Sport: Boys Netball 

We had 28 boys across 3 teams compete at the Upper Hume Boys Netball carnival yesterday at the Wangaratta Barr Reserve.

Our Senior Boys were our best group this year, the majority of them Year 11s that dominated the carnival last year as the Champion Intermediate team which later went within a whisker of winning Hume Region and making it to State. This year they were agonisingly close to winning it again, even without gun Tom Ford who was in Cairns on a family holiday.  Here is a blurb from coach Sheri Parkhouse:

"We had five games against some tough competition. The day began with Victory Lutheran College Wodonga.  After a couple of nervous misses for goal we got on track and had a great win 18-7. This was a great confidence builder. We then moved into some close matches that challenged the mindset of the lads – winning against Cathedral College 15-12, then a draw with Galen College 11-11 The team was a little deflated by the draw but with a break in between matches we reset for a big challenge against Catholic College Wodonga. This was a tough match - our shooting confidence and passes were inconsistent leaving us with a loss 13-15.  Reaching the next round then became a game of numbers. With one match to go against Wodonga Senior Secondary College, we could not lose, but with a tough game and some tired bodies we came out in front 13-9, missing the next stage by a whisker. A great day out. Best On Court were Year 11s Lachlan Suffield & Ned O’Kane, but it was a super effort by all the boys."

The Junior team, coached by former Australian Under 21 and Australian Institute Of Sport Netballer Zelda Yeates, were our next best outfit. They finished 4th of 7 schools, with a 3-1-2 record, despite missing key tall Wangaratta Warriors and North-East Bushrangers  (Victorian Junior Basketball League) basketballer Oskar McGahan (unavailable), and star all-rounders Hugh Spring and Zeke Hogan whochose Table Tennis instead. They had great wins against Catholic College Wodonga 13-4, Wodonga Middle Years (Huon) 9-8, and local rivals Galen College 10-9, plus a draw with Wodonga Middle Years (Felltimber) 9-9. Interestingly the overall winners on the day were Catholic College Wodonga, who the boys thrashed 13-4. Their wins against both Catholic and Galen are significant as both schools have twice our number of kids. Best players were Isaac Robinson, Darcy Waide and Clarence Lampa the Captain. 

The Intermediate Boys had a reasonable day, finishing 4th of 8 with a 1-2 record. Coached by ​Multiple Wangaratta Rovers A-Grade Premiership Netballer Michelle Wilson, they defeated the gargantuan Catholic College Wodonga 9-7, but got done by Wodonga Middle Years (Huon Campus) and Wodonga Senior Secondary College. Year 10 Oscar Benson was named the standout, playing mostly in defence, gaining many intercepts and providing drive through the centre into attack. Lachlan Pensak was another consistent contributor who ran hard all day in the Centre position. Like the Seniors, they were sorely missing their star Ford brother, Jack.

Thanks boys for representing us so well again. Thanks to our many helpers, and our coaches Parkhouse, Wilson and Yeates who also spent many Lunchtimes trialling and training the boys - especially Yeatesy.  Massive thank you as well to staff member Cindy Chalmers and Leah Anderson, and Year 9 student Tilly Gibson, for umpiring. Special thanks to Newmo for convening the day. She is pictured below with Di Larkin from Wodonga Senior - combined, those two have been running the Upper Hume Netball and in fact all Sport events for over 50 years. Absolutely legendary figures.

We look forward to the upcoming Basketball, with Year 7 tryouts happening next Monday & Tuesday.

Jud Mullins

Sport Coordinator