1st XI Football Team Claims Referees' Cup
The HBHS 1st XI Football team has secured the Referees' Cup for the seventh consecutive year at the 2019 College Day Tournament. An unbeaten run of four games on the day and an outstanding performance in the final against hosts St Peter's laid a clear marker in the ground for the season ahead.
The day got off to a solid start with a win against St Paul's Collegiate. The local rivals took it to the 1st XI in the first half with a physical, pressing game, but some high-quality football from the HBHS midfield, including the precise long-range passing of Josh Galletly took the game away from St Paul's. Goals from Lesley Kivolyn and Tom O'Leary secured a comfortable victory in the end.
The second match, against our own 2nd XI, kicked off only a matter of minutes after the first, due to the tight scheduling of the tournament. This is often a tricky fixture, with the 2nd XI boys keen to impress as they look to push for places in the top squad. They certainly brought a competitive spirit to the match. 2nd XI coach Hayden Marrow had his team organised as always and this made life difficult for the 1st XI attacking players. In the end, goals from our two Captain of Football at HBHS, Casey Sharplin and Max Ericksen, secured a 2:0 win.
After a short rest, the last pool game was against a very tired Hillcrest High School, who had a quick turnaround after their loss to St Peter's. It was one-way traffic in favour of HBHS 1st XI for most of the game, with first-half goals from centre back Sean Rogers and Max Ericksen. The boys were cruising. However, Hillcrest scored an impressive free kick from 25 yards out in the second half that appeared to have been rehearsed on the training pitch. A nervous ten minutes ensued, until Lesley Kivolyn popped up again to reinstate the two-goal buffer and take the boys into the final with a 3:1 victory.
The final was against our old foes St Peter's. In order to defend the cup, the boys would have to lift the intensity another level and take the game to the hosts from the start. They certainly achieved this with precision and passion. The 1st XI dominated the game from start to finish, with every player contributing in an emphatic all-round display. Goals in the first half from brothers Max and Tyler Ericksen completely took the game away from St Peter's, and when the half time whistle blew, the HBHS 1st XI jogged off the pitch, looking like they could run all day. The hosts' body language said quite the opposite.
HBHS continued where they had left off in the second half, scoring again via captain Max Ericksen within 2 minutes of the half getting underway. All players got to play their part in the final and with rolling subs being used to good effect, this ensured fresh legs were maintained all over the park. A 3:0 win did not flatter the visitors and the victory continues the school's proud history in this tournament. The HBHS has won 15 out of the last 18 College Day Tournaments, a run which began when head coach Aaron Scott was wearing the famous red and black stripes. See post-match interview with captain and two-goal hero Max Ericksen below:
The first XI turns its attention to the defence of the WSSFA Premier League next weekend, along with National Qualifiers coming up in the months ahead. The term rounds off with the Super Eight Tournament in New Plymouth.