April 20, 2018 - South African College High School

April 20, 2018

This past weekend has our teams visiting the beautiful Stellenbosch
where we took on Paul Roos Gymnasium.
First and foremost, a big THANK YOU to the parents who travelled out
to Stellenbosch for their sons. It is always appreciated when you
support the school in this way. I have no doubt that you enjoyed the
beautiful scenery and the special atmosphere of the Maties’
astroturf fields.
Interestingly, their astro was even newer than even ours, only having
been finished a couple of days before the games!
This weekend we are visited by Somerset College from Somerset
West and it will be the first set of league fixtures on the new astro.
The paving around the astro is almost finished and the nearby
change-rooms are coming along nicely.

Below are brief coaches’ reports of the matches against Paul Roos:
First XI:
Having previously toured to the same festival as us, there were very
few secrets going into the first game of our local schools' season vs
PRG.
However it was a match that started a little slowly with both teams
probing. SACS grew in confidence, holding possession and creating
a number of good circle entries to test and stress the PRG defence.
Tom Mitchell marshalled the midfield turn-overs well and provided a
balanced head, ensuring the ball was kept safe.

Kabelo Mosothoane also excelled in this first period and proved to
be a good target man up front. The pressure resulted in PCs, but
were unconverted. A break into the PRG D from the right, and the
resulting scramble in front of goal, saw Markus Sass flick the ball over
the GK and into the net. 1-0 SACS.

In the second half SACS lost a little of their drive and failed to keep
possession for long-enough periods. This meant we conceded too

much territory and ultimately the pressure grew. After a fourth
penalty corner in a row, SACS let in a goal, with only four minutes to
go. The score remained at 1-1, but it was a bright and promising start
to the season for this young SACS team.

Second XI:
Paul Roos play with high ball-speed and use the full width and depth
of the field. This would mean that, defensively, the team would have
to work hard as unit.
That is what the team did very well and, even though Paul Roos went
up a goal in the second half, the players stuck to the task at hand.
Paul Roos created more opportunities in the match, but in the last
few minutes of the match we had a very good spell of attacking
hockey. Going down 0-1 was a very good result against strong
opposition.

Third XI:
A Third Team, hurriedly bundled together after a single practice, took
on Paul Roos this past weekend. The SACS gentlemen did well to
hold Paul Roos at 1-1 for a long time in the match.

However, several key factors allowed Paul Roos to get ahead. Man-
marking was very poor in the defensive third of the field and a lack
of fitness showed as links struggled to support in both counter-
attacking play and defensively.

The SACS players didn't look in too much of a hurry to win a 50/50
ball and many double-turnovers allowed Paul Roos more possession
to build attacks. Although there were many errors made, there were
a few very encouraging signs too. The defence soaked up a lot of
pressure and did well to cope without the links falling back.

A few smooth passes in midfield allowed the ball to change
channels and open up a fast attack from time to time. Ryan Britton
got the only goal for SACS with a smooth touch on a through-ball
from Lorne Truter. SACS lost the match 4-1.

Fourth XI:

The SACS 4th hockey team took on the might of Paul Roos Gym after
only one practice. There was an amazing turnout of 52 candidates
from which to select a 3rd and a 4th team.
Needless-to-say, this was a daunting task and the coaches
eventually ended up with squads of 15 and 18 respectively for this
fixture.
With the limited amount of time to do effective preparation for the
match – get structures in place, practise attacking and defensive
short corners etc. – we entered this game a little light in preparation.
This team then produced a stunning performance for their first
outing. They ran themselves ragged and were superb value for the
full duration of the match.

SACS took an early lead half way through the first half with a well-
executed right circle entry and cross to have a simple tap-in goal by
Chris McHardy. PRG replied with a goal just before half time after
some robust pushing off the ball. SACS had a number of chances
but did not convert.
In the second half PRG scored a deflection goal after some lax
marking in the SACS circle, with eight minutes left in the match.
The SACS men showed real fighting spirit and equalised with two
minutes to go through Tahir Sulaiman. Once again, it was after a right
circle entry and excellent reverse-stick finish.
This was a fair reflection of the match and everyone was well-
pleased with this display. We can only improve in the future fixtures.
The standard of hockey was very pleasing for a first outing with
limited prep time. Well Done!
U16A:
Following on from a successful tour, the SACS U16A team had no
easy ride into the league. Coming up against a formidable and well-
drilled Paul Roos side, it was going to be a tough contest.
There was an incredible start to the game where SACS created
numerous goal-scoring opportunities and short corners. We forced a
brilliant “postman save” on the line by Paul Roos off a Liam Glasby
drag-flick.

The game then became much tighter. It was an end-to-end first half,
with plenty of spectator-pleasing skill. SACS ended up soaking up
plenty of pressure and did well to head into halftime at 0-0, following
a massive defensive effort from the boys.

Thomas Brocklehurst should also get a mention for numerous high-
quality saves. SACS came out firing in the second half, scoring a goal
by acting on a Paul Roos defensive error - Damian Knott with a silky
assist, followed by a Chris Breetzke striker’s instinct finish. This goal put
Paul Roos on the back foot and gave SACS a huge amount of
strength.
This showed throughout the rest of the second half through a
controlling and composed display of hockey from SACS. To kill off
the game, Chris Breetzke gathered the ball off another defensive
error, charged towards the goal and finished clinically.

There was huge passion displayed by the SACS U16A team to win
the game 2-0. And now onto the next hurdle against Somerset
College.

U16B:
This past weekend the SACS U16B team faced a well-drilled Paul
Roos side. Having only had one practice together, the odds looked
stacked against us.
Paul Roos came out flying, managing to dominate possession and
territory. The U16Bs showed serious determination to keep the ball
out of their goal.
A swift counter-attack saw SACS get up the astroturf to manufacture
a good team goal, James MacDonald being the scorer. Paul Roos
replied swiftly, getting a goal of their own. Another counter attack
at the end of the half saw Keenan Dalwai fire a shot into the bottom
left corner to put SACS ahead going into the second half.
The second half was much like the first, with Paul Roos having most
of the chances. Tiago Brazier did well in goal to keep out their efforts.
The defence also did an excellent job, nullifying the Paul Roos short
corners.
We did eventually concede towards the end of the game. The final
score was 2-2. It was a great effort shown by the team.
U16C:
Two full practice sessions were taken up by U16C team trials and that
left the team with only one practice session going into a very tough
encounter against Paul Roos.

The boys had not had much time to become familiar with their new
team-mates but, fortunately, they started to gel well with each other
as the game finally got underway.

Paul Roos had some very good attacking plays which constantly
kept the defenders under pressure and 2 goals were scored. The
team knows where they went wrong and what to work on and are
extremely optimistic for the rest of the season. The Paul Roos game
has been put behind them and the goal is to try to win every game
going ahead. Special mention must be made to goalkeeper Ethan

Fowler who made some excellent saves during the match and
remained calm under pressure throughout the whole game.

U16D:

We had a tough encounter against our Paul Roos counterparts on
Saturday. Their team was far superior to us in skills and we were
thoroughly out-played, losing 0 - 9. Nevertheless, the boys played
with spirit. It is still early in the season and there is lots of room for
improvement.

U15A:

The U15 As played well. There was very good build-up play but, when
it came to the attacking in the opponents 23, players could not
secure the final pass or shot on goal.

Although we scored three goals, we had countless opportunities
and nine short corners, only converting one. But, then again, it’s the
start of the season and, with not much training before this first fixture,
it was understandable that the scoring percentage of opportunities
was poor.

Positives are that the build-up play was there and the team has a
good vibe with players having a hard-working attitude.

Andrew Lovely ended up scoring a very good goal on his birthday,
hitting the ball into the top right corner! Tom Cowen also scored a
good goal in a shorty deflection goal and was awarded man of the
match. SACS won the game 3-1.

U14A:

The SACS and Paul Roos teams both toured to the Founders Festival,
where both teams were unbeaten, but did not get to play each
other (report below). The teams however supported and watched
each other play at the festival, so the players knew what to expect
in their first league match of the season.

SACS started the stronger team by putting maximum pressure on
PRG and constraining their usual expansive play. Defensive lines
were good and pressure on the ball-carrier was fantastic. When in
possession of the ball, however, errors crept in, mainly due to players
struggling to find an early outlet pass.

One of these mistakes in the first half led to a Paul Roos counter-
attack and goal. The second half was a more even affair with both
teams pressing. Another unfortunate error led to a Paul Ross goal
and the game finished 0 – 2 in favour of Paul Roos. The score-line did
not reflect the intensity the SACS team brought to the game and, all
things considered, the match was a valuable learning experience
for the SACS team.

U14B:

The U14B team began their season with a close encounter against
Paul Roos. The sides were fairly evenly-matched and plenty of
chances went a-begging for both teams.

Paul Roos struck first with a rather messy goal that was purely down
to poor marking in the D. We hit back through a stellar strike from
powerful centre-forward Aiden Vlietman, making it 1-1 going into
half time.

The second half was less successful for us as our basics deteriorated
as the game went on. Full credit to Paul Roos as they punished us for
our soft defence. They scored two more goals that ended the game
at 3-1 to PRG.

The boys never gave in and charged around for the full 50 minutes
of play, showing moments of glittering skill and tons of potential. It
will be exciting to see what the side can achieve this season, given
the amount of talent that they displayed on Friday.

U14C:

Up against a very tough opposition and after only one practice, the
U16 C hockey team played their hearts out against Paul Roos. After
warming up in the first half, the team showed significant
improvement in the second half. We hope this is a sign of things to
come. Although we lost 0-4, we had a strong defence. We look
forward to a very promising season!

SACS U14A Founders Festival (Durban)

The SACS U14A team headed to the Founders Festival with a new
team that had only had a few practices and a training match
against Wynberg under the belt. The tour was therefore aimed at
being a learning experience to get all players on the same page
and to start the process of developing the next level of skills.

                     From the first match, the players realised (with
                     the encouragement of manager Mr Alan
                     Willows) the importance of passing and playing
                     with high intensity. The results were testimony to
                     the players buying into this with the team being
                     unbeaten, winning four matches and drawing
                     two.

At the conclusion of the tournament, Aiden Fourie, Matthew
McGaw, Amar Shah Khan and Tim Patten were selected for the
tournament team. Jarryd Wentzell and Matthew Thomson were
unlucky not be selected after stellar performances. Overall the
festival was a great start to the season.

U 16 A Founders Tour:

This year the U16A squad went to Pretoria to participate in the
Founders festival. This U16 Founders festival was hosted by
the Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies).
Six matches were to be played in three days, a hectic schedule of
two matches per day was expected of the gentlemen. The SACS
U16s rose mightily to the occasion and played outstandingly in all
their games. This fantastic form can be attributed to the boys'
training mentality and focus to be the best U16 team in the country.

This mind-set, coupled with a good warm up and warm down
routine, was key to success. The u16As were accompanied by a
youthful, energetic and positive coach, Anton Van Loggerenberg
(an Old Boy). Anton's motivation is to curate the individual by
ensuring a cohesive team. Anton encourages each player to focus
on his strengths and weaknesses to contribute to the team's
progression.

The first match against Parktown was a good lesson in maintaining a
steady temperament against feisty opponents. Later that day the
U16s played a more structured game against Queens. Both matches
were convincingly won and the belief grew within the SACS team.

An early start against Potch Boys was a bit of a mismatch and the
strikers ran rampant, each hungry to ensure their name was on the
score board. However, despite the ease of goal-scoring, the U16s
did not descend into selfish play and stayed true to a strong team
focus. As manager I received many compliments about the
discipline and sportsmanship shown by our SACS boys.

Weary legs and bleary eyes arose on the final day of tour to play at
07:30am against the hosts, Affies, certainly one of the strongest
opponents to date. Affies were a physical side, but the swift passing
and use of width by SACS ensured another victory. The tournament
culminated in a match against Northwood, the strongest team the
U16s were to face. Brocklehurst showed his class in goal with vital
saves to keep SACS in a tense match. Tired minds were frayed by
half time, but a great team talk by Anton roused the boys to make
it six-out-of-six victories.

The tour laid the foundation for what could be a very exciting season
in the U16 age group. The parents that supported the entire team
whilst on tour, and before, must also be thanked. The half-time
sweets and side-line cheering is much appreciated, even if the boys
don't want to show it!

Second Team Hockey Tour to York High Festival
The Second Team hockey tour to York High would be challenging,
as we had to fit in seven fixtures in two-and-a-half days. In our first
match against Milnerton 1sts, our ball-speed was slow and it made it
difficult for us to control the match for long periods. After going down
by a goal, the team seemed to settle down more and move the ball
around with more confidence. There were some valiant efforts to
score and equalise but, unfortunately, it did not happen and we lost
1- 0. It was a very encouraging first match.
Our second match against York High. It was very tight and there
were not too many opportunities in the match. We went two goals
ahead, but York put us under pressure for the last ten minutes in order
to even out the result, but the boys defended well to give SACS a 2-
1 victory (Jordan Truter , Adam Arends).
Outeniqua 1stXI put us under pressure early in the next match. We
were unfortunately punished for our errors and were soon three goals
down. This was difficult to come back from, but the team put in an
excellent display of hockey and outplayed Outeniqua for the last
ten minutes of the first half. We just could not seem to sore off our
opportunities and lost the match 5-0.

Against Bellville 1st team, we moved the ball around with good
accuracy and speed and were rewarded with two early goals.
Bellville did not give up, keeping on throwing longer balls up field,
and managed to score two goals to level the match at 2-2 (Thomas
Theron, Jordan Truter).The team showed better all-round control.
Against Edgemead, we displayed a very clinical performance in all
areas of the game and won the match 3-0 (Matthew Beck, Reece
Nunnerly and Ibrahim Mahmood). It was a very pleasing result.
Our last day’s first match was a disaster. Nothing went right!
Whatever we tried did not work. We did not have one shot at goal
and no penalty corners either. We were quickly brought back to
reality after some very good earlier performances. We lost the match
3-0.
In our last match against Pinelands, it was important that we found
our form and ended off on a positive note. Even though we
conceded a goal within 40 seconds, it did not deter the team at all.
Pinelands 1st XI are well-organised and have some highly-skilled
players. We worked hard and defended well by neutralising them in
critical areas. Even though we lost the match 1-0, it was a very
encouraging way to end the tour. Thank you to the boys for their
time and effort.
(Ed: Half the matches were played on grass!)

First XI Tour:

The First Hockey Team travelled to Dale College in King William’s
Town, keen to set a high standard for themselves. The focus was on
our own processes and not those of the opposition whom we were
to play, although results were important.
It was a tough start with only a short break from arriving from the
airport to the first match versus Affies. SACS controlled much of the
game and scored first. The lack of real pre-season turf training
showed with some defensive organisational errors and Affies
equalized through a penalty corner. Despite more SACS pressure,
the score line remained 1 – 1.

The following day started brightly with a 3 – 0 win over
Potchefstroom Boys’ High. Unfortunately, the rain set in and
became harder as the day wore on and with only ten minutes of
play having been played, the Dale College game was called off
with SACS 1 – 0 up. We were rescheduled for 7:00am on the last day
of the tour.

Kearnsey College and Northwood School were the two schools who
had strong reputations before the tour had started. Both schools
were well into their season and into their second tour of the year
already. SACS beat Kearsney College 3 – 0 and drew 0 – 0 with
Northwood School. A 5:00am morning wake-up for the rescheduled
Dale College game saw the boys control the game for a 2 – 0 win.
This was followed two hours later by a 2 – 0 win over Parktown Boys’
High School.

It was an excellent tour with plenty of lessons learnt for the rest of our
season, as well as outstanding camaraderie in the squad. The boys
were a real credit to our school and were positively-commented on
by all who watched and officiated the games. Thomas van Niekerk,
Luke D’Aguiar and Kabelo Mosothoane were selected for the
Festival Team.

A Pot-Pourri of Pics
(Many thanks to Chris D’Aguiar for the 1st Team Tour shots)

SACS HOCKEY RESULTS vs PRG [Fix 1]
                             [13th & 14th April 2018]

                      TEAM      OPPONENTS          SCORE

                   SACS 1st          PRG          1 - 1 drew

                  SACS 2nd           PRG          0 - 1 lost

                   SACS 3rd          PRG          1 - 4 lost

                   SACS 4th          PRG           2 - 2 drew

                  SACS 16A           PRG          2 - 0 won

                  SACS 16B           PRG          2 - 2 drew

                  SACS 15A           PRG          3 - 1 won

                  SACS 16C           PRG          0 - 2 lost

                  SACS 16D           PRG          0 - 9 lost

                  SACS 14A           PRG          0 - 2 lost

                  SACS 14B           PRG          1 - 3 lost

                  SACS 14C           PRG          0 - 4 lost

              SACS HOCKEY vs SOMERSET COLLEGE etc. [fix 2]
                             [20th & 21st April 2018]

 TEAM         OPPONENTS            VENUE          FIELD          DAY       TIME

SACS 1st   Som College               SACS     SACS ASTRO        Fri 20th   19:15

SACS 2nd   Som College               SACS     SACS ASTRO        Fri 20th   16:50

SACS 3rd   SACS 4th                  SACS     SACS ASTRO Fri 20th          14:30

SACS 4th   SACS 3rd                  SACS     SACS ASTRO Fri 20th          14:30

SACS 16A   Som College               SACS     SACS ASTRO        Fri 20th   18:00

SACS 15A   Som College              SACS      SACS ASTRO       Sat 21st   9:30

SACS 16B   Som College              SACS      SACS ASTRO       Sat 21st   10:30

SACS 16C   Curro Durbenville 16B    Curro     Curro Astro      Fri 20th   17:30

SACS 16D   Settlars                Settlers   Settlers Astro   Sat 21st   11:45

SACS 16E   No game

SACS 14A   Som College              SACS      SACS ASTRO       Fri 20th   15:45

SACS 14B   Som College              SACS      SACS ASTRO       Sat 21st   08:30

SACS 14C   WBHS 14E                WBHS       Wynb ASTRO       Sat 21st   11:00