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Paul Roos Gimnasium’s u14 and u16 hockey sides return to turf action this week against Paarl Gimnasium rejuvenated and confident after claiming the Hibbert Plate and Cup titles in Gqeberha over the past weekend.

The action between Paul Roos Gimnasium and Paarl Gimnasium will be LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

While the senior teams battled it out for the Hibbert Shield at Grey High School, the junior sides competed for the Plate and Cup at Pearson High School.

PRG’s u14 side, led by coach Scott Paterson, defeated South African College High School (SACS) 5-4 on penalties after the final ended deadlocked at 1-1.

The u16s, meanwhile, dominated against Grey High School and avenged themselves after last year’s defeat against the same opponents, scoring a comprehensive 4-0 victory.

The u14s had a smooth run to the final, and won all their pool games, beating Selborne College 3-0, St Alban’s College 7-0, and Grey High 5-0.

In the last eight, they slammed Maritzburg College 8-2 and hammered Paarl Gimnasium 7-0 in the semis to progress to the title game.

“I think we started the tournament slowly, but the boys kept building every day and they hit their climax towards the final, which was great,” coach Scott Paterson told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“To finish the way they did was spectacular, especially for an u14 side.”

The PRG young guns have recorded some eye-catching results this year and are a force to be reckoned with. Coach Paterson shared the recipe for their early season success: “I don’t think we’ve reinvented the wheel in any way, we are just consistently teaching them the fundamentals.

“With u14 boys, we just want to build a good base as early as possible. Fortunately, I have a group of boys that’s receptive to teaching so they just learn quickly.

“We take on Paarl Gim now and the confidence we got from winning the Hibbert trophy will be huge for us, and we just want to build on that.”

While Paterson’s side edged out SACS for the title, the u16 team, led by Shaun McIntyre, breezed past Grey High School in their final.

In last year’s title decider, Grey outscored PRG 3-1 and the boys from Stellenbosch set their sights on reversing that result.

They were also dominant during the group stages and finished unbeaten after wins over Garsfontein, St Stithians College, and Paarl Gimnasium.

In the quarterfinals, they beat Westville Boys’ High 3-0 before edging out Durban High School (DHS) 1-0 in the semi-finals.

“I am very proud of my boys, especially the performances they put on against DHS in the semifinals and Grey in the final,” said head coach, Shaun McIntyre.

“All I asked was that they don’t leave the pitch with any regrets, and they have left everything on the pitch. As an old boy, it meant so much to see the effort they put in.”

McIntyre’s troops will now shift their attention to Paarl Gim, a team they’ve already faced and beaten this season.

“As a coach, you want your team to improve every week and put in good performances. We approach each week differently, push the boys, and prepare them for each game.

“The mentality is that we want to win and to be ranked one of the top u16 sides in the country. This weekend against Paarl Gim will be tough, even though we have played them twice already, we need to put in the work and prepare ourselves for a tough game.

“They have some good players and a good coach. So, we just need to make sure we are ready, and we are looking forward to an exciting derby on Friday,” he ended.

Fans of the Mancosa KwaZulu-Natal Football Association (KZNHSFA) Second-Term League have been starved of football for a week, with KZN teams participating in various tournaments, including the Absa Wildeklawer Soccer Tournament and the annual Freedom Cup Soccer Tournament over the past weekend.

This week, the league makes its return. The Coastal A-League and Inland A-League matches will be broadcast on Channel 216 on DStv and the SuperSport Schools App.

On Monday, SuperSport Schools Plus conducted an exclusive interview with Khayelihle Mtshali, the head coach of Empangeni High School, which was promoted to the Coastal A-League this season.

Mtshali said that his team had received a baptism of fire in a loss to Port Shepstone High, the current log leaders of the Coastal A-League, in their opening match.

“We lost 0-4 to Port Shepstone. I knew it was not going to be easy competing in the A-League. Every team is looking at us as a team to beat,” Mtshali said.

Despite having one of the youngest teams this season, he said Empangeni would provide tough competition.

“We have a very young team this year. Ninety-five percent of our team are 16 years or younger, but they’re very talented.

“We are getting better every day. We are still a work in progress but trust me, we are going to cause one or two upsets in this league, and I am looking for a top-four finish,” he added.

Mtshali said Empangeni’s promotion required a great deal of effort and commitment. Thanks to outstanding support from the school’s principal, Sizwe Zwane, they have made the step up to take on the best teams in the province.

“The league is highly competitive. There are no easy games, but it all starts with the preparations. Fortunately, I have all the support from Mandla Mdletshe, the Football and Team’s Manager at Empangeni, who organises training sessions for me to be able to instil the philosophy in the boys and improve our style of play,” Mtshali said.

Ahead of an important game against Glenwood High School, the defending champions, Mtshali stated that he believes his boys will be ready for a battle on Tuesday. He’s hopeful that they can pull off a win, even though last week’s holidays disrupted their regular training schedule.

He listed finishing and decision-making in the last third as some of the areas that Empangeni High has been working on, and not only with an eye on Tuesday’s clash. Mtshali said creating scoring opportunities has not been a problem, but finishing them has been an area in need of improvement.

Being part of the well-run and well-organised Mancosa KZNHSFA Second-Term League is an honour and a privilege, he continued.

“I believe it is critical for the players’ development that they compete against the best schools in the province. Playing at least one game every week is a perfect opportunity to develop as a player,” he explained.

“It’s a great platform for the boys to showcase their talent and grow as footballers and for me to grow as a coach.”

FIXTURES

Coastal A-League  

Venue: Queensburgh High School

Field 1 

15:10 – Bechet vs Pinetown Boys’ High
16:15 – Northwood School vs Port Shepstone

Field 2

15:10 – Westville Boys’ High School vs Hillcrest High School
16:15 – Empangeni High School vs Glenwood High School

Inland A-League 

Venue: Barns Field (Maritzburg College)

15:00 – Newton vs Haythorne Secondary School
16:05 – Maritzburg College vs Ixopo Secondary School

Venue: Alexandra High School 

15:00 – Alexandra High School vs Linpark High School
16:00 – Carter High School vs Edendale Technical High School

Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote has made several rotational changes to his starting line-up and included four players who played for the SA U20s last year for their second Rugby Championship Under-20 match against Australia at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Tuesday.

The SA U20s managed to beat Argentina in the opening round on Thursday, while Australia forced a late draw against New Zealand, scoring the equalising try after the hooter had sounded.

Foote has handed starts to JC Mars, Wandile Mlaba, Batho Hlekani and Herman Lubbe, all of whom played for the Junior Boks last year.

The SA U20 coach said it is important to keep their momentum going, manage the load of the players whilst also building squad depth by giving the players exposure to top-class international rugby.

With this – and Tuesday’s game against Australia – in mind, Foote said: “We play three internationals against quality teams in just 11 days, and with the short turnaround time between matches, we must be smart with our player load management.

“We have good squad depth and it’s important for the players to get a taste of international rugby, while we also want to build on our performance against Argentina, knowing that Australia will pose a huge challenge for us.”

In the Junior Bok front row, Simphiwe Ngobese and Lubbe will pack down as props on either side of hooker Juandre Schoeman. Riley Norton is retained at lock and will captain the team again, partnering with Morne Venter.

The loose forward combination sees Xola Nyali, who had a successful campaign with FNB Varsity Cup champions, UCT, coming onto the side of the scrum at flanker. He teams up with Hlekani, who made a strong impact off the bench in the second half against the Pumitas, while Mlaba is retained at No 8, to complete the loose trio.

Amongst the backs there is a new halfback pairing consisting of Ceano Everson (scrumhalf) and Vusi Moyo (flyhalf), while the midfield comprises of Dominic Malgas and Scott Nel. Cheswill Jooste will start again at right wing, and he will be joined in the back three by Siya Ndlozi (left wing) and Mars (fullback).

Regarding the team and their prospects of playing Australia, who will be highly motivated to register their first win, Foote said he is happy with the balance of the squad.

“It’s a nice match-23 with lots of exciting players and speed amongst the backs, complemented by a big and physical forward pack, and we are looking forward to the game,” said Foote.

“We see Australia as a massive threat with their ball movement and how they play with width, and we expect they will have some special structured set pieces with lineouts and scrums.

“I know Chris Whitaker from our time together in Vodacom Super Rugby, and he is an exciting, attacking coach. We know we will have to be on top of our game regarding their threats.”

The match kicks off at 16h10 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport. Argentina and New Zealand play in the earlier match on Tuesday starting at 14h00. Tickets for all matches cost R20 and can be bought online at Webtickets or at the ticket office of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

The Junior Springbok team to face Australia in Gqeberha:

15. JC Mars
14. Cheswill Jooste
13. Scott Nel
12. Dominic Malgas
11. Siya Ndlozi
10. Vusi Moyo
9. Ceano Everson
8. Wandile Mlaba
7. Batho Hlekani
6. Xola Nyali
5. Morne Venter
4. Riley Norton (captain)
3. Herman Lubbe
2. Juandre Schoeman
1. Simphiwe Ngobese

Replacements:

16. HB Odendaal
17. Oliver Reid
18. Jean Erasmus
19. Neil Hansen
20. Thando Biyela
21. Elrich Visser
22. Kyle Smith
23. Gino Cupido

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

After breaking into the top eight of the Gauteng Development League (GDL) standings last week, with an upset of the champions, Highlands Park, Joburg City impressed once again with a 1-0 victory over Kathorus Hyper Academy on Sunday.

With the victory, Joburg City extended their winning streak to four matches, having previously won against Highlands Park, School of Excellence and Seven’s Academy.

The log leaders, SuperSport United, dropped points against the champions, Highlands Park, on Workers Day, and they followed that with a goalless draw against Panorama FC, on Sunday.

While United dropped points, Mamelodi Sundowns closed the gap on the table-toppers with an 8-0 thrashing of Jomo Cosmos, at Clapham High School, on Sunday.

It was a disappointing result for Cosmos, who headed into the fixture high in confidence after an emphatic 4-1 victory over TS Galaxy, on Thursday.

In other results, on Thursday, School of Excellence lost 0-3 to Randburg AFC, Rockefvs drew 1-1 against Kathorus Hyper Academy, Tuks beat East Rand Athletic Club 2-0, and Seven’s Academy shared a 2-2 draw with Wits Junior.

On Sunday, Randburg AFC handed Seven’s Academy a 2-1 loss, East Rand Athletic Club and School of Excellence drew 1-1, and Tuks fell 1-2 to Randburg AFC.

RESULTS 

Thursday, 1 May

Jomo Cosmos 4-1 TS Galaxy
School of Excellence 0-3 Randburg AFC
Rockefvs 1-1 Kathorus Hyper Academy
Tuks 2-0 East Rand Athletic Club
SuperSport United 1-1 Highlands Park
Seven’s Academy 2-2 Wits Junior

Sunday, 4 May

Kathorus Hyper Academy 0-1 Joburg City
Tuks 1-2 Remember Elite Sports Academy
East Rand Athletic Club 1-1 School of Excellence
Randburg AFC 2-1 Seven’s Academy
Panorama FC 0-0 SuperSport United
Mamelodi Sundowns 8-0 Jomo Cosmos

Zeekoevlei High lifted the Freedom Cup trophy on the weekend at Wynberg Boys’ High School after defeating Urban Academy in the final of the under-19 division.

The tournament brought together over 900 players, competing in the u15, 17, and u19 age divisions.

In total, there were 56 teams, who played a record-breaking 158 fixtures across six fields over a period of four days.

Cape Town’s biggest schools, including Bishops and Rondebosch, participated in the event, which is one of the biggest football tournaments in the Western Cape region and, indeed, in the country.

From the outset, Zeekoevlei was well ahead of the other teams, and they carried their momentum into the knockout stage of the tournament. They breezed through those matches, too, and into the final.

It was far tougher in the title game, where a determined Urban Academy side gave them a run for their money. At full-time, the teams were level at 1-1.

Zeekoevlei, though, stayed calm and managed the shootout better than Urban Academy to claim the title.

Rondebosch Boys’ High won the Plate after beating Norman Henshilwood 4-0 while the Wynberg Boys’ High B team walked away as the Bowl winners.

Knockout Results

Cup final – Zeekoevlei High 1-1 Urban Academy
3rd/4th – Wynberg Boys’ High 2-4 George Royals
11th/12th – Bishops 0-1 South Peninsula
Plate Final – Rondebosch Boys 4-0 Norman Henshilwood

Final Standings

Zeekoevlei High
Urban Academy
George Royals
Wynberg Boys High
Plumstead High
Portland High
Pinelands
Milnerton
Rondebosch Boys’ High
Norman Henshilwood High
South Peninsula High
Bishops
Edgemead High
Hout Bay International School
Westerford High
The Glen High
Wynberg Boys’ High B
St Peter’s College
Curro Century City
Reddam House Constantia

Parktown Boys’ High School hosted 10 hockey schools from across Gauteng for the u16 Alan Monk Top 10 Tournament, between 30 April and 3 May, and when the smoke had settled after four days of competition, Jeppe High School for Boys had walked away as the champion.

The Kensington kids put together six outstanding performances and overpowered their rivals, King Edward VII School (KES), 4-0 in the final.

From the first blast of the whistle, Jeppe established themselves as the team to beat. They opened with a confident 4-2 win over a tough Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) side and then overran Hoërskool Monument 6-1.

Those two wins set the table for a clinical demolition of St David’s Marist Inanda, with Jeppe powering their way to a breathtaking 14-0 victory. They wrapped up pool play with a comfortable 5-0 win over the hosts, Parktown Boys’ High.

That set up a semi-final showdown with Pretoria Boys High School, and they proved to be a tougher challenge. It was a tight affair, but Jeppe triumphed again, this time by a 3-1 margin, which put them through to the title game against KES.

With silverware on the line, Jeppe dominated possession and effectively punished defensive mistakes by KES to run out comfortable winners.

In six matches, the winners tallied a remarkable 36 goals while conceding only four. Those statistics underline their control at both ends of the field.

Jeppe also picked up individual accolades, with Jadon Havinga being named the Defender of the Tournament for his rock-solid presence at the back, while Tshimologo Mogale lit up the front line and claimed the Forward of the Tournament award with his sharp and clinical finishing.

The runner-up, KES, began their run to the final slowly, drawing 1-1 with Pretoria Boys High and 2-2 with Hoërskool Noordheuwel.

They were pushed hard by St John’s College but claimed a 3-2 win in their third outing. They, then, completed their pool fixtures with a 2-0 defeat of Kempton Park. KES saved their best for the semi-finals, convincingly beating Noordheuwel 4-1.

Despite their final four defeat , the Krugersdorp school made an outstanding impression and wrapped up their campaign by claiming third place, just ahead of Pretoria Boys High, in fourth, and Noordheuwel’s rivals, Hoërskool Monument, who completed the top five.

RESULTS

Day 1
KES 1-1 Pretoria Boys High
Jeppe 4-2 Affies
Noordheuwel 3-0 St John’s
Monument 1-1 Parktown
Pretoria Boys High 4-0 Kempton Park
Affies 3-1 St David’s
KES 2-2 Noordheuwel

Day 2
Affies 1-1 Monument
Pretoria Boys High 1-0 Noordheuwel
Jeppe 5-0 Parktown
KES 3-2 St John’s
Noordheuwel 3-0 Kempton Park
St Davids 0-4 Monument
Affies 0-2 Parktown
St John’s 2-1 Pretoria Boys High
Jeppe 14-0 St Davids
KES 2-0 Kempton Park

Day 3
Noordheuwel 3-2 Monument
Parktown Boys 1-3 Pretoria Boys High
St John’s 7-0 St David’s
Affies 7-0 Kempton Park
KES 4-1 Noordheuwel
Jeppe 3-1 Pretoria Boys High

Day 4
St David’s 0-1 Kempton
St Johns 1-2 Affies
Parktown (4) 2-2 (5) Monument
Noordheuwel 3-1 Pretoria Boys High
Jeppe 4-0 KES (Final)

FINAL STANDINGS

Jeppe High School for Boys
King Edward VII School
Hoërskool Noordheuwel
Pretoria Boys High School
Hoërskool Monument
Parktown Boys’ High School
Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool
St John’s College
Kempton Park
St David’s Marist, Inanda

Dit het behoorlik drieë gereën Saterdag op die tweede en laaste dag van die jaarlikse Robday Bergsig-rugbyfees in Rustenburg.

Herleef al die aksie op Supersport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com) 

Dit het as geen verrassing gekom dat die twee Affie-spanne, die Rooiharte en Geel Kobra’s, wat reeds op die Dag 1 beïndruk het, ook die toon aangegee het op die laaste dag nie.

Die Geel Kobra’s, Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool se vierde span, het vir Hoërskool Rustenburg se uitnodingspan, bestaande uit spelers van die tweedes en derdes, ‘n yslike rugby les geleer. Die Pretorianers het hul vernuftige spelpeil voortgesit om 15 keer agter die Rustenburgers se doellyn te gaan draai vir ‘n wegholsege van 96-0.

Heelagter, Reuben van Niekerk, het dié uitstappie terdeë geniet en die fees se tweede driekuns aan drieë behaal, terwyl Len Muller, Stephen Archibald, Bernu Kleynhans en Ryan Brett elk ‘n tweekuns aangeteken het.

Die Rooiharte het op hul beurt agt drieë ingeryg om vir Hoërskool Dinamika met 52-10 te laat les opsê. Met haker, Francois de Beer, aan die spits het die pak weer die grondslag gelê vir hul giftige agterlyn om na hartelus aan te val.

Jim Fouché het ook sy beste vir die laaste dag gelos. Die Bloemfonteiners het vir Hoërskool Hans Moore gewys waar Dawid die wortels gegrawe het om met 67-17 koning te kraai.

Die ervare Franco Oberholzer, wat vir ‘n tweede agtereenvolgende jaar in die span van Bloemfontein se lostrio diens doen, het uitgetroon voorlangs. Oberholzer, heelagter, Bendré Vermaak, en buitsenter, Adrian de Necker, ook ‘n begaafde krieketspeler, het elk die doellyn twee keer oorgesteek.

Barnabas Nyamagape, Hoërskool Frikkie Meyer se bedrieglike losskakel, het sy span tot ‘n indrukwekkende sege van 40-0 oor Hoërskool Overkruin aangevoor. Die Frikkies het duidelik heelwat selfvertroue geput uit hul naelskraapse nederlaag teen Hoërskool Witteberg, om een van hul beste vertonings tot dusver vanjaar op te dis.

Die einste Hoërskool Witteberg het, danksy ‘n puik vertoning deur sy staatmaker op binnesenter, Sedwin Gysman, vir Hoërskool Randburg met 40-20 verslaan om die fees onoorwonne af te sluit.

Puntemakers: 

Affies Rooiharte 52 – Drieë: Francois de Beer, Dehan Vlok, Juan Venter, Markus Geyser, Jean Ferreira, Khumo Manakana, Josh Robertson, Morné Curtayne. Doelskoppe: Loje Geyser (6). Dinamika 10 – Drieë: Jayden Smith, Shane Serfontein.

Affies Geel Kobras 96 – Drieë: Reuben van Niekerk (3), L Muller (2), Stephen Archibald (2), Bernu Kleynhans (2), Ryan Brett (2), Liam Wilkinson, Morné Curtayane, Kayden Terblanche, Righardt Dreyer. Doelskoppe: Fourie (8). Hoërskool Rustenburg Oranje 0. 

Jim Fouché 67 – Drieë: Franco Oberholzer (2), Bendré Vermaak (2), Adrian de Necker (2),  Juan Swart, Itumeleng Mokate, Franco Greyling, JG Noeth. Doelskoppe: Duart Bester (4). Hans Moore 17 – Drieë: Dian Briz (2), Hanriqué Cronje. Doelskop: Troy Strydom.

Frikkie Meyer 40 – Drieë: Barnabas Nyamagape (2), Prince Sekobane (2), Ockert Erasmus, Stefan Mulder. Doelskoppe: Nyamagape (4), MC Barnard. Overkruin 0. 

Witterberg 40 – Drieë: Tshepo Motloung, K Morati, Sedwin Geysman, Qlin Booyse, Buks Davel. Doelskoppe: Evan Niewoudt (3). Randburg 20 – Curwin Hill, Jayden Oosthuizen, Josh Wigget. Doelskop: Wigget. Strafdoel: Wigget.

Linden 36 – Drieë: Zacky Crow, Joshua Liebenberg, Schuylar van den Berg, William Joubert, Morné Steyn. Doelskoppe: Van den Berg (3). Bergsig Hawks 26 – Drieë: Tristan Walters, Connor van Dalen, Daniel Addinal, Arthur Barret. Doelskop: Renaldo Prinsloo.

Hilton College captured a hard-fought 25-20 victory over their arch-rivals, Michaelhouse, on Baileys, in Balgowan, on Saturday to continue a recent trend of the away side winning. One has to go back to 2022 for the last time the home team won.

Baileys, last the host of a 1st XV match in the mid-twentieth century, was heaving as both teams charged onto the field for the 209th meeting in their storied history.

The Hilton pack made an early statement with a powerful rolling maul in the first minute, which carried a clean lineout take from the Michaelhouse 10-metre line to the 22. Two quick passes out to the right and fullback, James Peattie, found himself in a gap. He hit the gas and was over in the right-hand corner with a flamboyant dive.

It took almost 10 minutes before the home side forced Hilton back deep into their 22. The boys in the red and white hoops drove it up with their forwards, gaining ground metre by metre. When the ball was released down the backline, it was, unfortunately, for ‘House, knocked on. But Hilton, in their efforts to hold up William Ridl and his team, had strayed offside.

Stefan Moolman took a shot at goal and his trusty right boot did the trick to get Michaelhouse on the scoreboard.

A smooth, flowing attack down the left flank, then, took ‘House into the Hilton 22, where the forwards, again, forced the visitors to defend the pick-and-go. Once more, Hilton conceded a penalty. Moolman slotted the easy kick from in front of the uprights to put Michaelhouse 6-5 ahead after 15 minutes.

There were shades of the incredible finish to the second derby of 2024 when Hilton, this time, not Michaelhouse, waited for a long kick to cross the dead-ball line. It didn’t, but Hilton, in the nick of time, dotted it down.

In the 20th minute, the home supporters erupted when Alex Arde powered his way over from close range. The momentum was with coach James Fleming‘s boys. The try was scored just to the right of the uprights and Moolman had no problem with the conversion, extending the Michaelhouse lead to 13-5.

Hilton turned to one of their strengths, the rolling maul when they visited the Michaelhouse 22 in the 24th minute.

They’re well-coached, patient and abrasive when close to the try line, and, with their supporters bouncing on the stand behind the Michaelhouse try line, they bashed away. Then, from in front of the posts, scrumhalf Zander Vorster fed flyhalf Liyema Nela. With quick hands, he offloaded to Tristan Uys. He charged through a half-gap and crashed over for Hilton’s first try of the contest.

A successful conversion from Nela, the Hilton skipper, reduced the deficit to only one point after 25 minutes.

Five minutes later, Hilton was over the whitewash again. After laying siege to the Michaelhouse try line, they were awarded a penalty, just right of the poles. It would have been a simple kick, but André Boshoff wanted more, and the big lock caught out ‘House with a quick tap before powering his way over for five. Nela tacked on the extras to make it 19-13.

Michaelhouse attacked enthusiastically before the break and won themselves a penalty. It didn’t bring points, but Hilton went a man down as a result of a tip-tackle by Uys.

They, nonetheless, struck early in the second half, with Nela kicking a penalty after the home team had been caught offsides from a kick out of their 22.

The captain appeared to have sniped through for a try soon after, but the assistant referee informed the referee that Nela had knocked on before grounding the ball. Hilton, instead, was awarded a penalty, right in front of the posts. They opted to bash it up, but another knock-on meant they came away with no reward.

A scything incursion down the right touchline and good interplay between the backs and forwards took Michaelhouse over the Hilton try line, but the visitors held ‘House up, and the ref indicated a five-metre scrum. With a powerful surge, Brad Macleod-Hunderson‘s charges sent Michaelhouse backwards and won a penalty to escape the pressure.

A break from fullback Alex Jankowitz, followed by another break from centre William Ridl, took the hosts back into Hilton’s 22. They kept Hilton pinned there, turning to the pick-and-go, but Hilton defended manfully. Once more, Michaelhouse forced their way over the whitewash. Once more, Hilton held them up.

Eventually, though, the pressure paid dividends and Nicolas Salamousas crashed over. Moolman made it a seven-point play with the conversion.

Down by a point, suddenly, Hilton sneaked ahead again when Nela nailed another penalty to make it 22-20 to the visitors as time ticked down. With three minutes to play, he made it a five-point game with a sweetly struck kick from wide on the left, about 30 metres out.

The boys in red and white responded well, forcing their way deep into the Hilton half. Again, it became a battle of attrition as Michaelhouse backed their forwards to get them over the line. Hilton, though, forced a turnover and when the ball was cleared to touch the referee blew the final whistle.

Players from both sides lay on the ground spent. It had been a fittingly ferocious battle, worthy of the occasion.

SCORES

Hilton 25 (19) – Tries: James Peattie, Tristan Uys, André Boshoff. Conversions: Liyema Nela (2). Penalties: Liyema Nela (2); Michaelhouse 20 (13) – Tries: Alex Arde, Nicolas Salamousas. Conversions: Stefan Moolman (2). Penalties: Stefan Moolman (2)

u19 – Michaelhouse I 20 Hilton I 25; Michaelhouse II 22 Hilton II 24; Michaelhouse III 22 Hilton III 3; Michaelhouse IV 25 Hilton IV 14; Michaelhouse V 26 Hilton V 0; Michaelhouse VI 21 Hilton VI 7; Michaelhouse VII 15 Hilton VII 12; Michaelhouse VIII 0 Hilton VIII 3

u16 – Michaelhouse A 39 Hilton A 22; Michaelhouse B 24 Hilton B 19; Michaelhouse C 13 Hilton C 7; Michaelhouse D 48 Hilton D 5

u15 – Michaelhouse A 13 Hilton A 19; Michaelhouse B 21 Hilton B 12; Michaelhouse C 26 Hilton C 7; Michaelhouse D 48 Hilton D 10

u15 – Michaelhouse A 13 Hilton A 24; Michaelhouse B 33 Hilton B 7; Michaelhouse C 41 Hilton C 12; Michaelhouse D 5 Hilton D 19

Four goals by Reece Theunis highlighted a comprehensive 6-3 victory by South African College High School (SACS) over Paarl Gimnasium in the final of the Standard Bank Hibbert Shield, in Gqeberha, on Saturday evening.

In an all-Western Cape final, SACS controlled most of the clash and kept Paarl Gim at arms’ length on their way to lifting the title.

The build-up to the title game featured exhilarating u14 and u16 finals. Paul Roos Gimnasium beat SACS 5-4 in a shootout for the u14 crown, after the teams had shared a 1-1 draw, while the Stellenbosch school emphatically overran Grey High School 4-0  to claim u16 gold and the Hibbert Cup.

After those two curtain-raisers, it was time for a highly anticipated 1st XI final, and the stands at Grey High School’s Rectory AstroTurf were filled to the rafters.

SACS and Paarl Gim had produced similarly dominant runs to the title decider. Gim went unbeaten in Pool C after thumping Grey High School and Westville Boys’ High before playing to a 1-1 draw with St Stithians College.

In the quarterfinals, they edged out Clifton College 3-2 before outplaying Hoërskool Garsfontein 4-2 in the semis.

SACS, meanwhile, was untouchable in Pool A. They dominated St Alban’s College and Pearson High, and produced a thrilling performance in a high-scoring match against Grey College.

In the last eight, they rolled to a 6-2 win over Durban High School (DHS). However, in the semi-finals, they were made to sweat for a 5-4 victory on penalties against Paul Roos Gimnasium after a high-quality match ended tied 3-3.

Past results counted for nothing with the title on the line, though. Just four chukkas, and possibly a shootout, stood between the finalists and the prestigious shield.

SACS made an excellent start. Within a sizzling opening minute, Reece Theunis had logged his first goal after some silky skill by Mohlodi Maseko set him up and Theunis did the rest.

That goal fired SACS up. Their midfield bossed Paarl Gim and they find each other with relative ease.

Four minutes after opening the scoring, Theunis doubled his tally. This time around, it was a well-executed strike to make it 2-0, which was the score at the end of the opening chukka.

A midfield battle developed in the second chukka and Gim grew into the game with skipper Juan Swanepoel and Rikus de Kock inspiring their side to go forward.

Unfortunately for Gim, they were struck by successive blows. The first came from a goal by Adam Thompson, after an assist by Reegan Wille, and Paarl Gim then lost defender, John Coetzee, to a head injury.

They weren’t going down without a fight, however, That’s not the Gim way, and they pulled one back through Ryan van der Merwe after a solo run into the circle by Swanepoel caught SACS napping, and Van der Merwe pounced to provide the tap-in and his side’s first goal.

At the break, SACS led 3-1. The message from coach Sam Holmes to his team was simple – keep applying pressure and avoid falling into the two-goal trap.

The boys from Cape Town had an opportunity to extend their advantage early in the third chukka, but a PC drag flick by Theunis was well saved by Joe van Coller.

It was evenly contested, and the scoreboard remained static until the closing minutes of the quarter. Litha Kraai, then, extended the SACS lead to 4-1 with a thunderbolt drag flick that whistled past Van Coller.

With their passionate and vocal supporters cheering them on, Paarl Gim made inroads in the fourth quarter.

Coetzee returned from the sidelines with a bandage wrapped around his head and, soon after, Gim’s captain, Swanepoel, converted a penalty stroke to up the tension on the Rectory AstroTurf.

With the clock running down, Gim needed something special, and that’s exactly what they got when Ebert Sabbagha collected a superb overhead pass from Swanepoel and wiggled his way past a couple of SACS defenders to slide one past Ethan October.

Gim was back within one goal, but SACS was not about to allow the contest to go to a shootout and Theunis made sure of that by netting twice to make it 6-3 and put some space between the boys in blue and white and their yellow and green-clad opponents.

His third goal came after he got his stick onto a shot from Aiden Hughes. Kraai, then, teed him up with a goal against the run of play.

By then, the clash was done and dusted. Gim had an opportunity to pull one back with a late PC, but Stefan Wiehahn‘s flick was kept out.

The final whistle blew and SACS, for only the second time in their history, was crowned the Standard Bank Hibbert Shield champion.

Paul Roos Gimnasium, the winners of the previous two editions of the event, clinched a tight 2-1 victory over Garsfontein to finish in third place.

St Stithians College thumped Grey College 5-2 to finish in fifth, while Clifton College beat DHS 2-1 in an all-KZN clash to claim seventh. Grey High edged out Westville Boys’ High 3-2 to end in ninth place.

SCORERS IN THE FINAL

SACS 6 (3): Reece Theunis (4), Litha Kraai, Adam Thompson. Paarl Gimnasium 3 (1): Ryan van der Merwe, Juan Swanepoel, Ebert Sabbagha

RESULTS

DAY 

Clifton College 2-1 DHS
St Stithians College 5-2 Grey College
Maritzburg College 2-1 Selborne College
Parel Vallei 3-0 St Alban’s College
Bishops 5-2 Pearson High School
Grey High 3-2 Westville Boys’ High
Paul Roos 2-1 Garsfontein
SACS 6-3 Paarl Gimnasium

FINAL STANDINGS

SACS
Paarl Gimnasium
Paul Roos Gimnasium
Garsfontein
St Stithians College
Grey College
Clifton College
DHS
Grey High School
Westville Boys’ High
Parel Vallei High School
St Alban’s College
Bishops
Pearson High
Maritzburg College
Selborne College

Paarl Gimnasium held their nerve to beat Herschel 3-2 in a penalty shootout to lift the inaugural Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge trophy on home ground, on Saturday evening.

Paarl Gim also received the Girls Challenge Trophy, which goes to the top-performing school across all three age groups: u19, u16, and u14. Paarl Gim won the u16 cup, while Affies finished first in the u14 competition.

The tournament was billed as a new chapter in schoolgirl hockey and it lived up to expectations with thrilling encounters over three days of intense competition.

Naturally, with the hosts performing superbly, the local crowd thoroughly enjoyed themselves, too.

In the final, the stakes weighed down on the shoulders of both teams and a cagey first few minutes unfolded. Gim was the first to respond, though, and they seized the initiative and went on the offensive.

Herschel, though, had been sound in defence throughout the tournament, conceding only one goal on their path to the final, and they showed why when Paarl Gim attacked. The Cape Town school maintained a solid defensive structure to keep the hosts at bay.

When the home team’s forwards beat the defenders, they were met by the immovable titan that is goalkeeper Hailey Lewis. She pulled off multiple saves to stave off Paarl Gim’s attacking forays.

Twice, coach Danelle van Zyl’s girls came close to breaking the deadlock, beating both the Herschel defence and goalkeeper, but both shots were only millimetres wide of the mark.

Herschel had their moments in attack in the first two chukkas, but they didn’t produce anything to write home about.

After the halftime break, Paarl Gim upped their intensity. However, as had been the case in the first two chukkas, their excursions into the Herschel half were met by an organised defence. Herschel got behind the ball, setting up a tight wall, which also affected their ability to counter when they turned over possession.

The game opened up more in the final chukka and Herschel made more runs into the Paarl Gim half, creating some chances. Meanwhile, Hailey Lewis kept denying the home team’s efforts and the match finished 0-0 after regulation time. It would be settled by penalties.

Sarah Ashbolt stepped up to take the first one for Herschel and she didn’t make a mistake, beating Karli van Deventer, the Paarl Gim keeper, to put the visitors ahead. Herschel thought they were in business when Hailey Lewis denied Joné de Winnaar a goal from Paarl Gim’s first attempt.

However, Herschel offered the hosts a way back into the shootout when their second effort exceeded the eight-second time limit.

Minke Botha converted her penalty to level the scores at 1-1. Another Herschel miss and the advantage tilted Paarl Gim’s way.

Alanda Rademeyer took on the responsibility of the third attempt for the home team. With six goals to her name, she was the leading goal-scorer in the tournament and she demonstrated her goal-scoring chops once more by converting her chance to put Gim 2-1 up.

When their next effort missed the mark, Herschel’s players, coaching staff, and supporters watched the title slipping from their hands. They needed Paarl Gim to miss their fourth attempt. The hosts didn’t and the title was theirs.

Still, the umpires decreed that the last two penalties be taken. Herschel converted and Paarl Gim missed theirs and it ended 3-2 to the home side.

It might have finished goalless in regulation time, but the final was far from a snooze-fest. There were moments of brilliance and superb skills from both teams, which underlined why they had made it through to the title-deciding contest.

Oranje, who finished in ninth place, took home the Plate, while Durbanville claimed the Bowl.

RESULTS

U19 Final

Paarl Gim (3) 0-0 (2) Herschel

U16 Final

Paarl Gim 3-0 Rhenish

U14 Final

Affies 3-2 Rhenish

U19

3rd/4th: Pearson 2-1 St Mary’s DSG Kloof
5th/6th: Collegiate (4) 1-1 (3) Waterkloof
7th/8th: Durban Girls College (4) 1-1 (1) Rustenburg
9th/10th: Oranje (3) 1-1 (1) Stellenberg
11th/12th: St Mary’s Waverley 1-0 Reddam Constantia
13th/14th: St Cyprian’s 1-0 Garsfontein
15th/16th: Fairmont 2-0 Springfield
17th/18th: Durbanville 2-1 Somerset College
19th/20th: St Stithians 6-0 Cornwall Hill