Buzzer beaters await at inaugural Pretoria Boys High Basketball Festival
The schools’ summer basketball season kicks off 2026 with the first-ever Pretoria Boys High (PBHS) Pre-Season Basketball Festival, which start starting on Thursday, 8 January, and concludes on Saturday.
The event is focused on enhancing skills, fostering teamwork, and establishing a positive atmosphere for the forthcoming summer sports season at the school, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year.
Twelve of the top and most prominent basketball-playing schools in Gauteng will be in action, with the line-up including the PBHS A and B teams, the St John’s College A and B teams, St Alban’s College, Crawford College (Pretoria), ESCA, The King’s School Linbro Park, Jeppe High School for Boys, St David’s Marist Inanda, King Edward VII School (KES), and St Stithians College.
In a conversation with SuperSport Schools Plus, Ludwig Gerdes, the Director of Basketball at Pretoria Boys High, revealed that, following a highly successful 2024/25 season, during which Pretoria Boys High won the Westville Boys’ High Invitational Stayers’ Basketball Tournament (ISSBT), claimed the Pretoria Schools League title, and advanced to the semi-finals of the Basketball National League (BNL) Schools Challenge, expectations and goal for the 2025/26 season were elevated.
“However, the new season brought significant challenges to the squad, and the team initially struggled to find its rhythm towards the end of 2025,” Gerdes admitted to SuperSport Schools Plus.
Now, though, that newly formed group is ready to peak, and the Pretoria Boys High School Pre-Season Basketball Festival offers a perfect opportunity to restore cohesion, generate momentum, and resolve any lingering issues, he said.
Will ESCA embrace the energy of 2025 at Pretoria Boys High?
Although it’s an early season event, which means teams will likely be somewhat rusty and building up to their best form later in the season, the festival’s high-quality field makes it an enticing watch.
In 2025, ESCA put together a successful year, securing two schools’ basketball championships within a month. In September, they lifted the title at The King’s Linbro Basketball Tournament, defeating St Benedict’s College 41-26 in the final. Then, in October, ESCA beat Maritzburg College 54-51 in the final of the Westville Boys’ High Invitational Schools Stayers’ Basketball Tournament (ISSBT).
Players such as Alex Price and Siyabonga Mashaba excelled for ESCA, contributing to the school’s victories in both tournaments in 2025. Additionally, Mashaba was named in the SuperSport Schools Class of 2025, being the sole basketball player included in the extensive list of student athletes who excelled.
Building on their previous success, ESCA will be eager to start 2026 on a high note at Pretoria Boys High. However, they’ll be up against stiff opposition, including St John’s College, which also had a decent year in 2025.
One game at a time for St John’s College
St John’s College, which has been diligently working and making progress over the past two to three years, began to see the fruits of its labour in 2025 and emerged as one of Gauteng’s and the country’s best sides.
Their year’s achievement’s included claiming gold at the American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ) Basketball Tournament in February.
They built on that winning momentum and enthusiasm, reaching the final of their own St John’s Basketball Tournament, where they faced Northwood in the final. The Knights proved to be a bridge too far and the KZN powerhouse claimed the title for a second year in succession. St John’s, though, had done themselves proud.
Despite having dynamic point guards and a captain like Kuda Tebeila, St John’s was unable to match the prowess of Kent VanderYacht’s Knights. Nevertheless, throughout the remainder of the year, they fought valiantly and made their mark.
Moving forward, St Stithians College sets its sights on a fresh start
St Stithians College, another one of the powerhouses of the schools’ basketball scene, having secured titles such as the St David’s Marist Inanda Hoops in 2024, experienced an interesting mix of ups and downs in 2025.
During the 2025 Inanda Hoops, despite being the defending champions, they were unable to reach the quarterfinals, which was a disappointment and below the standards they had set in recent seasons. Earlier in the previous year, Saints finished in sixth place at the St John’s College Basketball Tournament. Now, in a new year, like every other team, they’re making a fresh start and will be a unit to keep an eye on at Pretoria Boys High.
Last year, during their own u16 boys’ and girls’ St Stithians College Basketball tournament, the Saints’ boys’ team claimed bronze after defeating Michaelhouse 28-26 in the third-place playoff, which suggests there is plenty of young talent waiting to make their mark in the first team ranks.
Can KES carry their winning momentum into the new year?
KES, recognised for their resilience, rapid-paced attacking drive, strength, and dominance on the court, will be one of the teams expected to make a big impact at Pretoria Boys High.
KES is coming off a successful year, having concluded 2025 by beating St Benedict’s College 29-27 to win the prestigious Inanda Hoops Classic Challenge at St David’s Marist Inanda.
Siya Ndlovu was awarded the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). He and his teammates, Bradley Moyo and Timmy Fanny, were also included in the All-Star team at the conclusion of the event.
Having ended the year with a title, they’ll be eager to start the 2026 season with another.
While the aforementioned teams are poised to be serious threats and contenders at the PBHS Festival, other teams, including Crawford College, St Alban’s, King’s Linbro, Jeppe, and St David’s, should not be overlooked.
They might be considered dark horses, but history has shown that school sports and seasons are unpredictable. The top-performing team from the previous season may turn out to be the least successful in the current season. Therefore, there are no underdogs at the PBHS Basketball Festival. It should be a fascinating competition.
TEAMS
Primary Pool
Pool A
St John’s College A Team, Pretoria Boys High A Team, St Alban’s College, Crawford College (Pretoria)
Pool B
ESCA, King Edward VII School, The King’s School Linbro Park, St John’s College B Team
Pool C
Jeppe High School for Boys, St David’s Marist Inanda, St Stithians College, Pretoria Boys High B Team
Secondary Pool
Pool A
A1, B1, C1, A2,
Pool B
B2, C2, A3, B3
Pool C
C3, A4, B4, C4
FIXTURES
Thursday, 8 January
Court 1
09:00 – St John’s College A Team vs Crawford
10:00 – ESCA vs St John’s College B Team vs
11:00 – Jeppe vs Pretoria Boys High B Team
14:00 – St Alban’s College vs St John’s College A Team
15:00 – King’s Linbro vs ESCA
16:00 – St Stithians College vs Jeppe
Court 2
09:00 – Pretoria Boys High A Team vs St Alban’s College
10:00 – KES vs King’s Linbro
11:00 – St David’s vs St Stithians College
14:00 – Crawford vs Pretoria Boys High A Team
15:00 – St John’s College B Team vs St David’s
16:00 – Pretoria Boys High B Team vs St David’s
Friday, 9 January
Court 1
09:00 – Pretoria Boys High A Team vs St John’s College A Team
10:00 – ESCA vs KES
11:00 – Jeppe vs St David’s
14:00 – A1 vs B1
15:00 – B2 vs C2
16:00 – C3 vs A4
Court 2
09:00 – St Alban’s College vs Crawford
10:00 – King’s Linbro vs St John’s College B Team
11:00 – Jeppe vs St David’s
14:00 – C1 vs A2
15:00 – A3 vs B3
16:00 – B4 vs C4
Saturday, 10 January
Court 1
09:00 – A1 vs C1
10:00 – B2 vs A3
11:00 – C3 vs B4
14:00 – A1 vs A2
15:00 – B2 vs B3
16:00 – C3 vs C4
Court 2
09:00 – B1 vs A2
10:00 – B1 vs A2
11:00 – A4 vs C4
14:00 – B1 vs C1
15:00 – C2 vs A3
16:00 – A4 vs B4
