Forward 2016 | Page 27

SPORT

Soccer

Each year , Guildford Grammar School enters a team in the School Sports Western Australia `Champions Schools ’ Cup Competition . This has proved to be a great way of experiencing competition against a wider variety of teams , outside of the traditional PSA set-up . This year over 70 teams from across the state competed , including a number of highly-rated soccer academy schools with full-time soccer programs . We have had some success over the last ten years , reaching a semi-final and a quarter-final and twice making the final 16 . This year the Year 9 and 10 boys had high hopes and set themselves a target of making the quarter finals and having worked with most of them for the past four years , I believed they were capable !
In spite of a slow start to their campaign , the boys qualified for the knock-out stage ,
defeating Balcatta SHS and drawing with Ashdale in the group stage matches . The 4-2 defeat to Ballajura CC was disappointing but we would get our revenge later in the tournament ! Our hearts skipped a beat when the draw for the knock-out stage was announced , as we were to play the 2015 Champions , Woodvale , one of the most successful teams in the history of the competition . However , our professionalism , discipline and tenacity saw us score a shock 3-1 win and the boost it gave to all of the boys was incredible !
We then defeated Corpus Christi 5-3 and booked a place in the quarter-finals against Mirrabooka SHS . We defeated them 2-1 and made it through to the north region final ( the state semi-final ) against Ballajura . Sadly , we had lost our midfield engine and warhorse , Jack Gipson-Stratton , but the boys reshuffled and despite going down 1-0 , fought back with great determination and got us back into the game through a fierce strike by Austin Shephard . Henry Wilkinson- Derums ( playing centre-back ) then made an amazing 100m run down the length of the pitch with Ballajura players trailing in his wake , crossing the ball in for Harry Ward to send us in to the state grand final for the first time !
The day of the final was incredibly exciting with some boys even being extracted from the Year 9 Camp for the fixture . We prepared well and got stuck in from the whistle , cheered along heartily by the supporters who accompanied us to the game as well as our ever-faithful travelling army of parents ! We were playing well and the game looked very even until Henry sadly tore his hamstring and had to be taken off in the first half . In the aftermath of the re-shuffle we went a goal down , but at half-time the boys were still confident of getting something from the game . South Coast Baptist College scored a second goal early after the re-start , but Peter Pilkadaris scored a great header goal to put us back in the competition . We continued to attack until the final whistle , but were unsuccessful in getting the equaliser .
The boys were exhausted and emotional , but it had been an exceptional game played in an incredibly determined way by a talented group of boys . State runners-up to a team who train five days a week throughout the year and have three professional coaches is no mean feat and the boys should be proud of their achievements , which augur well for our PSA efforts over the next few years .
Mr Tony Wildman ( Coach )
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