WAP girls, WHS boys reign supreme in hockey finals
Schools hockey
One might say the teams played as if their lives depended on it.
The Namibian high schools hockey season drew to a great climax last Friday with all league final showcasing the skill, ambition and competitive spirit of the young players. Both the boys' and girls' teams played with intensity - one might say as if their lives depended on it - in the thrilling matches held at the Davin Astro Turf at Windhoek High School (WHS).
Winning WHS boys team coach Johann Weyhe had high praise for the excellence produced by both the boys and girls finalists.
He said the umpires in the boys super league final, Siyabonga Martins and Willie Serfontein, told him that the overall standard of play was close to international level. “The production line of talent produced by various leading schools in Windhoek and at the coast makes one very excited.”
Girls super league
Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool’s (WAP) girls team showed resilience and determination, securing a 2-1 victory over Windhoek Gymnasium in a fierce super league final.
The match was a showcase of teamwork, with both sides producing periods of brilliance.
Goals by Liamé Nel and Suné Swartz sealed the win for Affies against Gymnasium’s sole strike by Annica Higgs.
“WAP were a really good team. They fought until the end and did not give up. We both made history tonight, so I am proud of both teams for that,” Andri Jacobs, the Windhoek Gymnasium team captain, said.
In their recent league encounter, Affies were leading 3-0 before it later emerged that Gymnasium had one extra player on the court during the period when they fought back for the 3-3 draw.
Boys super league
The boys’ super league wrapped up with a nail-biting final between WHS and St Paul’s College. A 1-1 score after regular time sent the game into shoot-outs, where WHS emerged victorious, winning 4-2 thanks to some outstanding goalkeeping by Rylan Bombosch.
“I feel very proud of my team; they performed very well. We thought we were in trouble when we were 1-0 behind in the first half, but then we came back in the second half and finished it off in the shoot-outs,” Johan Junius, WHS first team boys captain, said.
Weyhe added: “We had to dig deep to find a way to win against St Paul’s, who were the only unbeaten side before the final. St Paul’s had brilliant players in top form, such as Zack Philander, Abraham Graham (captain and goal-scorer in the final) and Arnaud Marais.
“The commitment of the WHS defence was incredible. Players such as Schalk Visser and Adriaan Els are carrying the scars of how they put their bodies on the line to keep St Paul’s out, who were unable to convert even once from the 17 short corners they had. Instead, WHS managed to score a goal by Josh Hatton-Jones from one of our two short corner opportunities.”
Premier league
In the final of the girls’ premier league (the second tier of competition), neither Windhoek Gymnasium nor St Paul’s managed to score in regular time.
In the tense tiebreak, Windhoek Gymnasium held their nerve, outscoring St Paul’s 4-2 in the shoot-out to claim a hard-fought victory. Jenna Goreses, Johané Bezuidenhout, Cara Kruger and Christine van Rooyen scored for the winners in the shoot-out.
The boys’ premier league also delivered gripping action, with Windhoek High School II winning 3-1 against Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool II in a fast-paced encounter.
WHS delivered a great performance that saw them control much of the game. Their attacking play proved too much for WAP’s defence. Captain Liam Derks scored for Affies, but WHS’ goals by Josh Swart, Jeremia Sheehama and a stunner by Lu-Anthony Husselmann gave them the win.
Development league
The under-14 development league saw Keetmanshoop Privaatskool's (KPS) girls team clinch a narrow 1-0 victory over Moria from Outjo.
“It was super exciting to see two teams from outside the capital in the final. This is a big achievement for two schools who do not have the astro facilities we are used to in Windhoek, who keep on going despite having to develop their game on a gravel court,” Weyhe said.