SACS to tackle Paarl Gim in Hibbert Shield final
Heartbreak, joy, and elation highlighted day three’s action of the Standard Bank Hibbert Shield, in Gqeberha, on Friday as South African College High School (SACS) and Paarl Gimnasium booked places in the final, at Grey High School.
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On a day filled with anticipation and nerves, the two sides kept their calm, played some entertaining hockey, and put themselves in pole position to clinch the prestigious title.
SACS, after defeating Durban High School (DHS) 6-2 in the quarterfinals, met their rivals, Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) in the final four while Paarl Gim faced off against Hoërskool Garsfontein.
In the quarterfinals, Paarl Gim had claimed a 3-2 victory over Clifton College, while Garsfontein had stunned Grey College 2-0.
Playing for a place in the title game, Gim asserted their dominance against the Pretoria school, outscoring them 4-2, courtesy of goals by Mikal Janse van Rensburg and Martin Ferreira and a brace from their dangerman, Stefan Wiehahn.
While Gim bossed their way into the final, SACS was made to sweat in their semifinal clash with Paul Roos.
In a repeat of last year’s final, the sides delivered a pulsating clash, which drew a big crowd to the Rectory AstroTurf despite the unwelcoming, freezing conditions.
The tension was high during the build-up, so high it could’ve been sliced with a knife. On the sidelines, anticipation and nervousness flittered among the parents about to watch their sons in action.
PRG started brilliantly, playing at a high tempo, and exerted early pressure on SACS. That relentless pressure was soon rewarded when Caleb Cilliers and Matthew Cardoza partnered to set up Callum van Oudtshoorn, who was unmarked and tapped in to make it 1-0.
After a slow start, SACS warmed to the task and they netted four minutes into the second chukka to level the scores after Reece Theunis picked up the scraps from a PC.
It was evenly matched after that goal, but Litha Kraai put his side into the lead two minutes before halftime with a thunderbolt of a drag flick.
The scoreline remained unchanged in the third chukka, but the fourth chukka delivered goals and drama as both teams felt the pressure, with some allowing their discipline to slip and their tempers to flare.
Two SACS players, Mohlodi Maseko and Theunis, were shown yellow cards, while PRG skipper, Christo Swanepoel joined them in the naughty seat.
With six minutes left in the contest, the Stellenbosch boys pulled one back when, from a short corner, Ruben Gouws delivered the goods.
SACS responded quickly and, after some brilliant play by Matthew Lassen inside the circle, he picked out Cameron Cordeiro, who was unmarked, and beat goalkeeper Josh Boden to regain the lead.
SACS thought they had it in the bag, but a dramatic finish was in store.
With seconds remaining on the clock, PRG was awarded another penalty corner after Kraai and Aiden Hughes were controversially adjudged to have wasted time by the umpire after the ball hit their feet while being hit out of the D by a PRG player for a long corner.
The call was contested by the SACS boys, but the decision stood, and from the resulting penalty corner, Paul Roos pulled off another variation. This time, Gouws linked up with Tylor Carter, who had the final touch, to level the match at 3-3 and send it to a penalty shootout.
In the shootout, Seth Paterson, Gouws, and Van Oudtshoorn converted for PRG while their skipper, Swanepoel fired wide.
For SACS, it was Jo Le Roux, and Maseko who scored, while Theunis’s attempt resulted in a penalty stroke, which was converted by Kraai, who had earlier missed his eight-second attempt.
That sent the shootout into sudden death. Lassen and Le Roux converted for SACS. Logan Lackay fired one in for PRG, but when Gouws missed, that sealed the deal for SACS.
They progressed to the final, advancing 5-4 on penalties.
They’ll have an opportunity to go one step further than 2024 when they meet Paarl Gimnasium for the title at 18:45 on Saturday evening.
RESULTS
DAY 3
SACS 6-2 DHS (Quarterfinal 1)
Paul Roos (3) 1-1 (2) St Stithians College (Quarterfinal 2)
Grey College 0-2 Garsfontein (Quarterfinal 3)
Clifton College 2-3 Paarl Gimnasium (Quarterfinal 4)
St Stithians College 3-1 DHS (Loser of quarterfinal 1)
Grey College 2-1 Clifton College Loser of quarterfinal 2
SACS (5) 3-3 (4) Paul Roos (Semifinal 1)
Garsfontein 2-4 Paarl Gimnasium (Semifinal 2)
Collegiate AstroTurf
St Alban’s College 2-1 Bishops
Maritzburg College 0-1 Westville Boys’ High
Pearson 2-3 Parel Vallei
Selborne College 0-4 Grey High School
Bishops 2-2 Maritzburg College
Pearson High 3-1 Selborne College
St Alban’s College 1-1 Westville Boys’ High
Grey High 4-1 Parel Vallei
