Sports report
BVPS Girls Football
On Friday the 21 July, the BVPS Girls Football team travelled to Tenterfield in the third round of the PSSA State Knockout Competition.
After a big drive, the girls played like a well-practised team, passing the ball to one another, getting around the opposition. The girls came away with a big win, with the end score being 9-0. Our team played with sportsmanship and were a credit to our school. Thank you to all the parents who took the time to drive their children to Tenterfield.
The next round will be against the winner of Moree and Warialda, to be played later in the term.
Heidi Gray
BVPS Boys Hockey
On Thursday 20th July, the Ben Venue boys' hockey team travelled to Tamworth to participate in the regional PSSA gala day. After our first game of the day was cancelled the boys moved into the second game of the competition.
Game 2 was against Sandon. The boys put up a tough challenge, but unfortunately, they came away with a 4-0 loss. This was a mighty effort from our defence with the majority of the gameplay taking place in our defensive half. The score could have been far greater had it not been for some excellent saves from our goalkeeper Rory.
Shortly after, we versed Tamworth South Public. Ben Venue found their opposition to be skillful and dynamic with a consistent defense. Our boys knew that some stiff competition would be served up on the day and they worked hard to resolve structural plays throughout the game, gaining a greater understanding of the importance of perseverance and teamwork. Whilst we found it difficult to combat their defence, we were able to break away and have fantastic goals scored by Clay and Logan. Tamworth South was unable to answer these goals leaving the final score 2-0.
Our final game of the day was against Timbumburi Public School. A team made up of players much more skillful and experienced than our own. It did not take long to see their ability to score team goals, and they were soon ahead on the scoreboard. At half-time, the boys had a choice to make. They could either hang their heads and accept defeat or they could go into the second half working as a team, giving 100% and relishing their chances.
In true Ben Venue spirit, the boys chose the latter and played every minute as if it were the grand final. Logan, Archie, Max, and Archer tirelessly tackled in the backs and marked their strikers. With Will often being the lone striker running the length of the field to attack Timbumburi’s circle. With many grazed knees and exhausted breaths, the boys came away with a 1-0 loss. The boy's efforts paid off with no goals scored against them in the second half.
The grit and determination of the boys was very impressive and their skills and cohesion progressed throughout the day. From a group of boys who hadn’t played together, along with several players who had never picked up a hockey stick before, the boys improved tremendously in both skill and positioning. It was heartening to see just how proud the boys were of their achievements. Thank you to all the parents who took the boys to Tamworth and supported them throughout the day. Hopefully, these fine young players can inspire some more of their friends to pick up a stick, so the strong tradition of hockey at BVPS can continue well into the future.
Lauren Corby