SACS shows class to claim back-to-back Hibbert Shield titles
Joy, elation, and relief describe the final day of the Standard Bank Hibbert Shield at Grey High School for South African College High School (SACS).
That’s because SACS, the defending champion, was able to retain the title. The boys from Cape Town were pushed hard in the final but recorded a solid 5-2 victory over Parel Vallei High (PV) at the Rectory AstroTurf on Monday.
Both teams constructed similar runs to the title-deciding match, which included topping their groups before heading into the quarterfinals.
SACS met their southern suburbs’ rivals, Bishops, in the quarters and won 3-1, while PV thumped St Stithians College 5-0.
In the semi-finals, both were stretched, and penalty shootouts were needed to decide which sides progressed to the final. SACS won their shootout against Paul Roos Gimnasium 3-2, after their match had ended 1-1 in regulation time, and PV edged out Jeppe 2-1 after they had shared an entertaining 4-4 draw.
Good, structured hockey, plenty of goals, and a tactical battle were expected in the final, and it delivered.
SACS threatened in the early exchanges and were rewarded for their persistence when Jan Dijkstra latched onto a loose ball inside the circle to open the scoring.
Parel Vallei hit back almost immediately. Their reply looked a lot like the SACS’ opener, with Andrew Moreby beating goalkeeper Ethan October from a similar position to Dijkstra to level matters.
In the second chukka, SACS lifted their game further, and Cameron Cordeiro made it 2-0 before a spectacular solo effort from captain, Litha Kraai, boosted the Cape Town school into a 3-1 lead at the break.
The silky-skilled Kraai didn’t have matters all his own way, though, and his tussle with Stephan Malan added some spice to the contest.
Despite being challenged, the SACS talisman was unfazed, and he netted another blinder in the third chukka to make it 4-1 before Parel Vallei marksman, Luka Meets, pulled one back for the Somerset West boys.
Trailing by two in the final chukka, PV came out firing and took the game to SACS. Goalkeeper October stood his ground in the SACS’ goal, however, and kept Parel Vallei out.
At the opposite end of the field, Kraai caused the PV defenders problems. Another penetrating run into the circle resulted in a penalty stroke, and Kraai buried it to seal his hat-trick and the title for SACS.
With the 5-2 win, SACS matched Paul Roos’s record of three Hibbert Shield titles. The only other winner in the seven years of the Hibbert Shield is Grey High, who lifted the title in 2021.
Other matches
While spectators flocked to the Rectory AstroTurf for the final, there was also huge interest in the bronze medal match between Paul Roos Gimnasium and Jeppe High School for Boys.
After being eliminated in the semi-finals in shootouts, both were eager to end the tournament on a high note by clinching third place.
As expected, it was a tightly contested affair from the get-go with nothing to separate the two outfits.
Coach Michael Baker‘s Paul Roos was in the ascendancy in the first chukka and opened the scoring through Luke van der Merwe.
Jeppe worked their way into the contest and found their rhythm, and that brought them a reward in the third chukka when Sbonelo Dishi levelled.
Coach Gareth Heyns‘s boys then sealed the win in the fourth chukka, with a Kade Lottering drag flick ensuring that their debut at the Hibbert Shield was memorable.
Grey High also ended their campaign on a high note with an emphatic 5-0 win over Westville Boys’ High. Keegan Le Roux found the back of the net three times for the home side, while Michael Gillies and Dante Elkington added their names to the scoresheet.
There was joy for Bishops, who placed seventh after a 3-1 win over St Stithians College, courtesy of goals by Luc Dicey, Max Morgan, and Troy Stockdale.
Grey College, Durban High School, Pearson High and Garsfontein also finished with victories.
RESULTS
1st/2nd – SACS 5-2 Parel Vallei
3rd/4th – Jeppe 2-1 Paul Roos
5th/6th- Grey High 5-0 Westville Boys’ High
7th/8th – Bishops 3-1 St Stithians College
9th/10th- Grey College 1-0 Selborne College
11th/12th- Pearson High 2-1 Clifton College
13th/14th – Durban High School 3-0 Paarl Gimnasium
15th/16th – Garsfontein 1-0 St Alban’s College
Individual awards
Goalkeeper of the Tournament: Jeandre Cilliers (Paul Roos Gimnasium)
Player of the Tournament: Mohlodi Maseko (SACS)
Top Goalscorer: Luka Meets (Parel Vallei High School), 11 goals
