SACS shows BMT and grit to overcome Paul Roos
A remarkable second-half performance, coupled with some stunning goals, helped South African College High School (SACS) overcome a two-goal deficit on their way to a 5-2 win over Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) on Friday in Cape Town.
The highly anticipated Hyundai Friday Nite Lights clash delivered top-quality hockey and served as a reminder to many why SACS is regarded by most as the best schoolboy team in the country.
The rivalry between SACS and PRG has been fierce for the past five years, and fixtures between the teams somehow always live up to expectations.
It was their third meeting of the season, following their earlier battles in the semifinals of the Hibbert Shield Tournament, in Gqeberha, and in Stellenbosch, in May.
SACS was victorious in both those encounters, but they were closely contested, filled with drama, and it was no different this time around.
Surprisingly, though, the match got off to a slow start, with both teams playing cautiously in the early exchanges.
Early on, SACS was awarded a short corner, but captain Jo le Roux‘s drag flick was dealt with brilliantly by the first wave running of Tylor Carter.
PRG also earned themselves a PC with two minutes left in the chukka, but Reuben Gouw’s attempt was kept out.
In the second chukka, the game started to open up.
PRG dictated play, enjoying the majority of ball possession, and forced SACS into making uncharacteristic, sloppy mistakes.
The visitors, then, opened the scoring through the captain, Christo Swanepoel, who sent a penalty corner thunderbolt past Lorenzo Virissimo to silence the home crowd.
At the break, PRG led 1-0, but they quickly doubled their lead early in the third chukka when Charlie Boucher latched onto a ball inside the circle after a sharp baseline run from Seth Paterson.
That goal, though, woke SACS up. Finally, they came to life and began to play the game in the Paul Roos half. Soon, they pulled a goal back through Mohlodi Maseko.
The home side smelled blood, and a blistering run upfield by Litha Kraai earned his team a short corner after a body check by one of the PRG defenders.
Kraai took on the set piece responsibility himself and sent a drag flick whistling past Jeandre Cilliers for the equaliser. In no time at all, SACS had scored a third in three minutes, with Josh Goudling providing the finish, which gave the hosts the lead.
They were far from done, and with two minutes remaining in the quarter, Kraai made it a brace after converting another short corner.
Heading into the final chukka, SACS had turned the game on its head. They led 4-2.
PRG was stunned. They had barely made it out of their half in the third chukka, but they showed some fight in the final chukka.
They created two goal-scoring opportunities, but neither Reuben Gouws nor Caleb Cilliers was able to convert.
Then, with six minutes to play, SACS took the game out of PRG’s reach when their skipper, Jo le Roux, fired a drag flick into the top right corner for the contest’s final goal.
It was a statement performance by the boys in blue and white.
Aidan Hughes, Zac Redfern, and Mohlodi Maseko showed their class under immense pressure with the help of their teammates.
SACS coach Sam Holmes will be pleased with the fighting spirit shown by his team, while PRG coach Michael Baker, will take positives from the performance of his team in the first half.
SACS next faces Durban’s Northwood School on Friday, 8 August, at 15:00, before taking on Rondebosch Boys’ High a week later.
PRG will also play Northwood in a friendly fixture before their final match of the season against Grey College on 15 August in Bloemfontein.
Scorers
SACS 5: Litha Kraai (2), Josh Goulding, Mohlodi Maseko. Paul Roos 2: Christo Swanepoel, Charlie Boucher.
