Grey u16 wins Hibbert Cup on home turf
While the Hibbert Shield concluded at Grey High’s Rectory Astroturf over the weekend, so, too, did the u16 Hibbert Cup, with Grey High claiming top honours by defeating Paul Roos Gimnasium 3-1 in the final on Saturday evening.
The u16 event, which was hosted at Pearson High School’s astroturf, showcased the young talent hovering just below first team level, and provided a look at what’s to come in the near future.
Heading into the four-day tournament, Grey was high in confidence after recently claiming morale-boosting wins over South African College High School (SACS) and Paul Roos.
At the Hibbert Cup, they were drawn in Pool C, alongside Garsfontein and Westville Boys’ High. They didn’t concede a goal in pool play, winning those matches 1-0 and 4-0 respectively.
In their quarterfinal, coach James Atherton’s side made light work of St Andrew’s College, easing their way to a 5-0 win, before being extended by SACS in a 2-1 semi-final victory.
“I thought the tournament itself was run really well from Pearson’s side, so credit to them, firstly,” coach Atherton told SuperSport Schools.
“The calibre of teams that attend this tournament is of a very high standard. I thought my boys played a really good brand of hockey, and to win it on home soil was special.
“We came into the tournament with the aim of winning it. We had some good momentum coming in with wins over SACS and Paul Roos the previous two weekends, so confidence was high.”
Only a week before the final, Grey had thumped Paul Roos 7-0 during an inter-schools’ clash at the same venue.
Atherton said, despite that result, his side remained calm, never got carried away, and the conversations in the locker room were solely focused on “trusting the process”.
“It’s never easy playing an opponent twice in a season, as they have a chance to study you better and be better prepared,”” he said.
“We took confidence from the 7-0 result, but we knew PRG would come back a lot stronger.
“The convo before the game was just to soak up what we anticipated would be early pressure from them and to trust the process. Discipline is so key off the ball, and this team can execute instructions well, and our pressing shape has been good all year.”
Hockey at Grey High appears to be in very healthy shape, with Old Grey Andrew Beynon, who started at his Alma Mater at the beginning of 2024, steering the ship.
Despite the Grey High first team having had to settle for the bronze medal, they’ve also been a cut above the rest this season, and have lost only against Paul Roos and SACS, who were the finalists on Saturday.
Coach Atherton said the u16 win was a testament to what Beynon is trying to implement within the programme.
“It’s massive for Grey hockey, as a whole,” he reckoned. “Andrew Beynon has come in this year as our Director of Hockey, and he has taken the Hockey Club to a new level, in terms of culture and professionalism.
“We, as coaches, are growing under his tutelage, and the boys are being exposed to so much more than ever before.
“We are only at the start of our journey and both the 1st team and u16A results are amazing rewards for the hard work that is being put in. It’s an exciting time to be involved with Grey hockey.
“We have major aspirations, as a school, to become the top hockey school around, which is no easy feat, but this weekend could lay the foundation to achieving that long term, in terms of belief and support.”
The challenges continue to stack up for the Grey u16A side, which returns to action this week with matches against Kingswood College and Queen’s College.
As he did at the Hibbert Cup, coach Atherton will bank on his captain Matthew Allibone to lead the side from the front. He will also look to Keegan Le Roux, who scored a brace in both the semis and the final, to fire on all cylinders inside the circle.
Dale Jennings, who has had a taste of first team action, will pose threats, while two youngsters, James Chree and Dante Elkington, are other players to keep an eye on.
Hibbert Cup Final Standings
Grey High School
Paul Roos Gimnasium
SACS
Durban High School
Selborne College
Pearson High School
St Andrew’s College
Garsfontein
Westville Boys’ High School
Waterkloof
Paarl Gimnasium
Clifton College
