167 Centenary Edition 166 The Chronicle 2021 Under 14A Soccer Having spent the end of the second term and the start of the third term playing internal league football, the 14A soccer team was finally able to benchmark themselves against other schools. The internal league inter-house games were a good opportunity for the coach to assess the players’ abilities and although my observations proved to be correct for the most part, there were boys who, over the course of the season, were able to show their worth. The first game came at last against a DHS team that had been training as a squad since the beginning of the year. In the DHS game, although Kearsney was dominated for large portions of the first half, a formation switch allowed the players to play to their strengths. Mabanga showed his skill on the ball and the fast wingers latched onto passes, while captain, Sipho Majiza, was able to take shots from range and demonstrate his strength in winning and holding onto the ball and driving from deep. The match ended 2-1 in favour of Kearsney and gave the team reason to believe. What followed were a number of disruptions with cancelled fixtures and this curtailed any significant momentum the team was able to make. The next fixture played was against a strong Westville team in most unpleasant weather conditions, with snow actually falling at Kearsney later in the day! Westville were better in every respect and taught Kearsney a lesson in composed passing and positional awareness - Kearsney fell to a 2-5 loss. The third, and unfortunately final, match of the season was away against Hilton. In a cagey affair against a good team, Kearsney ground out a 0-0 draw, which proved to be a creditable performance. Thanks must go to captain, Sipho Majiza, and every player who came into the team and participated enthusiastically in training sessions. You are boys with a lot of talent, who must carry belief and hard work into next season and those to follow. Results: Played 3, Won 1, Lost 1, Drew 1 Mr Matt Saville Coach Under 14B Soccer Players: Spaso Curach, Hayden Dunsdon, Matthew Gouws, Mason Hielckert, Nhlakanipho Hlongwane, Kwande Majola, Kwandile Majola, Luca Mindry, Mvelo Mkhize, Othandwayo Mvelase, Joshua Painting, James Pohl, Kyle Pullock, Dini Raborifi, Robert Smith, Fezile Sokhela, Matthew Terblanche, Tristan Uys As other coaches have mentioned, it is unfortunate that the soccer season was interrupted due to COVID-19. This resulted in the U14B team only playing two games. The boys, however, thoroughly enjoyed the season and showed good development as a team and as individuals. It was evident that the boys had missed the opportunity to engage in physical activity and, even though the season was short, it served well in this regard. The goals of the season were not results-oriented, but rather around character and skills development. We were fortunate to have two fixtures against long-time rivals Westville Boys’ High and Hilton College. We lost both fixtures, 1-4 and 2-3, respectively. It was wonderful to see the growth from the first to the second game. The boys really played some exciting soccer and displayed great individual and team skills. Had the season been longer, I believe the team would have gone from strength to strength and become a force to be reckoned with. As a coach, it was wonderful to see the boys progress, and even more pleasing to see the boys’ enjoyment of playing the sport that they all love. Special thanks must be made to the Sports Department and Mr Amos for their continued efforts in organising and ensuring there were fixtures for the boys. I also thank the boys for their enthusiasm and dedication, despite the uncertainty. There is a lot of talent in this age group and I look forward to seeing the players’ continued growth. Results: Played 2, Lost 2 Mr Keagan Deponselle Coach Under 14C Soccer Players: Cameron Bell, Matthew Blair, Wandile Cele, Kunashe Kamwendo, Awande Luthuli, Sisanda Makhathini, Owethu Mayekiso, Luke Minne, Bandile Mkhabela, Ezile Nodada, James Pohl, Joseph Roylance, Lithemba Shabalala, William Smith, Matthew Terblanche, Oliver Tubb, Tristan Uys This group of boys showed tremendous spirit during a demanding and fluid year. They could hardly wait to get onto the field and play competitive football. Our theme for season was to make the most of all opportunities and to enjoy practices, intra-school matches and the two competitive matches against Westville Boys’ High and Reddam, Umhlanga. The highlight of the season was the fact that we were able to play any games at all. The boys attended practices on a regular basis and were keen to learn more about the intricacies of the game. Solid friendships were formed on the field and the boys were able to work on their fitness and hone their soccer skills. Our first competitive fixture was against a strong and physical Westville Boys’ High team. The Kearsney team held their own during the first half, but during the second half the Westville strikers found the back of the net on several occasions. The cold and wet weather on the day did not help with the morale of the players on the field. The second match was against a highly skilled Reddam Umhlanga ‘A’ side. One could see that the team has played together for a while as they knew where and when to put the ball into gaps and turn possession into goals. I commend the Kearsney boys for their tremendous effort, high spirits, willingness to learn and “never say die” attitude. I am looking forward to watching their development next year. Thank you for an enjoyable season and Back row (L-R): Back row (L-R): Thabang Ramokgopa, Othandwayo Mvelase, Nicholas Munro, Mvelo Mkhize Middle row: Kaylin Moodley, Hayden Dunsdon, Jamie van Wyk, Hlako Rachidi, Kai Cele Front row: Joshua Painting, Joshua Griffiths, Sipho Majiza (Captain), Matthew Saville (Coach), Lukhona Mabanga, Cullan Abrahams Absent: Katekani Makhubele SOCCER UNDER 14A for always giving Mr Green and I something to smile about in these ever-changing times. Results: Played 2, Lost 2 MrThinus Els Coach Under 14D Soccer Players: Sisanda Makhathini, Mihlali Mgobozi, Wandile Cele, Lefa Kgomo, Mnikelo Madlala, Kade Rencken, Calum Skewis, Ariv Raidoo, Thayuren Pillay, Awande Luthuli, Carl Jansen van Vuuren, Jac Hodge, Austin Clewlow, Tendekayi Moto, Travis Rae, Matthew Blair, William Smith, Lithemba Shabalala, Kwenza Mkhize The U14Ds started the season off playing against the U14C side as there was no opposition available for the first two weekends, when sport was allowed to resume. The boys really enjoyed it and bonded as a team. We played against Westville Boys’ High for the next two consecutive weekends and, although the boys played well, we were not strong enough to get the better of Westville and lost both games. All the boys really gave their all for the entire season. They did not lose focus and encouraged each other to not give up. Though short, it was a really enjoyable season, and I know that the boys all really enjoyed playing. Results: Played 2, Lost 2 Mr Stafford Green Coach U14D Soccer
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