Top quality in KES Team of the Tournament
The annual King Edward VII Water Polo Tournament concluded on Sunday with Bishops beating Hilton College 4-2 on penalties in the final.
A pulsating showdown went down to the wire with the sides playing to an 8-8 tie in regulation time.
In the shootout, Bishops kept their composure and converted four of their five chances while Hilton misfired twice.
Both teams were superb throughout the tournament and went into the final unbeaten after breezing through the pool stage and knockout rounds.
Their dominance was reflected in the Team of the Tournament, which was announced after the presentation of the winner’s trophy.
Both finalists had three players each in the 14-player squad, with the Player of the Tournament, Tristan Uys, of Hilton College, headlining the lineup. He was joined by his teammates, Mitchel Garreau, and goalkeeper, Lwango Ntantala.
Garreau and Uys were the standout players for Hilton in the final and scored a combined seven goals, while Thomas Taylor netted the eighth goal. All three goal scorers represented the KZN u19A team at the School Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in East London in December 2024.
The champions, Bishops, were represented by the dangerous Matt Fenn, Timothy Young, and shot-stopper Michael Mafunda.
Fenn ended the tournament as the top goal scorer, with a whopping 24 goals, while Young received the Defender of the Tournament accolade.
Mafunda, who was named by SuperSport Schools Plus as one of five players to watch, was rock solid in the last line of defence.
The 2024 winners, Rondebosch Boys’ High, who finished in fourth place this time around, had Noah Reiback and Jack Robinson included. Meanwhile, the bronze medal winners, St Stithians College provided James Crick and Declan Wood to the Team of the Tournament.
SACS’ dangerman Jandro Rojo-Roos finished the tournament with 22 goals, which earned him selection, while Selborne College’s Liam Hansen cracked the nod, too.
Kearsney College, who were back at the KES tournament for the first time in a while, lost only once and finished fifth. They had their captain James Pohl and Thomas Aylward included in the Team of the Tournament.
Special Awards
Player of the Tournament: Tristan Uys
Goalkeeper of the Tournament: Lwango Ntantala
Defender of the Tournament: Timothy Young
Team of the Tournament
Michael Mafunda, Matt Fenn, Timothy Young (Bishops), Noah Reiback, Jack Robinson (Rondebosch Boys’ High), Jandro Rojo-Roos (SACS), James Crick, Declan Wood (St Stithians College), Thomas Aylward, James Pohl (Kearsney College), Liam Hansen (Selborne College), Mitchell Garreau, Tristan Uys, Lwango Ntantala (Hilton College).
