toit, Matthew Sutherland, and Tyrone Rieth finding the back of the net.

Before that clash, coach Mick Ouwekerk’s boys were on song at the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Festival, where they finished in the top five in the 40-team event.

There, they dominated their pool but were knocked out by the eventual winners, Paarl Gimnasium, in the quarterfinals on the third day. They did, however, end their campaign on a positive note by beating Fairmont High 1-0 to seal fifth place.

“I’m very happy with the progress we’ve made during the early part of the season,” Ouwekerk told SuperSport Schools ahead of the festival.

“We had a tough start initially but have worked hard to improve on our weak areas, and the boys are starting to play some really good hockey.

“We had a solid pool stage at Belgotex, and meeting Paarl Gim in the quarters was a tough draw. They are an excellent team, well coached, and they work extremely hard on the field, so they’re always hard to play against.

“We competed well, and I am very happy with the performance,” he added.

Somerset’s team this year is a balanced blend of youth and experience, with seven senior players having departed the 2023 side.

However, Ouwekerk said those players who are now seniors have stepped up, and they’re setting a good example for the young guns in the team.

“It’s quite a big mixture of senior players with five u16s in the team, as well,” he said.

“It has been an interesting challenge, getting the senior players to help the younger guys understand what is expected at 1st team level.

“However, I feel we are starting to get it right and I’m looking forward to seeing the group continue to gel and improve throughout the season.”

Somerset College will open their campaign on Friday morning at 11:50 against Framesby. Ouwekerk believes that outing and the rest of their festival fixtures will help the side tick a few boxes before returning home.

“We, luckily, have played lots of festival and tournament hockey already, so physically I feel the team is in a good space.

“We have been struggling with getting outcomes from our 23 and circle entries this season, so that will be a big focus for this weekend.

Players to keep an eye out for include captain, Michael du Toit, who has been a commanding presence at the back and in midfield, as well as a threat at PC time.

Vice-captain Tyrone Rieth, along with Connor Murphy and Nicholas Plotz, has consistently put in strong performances in big games.

Somerset College’s fixtures at the KC Hockey Festival

Friday, 19 April 2024

11:50 – Somerset College vs Framesby
17:20 – Somerset College vs Glenwood House

Saturday, 20 April 2024

10:45 – Somerset College vs York High
17:15 – Somerset College vs Kingswood College

Sunday, 21 April 2024

09:10- Somerset College vs Oakhill School