Hilton edge Michaelhouse in the Pool
The fourth term examinations might be in full swing, but it was business as usual for some of KwaZulu-Natal’s top schools, as they locked horns in the pool in their final matches of the season before the December break.
Michaelhouse welcomed Hilton College to the Midlands and came close to upsetting their heavily favoured opponents. Meanwhile, Maritzburg College made the trip down to Westville Boys’ High, where the Griffin powered their way to a convincing victory.
Kearsney College on the other hand, welcomed St Charles College, in a match where both sides were looking to end their 2023 campaign on a high, and it was the hosts who did so, dominating proceedings to end their season with an emphatic victory.
The match of the weekend, however, was the one in the Midlands, between Michaelhouse and their old foes Hilton.
The fixture also formed part of the schools’ annual PinkDrive campaign, which seeks to shine a light and raise awareness about cancer-related issues.
There was little to separate the two sides in their last meeting, which took place at the Saint Stithians Invitational, where Hilton claimed a 9-6 win. Michaelhouse’s players, though, had an upset on their minds in their home pool.
As expected, the match started at a high tempo, with Hilton scoring two goals in the first quarter. Unfazed, Michaelhouse hit back with two of their own to finish the opening stanza on level terms.
The second quarter produced fireworks, with the hosts showing plenty of fighting spirit as they took the game to the visitors. They scored three goals, with Keegan Elliott netting twice before Reece Rezac got in on the action. Hilton, looking a little bit off of their best, remained in contention, netting twice, but they trailed by one heading into the second half.
After a back-and-forth third quarter, Michaelhouse remained one goal clear at 6-5. Hilton, though, appeared calm and confident as coach Jason Sileno delivered a team talk with eight minutes left to play.
When the visitors drew level, Michaelhouse swiftly found a response to take a 7-6 lead. Showing good poise, though, Hilton levelled with three minutes to play.
Then, with Michaelhouse pushing for victory, they were caught out by a swift counterattack, with Hilton capturing the lead for the first time since the opening quarter with a minute and 45 seconds to play.
Protecting their one-goal advantage, the visitors moved the ball smartly around, running down the clock. Michaelhouse, after a valiant effort, were unable to conjure up a reply and Hilton held on for a narrow 8-7 win.
Meanwhile, Westville Boys’ High, with five KZN A team players in their ranks, demonstrated their quality against Maritzburg College, powering their way to a 17-5 win, while Kearsney College, who’ve been a fine form in the latter part of the term, recorded an expected victory over Saint Charles, cruising to a 22-5 win.
Scorers
Hilton College: Meyer Malherbe (x2), Mitchel Garreau (x2), Tristan Uys, Retief Malherbe (x2), Matthew Thomas. Michaelhouse: Bryn Retzlaff (x2), Keegan Elliott (x2), Sean Erasmus (x2), Reece Rezac.
Other results:
Westville Boys High 17, Maritzburg College 5; Kearsney College 22, St Charles College 5.
