Parel Vallei makes history by reaching Hibbert Shield final
History was made on Sunday, the third day of the Standard Bank Hibbert Shield, when Parel Vallei High School (PV) defeated Jeppe High School for Boys to claim a place in the final of the tournament at Grey High School in Gqeberha.
With both schools in with a chance to play for the silverware for the first time, PV edged out Jeppe 2-1 in a penalty shootout after a pulsating clash ended in a 4-4 draw.
The boys from Somerset West will take on their Western Cape counterparts, the defending champions, South African College High School (SACS), who were taken to a penalty shootout by their rivals, Paul Roos Gimnasium. Their showdown finished 1-1 after regulation time, but SACS won through to the title game by a 3-2 shootout margin.
The day was filled with drama and breathtaking hockey, highlighted by the semi-finals. The first semi, as expected, was a heated battle between SACS and Paul Roos, who have dominated the tournament in recent years.
When they met in last year’s semi, a thrilling clash finished tied at 3-3, SACS then advanced to the final 5-4 after a penalty shootout and went on to beat Paarl Gimnasium 6-3 to lift the Hibbert Shield.
Both schools were given a good workout in their quarterfinals’ matches, with SACS defeating Bishops 3-1, while PRG sneaked past Grey High 3-2.
In the semi-final, SACS had the upper hand early on and enjoyed most of the possession and territory, but PRG’s defence held firm.
The Cape Town school made four circle entries in the first chukka, and they made one of those opportunities count. Positioned inside the D, Litha Kraai latched onto a pass from Joshua Azevedo van Dyk and scooped it past Jeandre Cilliers to open the scoring.
Playing with the lead, SACS controlled the contest, moving the ball with conviction, but PRG threatened, too. SACS net-minder Ethan October was called upon to make three crucial saves in the first chukka, while Cilliers was kept busy at the other end of the field.
PRG worked their way into the game in the second chukka, putting SACS under greater pressure with their hard-working press.
A clumsy tackle by Cameron Cordeiro resulted in a penalty corner for Paul Roos, but Luke van der Merwe‘s drag flick was off target, and SACS went into the break up 1-0.
PRG kept plugging away, and they were rewarded for their persistence and patience in attack when Van der Merwe slotted after some scrappy play inside the SACS circle. The defending champions, meanwhile, created goal-scoring chances, but they failed to take them.
Both sides pushed for a late winner, but neither defence broke again, and regulation time was completed at 1-1.
The penalty shootout was tense. SACS held their nerve, though, to convert three times through Litha Kraai, Luke Laver, and Matthew Lassen, who showed outstanding composure to win it for his side.
Ruben Gouws and Caleb Cilliers were on target for Paul Roos, but October repelled efforts by Jeandré van Zyl, Seth Paterson, and Logan Lackay.
The second semifinal dialled the action up a notch and delivered arguably the most entertaining clash of the tournament.
It was a memorable first meeting between Parel Vallei and Jeppe, and both sides will remember the match for many years to come.
Both had booked their semi-final places with confident victories in the quarterfinals: Jeppe defeated Westville Boys’ High 3-0, while PV thumped St Stithians College 5-0.
In the semi-final, PV opened the scoring late in the first chukka through their talisman Luka Meets, but his opener was soon cancelled out by Dylan de Kock‘s strike early in the second quarter.
It was adrenaline-pumping, end-to-end stuff after that, and Jeppe grabbed the lead, courtesy of a penalty stroke converted by Kgotsofalang Lehloenya.
With two minutes remaining in the half, however, it was all-square once more, with Meets scoring another blinder to make it 2-2 at halftime.
With a place in the title game beckoning, both sides upped the ante in the second half. Sbonelo Dishi joined in on the scoring action and thrust Jeppe into the lead again with a reverse stick shot, but PV was unrelenting, and Nicolas Havinga produced a moment of brilliance to draw his side level just a second after returning to the field following a yellow card.
The Somerset West crew thought they had won it in the fourth chukka when Meets intercepted a loose pass and buried the ball past Jason Pressly in the Jeppe goal.
Coach Gareth Heyns’s side, typical of Jeppe sports teams, has a never-say-die attitude, and, with seconds remaining in the clash, an Adam Lacy deflection made it 4-4.
The penalty shootout that followed was equally frenetic, with both goalkeepers performing superbly.
Parel Vallei’s Stephan Malan and Nathan Nissen had their attempts saved, while Adrian Laubsher and Tshimologo Mogale missed for Jeppe.
Luka Meets and Luca Jordaan were successful for PV, however. Then, when Thiering kept out Jayden Da Silva‘s attempt, coach Michael van Rensburg‘s boys were through to Monday’s final, which will kick off at 12:30.
RESULTS
Quarterfinals
SACS 3-1 Bishops
Paul Roos 3-2 Grey High
Jeppe 3-0 Westville Boys’ High
Parel Vallei 5-0 St Stithians College
Semifinals
SACS (3) 1-1 (2) Paul Roos
Parel Vallei (2) 4-4 (1) Jeppe
Bowl
Selborne College 3-2 Durban High School
Pearson High 3-2 Garsfontein
Clifton College 8-0 St Alban’s College
Grey College 2-1 Paarl Gimnasium
Playoffs
Grey High 3-2 Bishops
Durban High School 4-2 Garsfontein
Selborne 2-1 Pearson
Westville Boys’ High (3) 2-2 (0) St Stithians College
Paarl Gimnasium 3-1 St Alban’s College
Grey College (2) 1-1 (1) Clifton College
