Kearsney the overall champs as Clifton wins two KZN Top 10 Water Polo titles
After four days of intense competition, Kearsney College dethroned Hilton College as the overall champions of the KZN Top 10 Water Polo Tournament, which is contested at u14, u15, and 1st team level.
The boys from Botha’s Hill won the 1st team title with a thrilling 8-7 victory over Hilton College in the final, played in the Chad le Clos Pool at Westville Boys’ High on Sunday.
They found themselves down by two goals in the early going, but staged a furious fightback, catching out Hilton with a couple of breakaways, to draw level and then take the lead.
There was little in it throughout, but Kearsney claimed the win, which must have been a bitter pill for Hilton to swallow. The team from the KZN Midlands had won the overall title for three years in succession, but they hadn’t won the 1st team title in that time, and Kearsney ensured the wait extended another year for Hilton.
For Blake Kruger, after a school record 176 caps, it was a fitting end to his career representing the Kearsney 1st team.
Clifton, the top KZN finishers at the Clifton Water Polo Tournament, were some way off their best, and a penalty shootout loss to Westville, plus a shock defeat to Durban High School (DHS) in Pool A put them on the back foot as they chased a semi-final place. When Kearsney beat them 5-3 in a playoff contest, Clifton had missed out on the top four.
Clifton, however, enjoyed success in the age group competitions, winning both the u14 and u15 titles.
They faced Kearsney in the u14 final, having beaten the same opposition 11-8 in their first game of the tournament on Thursday. On Sunday, Clifton delivered an impressively emphatic performance to take the title.
They came out firing. Everything they did worked, on both ends of the pool, and before Kearsney knew what had hit them they trailed 0-7. With such a big lead, Clifton was able to empty their bench, but they, nonetheless, extended their lead slightly, cantering to a 13-5 victory.
In the u15 final, Clifton again faced a team they had lost to in pool play. This time their opponent was Hilton College. It had ended 5-6 when the teams met earlier in the tournament. Once again, though, Clifton seized the initiative from the first whistle.
Hilton battled manfully to get back into the contest, but the Durban school pulled away late to run out comfortable 9-5 winners.
In the overall competition, Kearsney finished top of the pile, with 29 points, just one clear of Clifton and Hilton, who tied for second.
FIRST TEAM COMPETITION
Pool A
Clifton, Westville, Maritzburg College, Glenwood, DHS
Pool B
Kearsney, Hilton, Co-Ed, Northwood, Michaelhouse
Thursday, 10 October
Co-Ed 1-9 Northwood
Glenwood 3-11 DHS
Clifton (7) 4-4 (8) Westville
Kearsney 6-5 Northwood
Friday, 11 October
Clifton 9-3 Maritzburg College
Westville (9) 5-5 (10) DHS
Maritzburg College 6-5 Glenwood
Kearsney 7-9 Hilton
Clifton 4-7 DHS
Hilton 12-0 Co-Ed
Saturday, 12 October
Kearsney 11-4 Michaelhouse
Hilton 6-5 Northwood
Westville 12-6 Maritzburg College
Clifton 14-2 Glenwood
Co-Ed 3-7 Michaelhouse
Maritzburg College 5-10 DHS
Westville 9-4 Glenwood
Northwood 4-6 Michaelhouse
Kearsney 16-4 Co-Ed
Hilton 9-4 Michaelhouse
Semi-finals Playoffs
Michaelhouse (4) 3-3 (7) DHS
Clifton 3-5 Kearsney
Bottom Playoffs
Northwood 7-4 Glenwood
Maritzburg College 9-0 Co-Ed
Semi-finals
DHS 6-8 Hilton
Westville 5-7 Kearsney
Sunday, 13 October
Final Positions
Co-Ed 2-15 Glenwood (9th/10th)
Northwood 10-2 Maritzburg College (7th/8th)
Clifton 10-4 Michaelhouse (5th/6th)
DHS 6-9 Westville (3rd/4th)
Kearsney 8-7 Hilton (1st/2nd)
U15 COMPETITION
Pool A
Kearsney, Westville, Maritzburg College, Glenwood, Michaelhouse
Pool B
Clifton, Hilton, Co-Ed, Northwood, DHS
Thursday, 10 October
Clifton 24-1 Co-Ed
Northwood 13-6 DHS
Kearsney 6-4 Westville
Co-Ed 2-11 Northwood
Friday, 11 October
Kearsney 18-1 Maritzburg College
Westville 15-1 Glenwood
Clifton 15-0 DHS
Westville 13-1 Maritzburg College
Saturday, 12 October
Clifton 5-6 Hilton
Maritzburg College 8-3 Glenwood
Hilton 17-1 Co-Ed
Westville 6-3 Michaelhouse
Kearsney 15-4 Glenwood
Hilton 12-1 DHS
Maritzburg College 6-5 Michaelhouse
Clifton 8-2 Northwood
Co-Ed 3-8 DHS
Glenwood 4-3 Michaelhouse
Hilton 11-2 Northwood
Kearsney 14-2 Michaelhouse
Semi-finals Playoffs
Northwood 4-5 Westville
Maritzburg College 3-13 Hilton
Bottom Playoffs
DHS 4-0 Michaelhouse
Glenwood 4-3 Co-Ed
Semi-finals
Kearsney 6-10 Hilton
Clifton 5-2 Westville
Sunday, 13 October
Final Placings
Michaelhouse 9-0 Co-Ed (9th/10th)
DHS 6-2 Glenwood (7th/8th)
Maritzburg College 3-11 Northwood (5th/6th)
Kearsney 10-5 Westville (3rd/4th)
Hilton 5-9 Clifton (1st/2nd)
U14 COMPETITION
Pool A
Clifton, Kearsney, Michaelhouse, Co-Ed, DHS
Pool B
Northwood, Hilton, Maritzburg College, Westville, Glenwood
Thursday, 10 October
Co-Ed 8-7 DHS
Westville 16-1 Glenwood
Clifton 11-8 Kearsney
Friday, 11 October
Maritzburg College 4-11 Westville
Kearsney 11-6 DHS
Northwood 10-2 Glenwood
Kearsney 13-5 Co-Ed
Hilton 20-0 Maritzburg College
Clifton 18-4 DHS
Hilton 10-0 Glenwood
Saturday, 12 October
Michaelhouse 8-3 DHS
Northwood 9-10 Hilton
Clifton 19-0 Co-Ed
Northwood 10-2 Maritzburg College
Kearsney 10-6 Michaelhouse
Hilton 504 Westville
Maritzburg College 1-8 Glenwood
Clifton 19-6 Michaelhouse
Northwood (1) 2-2 (0) Westville
Michaelhouse Co-Ed
Semi-finals Playoffs
Kearsney 9-5 Westville
Northwood 10-4 Michaelhouse
Bottom Playoffs
DHS (1) 7-7 (2) Glenwood
Maritzburg College 5-11 Co-Ed
Semi-finals
Clifton 12-2 Northwood
Hilton 9-10 Kearsney
Sunday, 13 October
Final Placings
DHS 7-2 Maritzburg College (9th/10th)
Glenwood 3-4 Co-Ed (7th/8th)
Michaelhouse 3-5 Westville (5th/6th)
Northwood 3-7 Hilton (3rd/4th)
Clifton 13-5 Kearsney (1st/2nd)
STANDINGS
U14
Clifton
Kearsney
Hilton
Northwood
Westville
Michaelhouse
Co-Ed
Glenwood
DHS
Maritzburg College
u15
Clifton
Hilton
Kearsney
Westville
Northwood
Maritzburg College
DHS
Glenwood
Michaelhouse
Co-Ed
1st Team
Kearsney
Hilton
Westville
DHS
Clifton
Michaelhouse
Northwood
Maritzburg College
Glenwood
Co-Ed
Overall
Kearsney 29
Clifton 28
Hilton 28
Westville 21
Northwood 17
DHS 13
Michaelhouse 12
Maritzburg College 9
Glenwood 8
Co-Ed 6
