Big guns on song at Pretoria Boys High Pre-Season Basketball Festival
The inaugural Pretoria Boys High School (PHBS) Basketball Festival kicked off on Thursday, 8 January morning in Pretoria, featuring 12 leading basketball-playing schools from the Gauteng region.
The line-up includes, among others, PHBS A, ESCA, King Edward VII School (KES), and St David’s Marist Inanda, who were among the first sides to make an impact on the festival’s opening day.
The home team, PHBS A, kicked off the festival with a hard-fought 42-35 victory of their city rivals, St Alban’s College. After the lunch break, PHBS A ratcheted up their momentum with an impressive 76-11 demolition of Crawford College.
It was, unfortunately for Crawford College, a challenging opening day. They also went down 10-34 to St John’s College A.
St Alban’s College, after suffering defeat in their opener, showed marked improvement in their second outing, displaying greater energy in a 40-29 victory over St John’s College A.
Pool B features, among others, ESCA, KES, and The King’s School Linbro Park, with the first two expected to be right in the thick of the title challenge.
Both ESCA and KES enjoyed title-winning successes in 2025, with ESCA winning titles at the Westville Boys’ High Invitational School Stayers’ Basketball Tournament and The King’s School Linbro Park Basketball Tournament. KES lifted the Inanda Hoops Classic Challenge, held at St David’s Marist Inanda, in October.
Both teams demonstrated their prowess on the festival’s opening day. KES initiated their winning streak with a 43-28 victory over Linbro Park. They followed up with a 52-24 defeat of St John’s College B.
ESCA beat St John’s College B 57-35 in the morning and came away with a 36-27 win over King’s Linbro later in the day.
In Pool C, Jeppe defeated PHBS B 31-19 in the first match of the group. St David’s also secured a victory, downing St Stithians College 31-18 in their first game.
Saints bounced back in the afternoon, handing Jeppe a 42-23 loss, while St David’s made their record two from two with a 36-18 win over PBHS B.
RESULTS
Thursday, 8 January
Pool A
PHBS A 42-35 St Alban’s College
St John’s A 34-10 Crawford
St Alban’s College 40-29 St John’s A
PHBS A 76-11 Crawford
Pool B
KES 43-28 Linbro Park
ESCA 57-35 St John’s B
ESCA 36-27 King’s Linbro
KES 52-24 St John’s B
Pool C
Jeppe 31-19 PHBS B
St David’s 31-18 St Stithians College
St Stithians College 42-23 Jeppe
St David’s 36-18 PHBS B
