The 2023 Chronicle

to Mr Mthalane, who takes the reins as head coach of the first team in 2024. Long may the joyous cries of “House…House… red-white…red-white” be heard in support of our first team in years to come.

Centre to beat a strong Northwood team who had won the Kearsney Stayers’ tournament in 2022 (58-50). The pinnacle of achievements of our first team this year was their victory at the inaugural Maritzburg College Jenny Orchard Invitational Tournament. This tournament attracted the cream of schoolboy basketball in South Africa (and some of its neighbours). In what has been a trend in our previous victories at the Kearsney stayers’ tournament in 2019 and the St John’s College tournament in 2020, we started slowly and lost to Kearsney in the opening group match (37-48). This proved to be our only loss of the tournament as we won our remaining pool matches comfortably before facing the tournament hosts, Maritzburg College, in the semi-final. Our team played some of their best basketball of the year in a tight match where they showed incredible big-match temperament to win 37-28. In what was an exhilarating final against a St Charles team that we had lost to a few weeks earlier (and that had won the St John’s tournament a week later), our team displayed remarkable grit and tactical brilliance, securing a well-deserved tournament victory and the honour of having the school’s name engraved on the trophy as the champions. Special mention must go to the exceptional three-point shooting of Jordan Baxter and the physical defence played by the likes of Jordyn Kleynhans, Max Rautenbach and Elihle Ngcobo. One week later, the team headed up the hill to the St John’s College tournament. In what can only be described as a huge disappointment, we were not at the races from day one and lost all of our pool matches before winning our final two placement matches of the tournament. Tough lessons were learned and we look forward to a better tournament next year. The team finished the season with a final fixture against Hilton College away. In what was undoubtedly one of the best and most exhilarating first-team matches between the two schools in many years, we managed to come out on top by one point (70-69). At the start of the 2023/24 season, our stayers team competed in the Kearsney stayers’ tournament in the Michaelmas holidays. They won all but one of their pool matches to finish second in their pool before losing in a tight quarter-final against St David’s (29-35). We beat the tournament hosts to finish seventh out of 20 teams. The rest of the fourth term saw us lose to Kearsney (35 48) before winning our next three matches against Clifton (58 46), Glenwood (83-23) and Treverton (64-8). Our stayers team ended the year with three consecutive disappointments, which included narrow losses to Westville away (61-65), Hilton at home (46-47) and St Charles in a sweltering hot Pietermaritzburg. The scoreline flattered the hosts as we were tied in the third quarter (42-65). It was a valuable learning curve for a young team and one they will use next year. All in all, 2023 has been a resounding success and our first team again led by example. I would like to thank our head coach, Mr Junior Mazibuko, assistant coach Mr Nkululeko Mthalane and conditioning specialist Mr Prosper Dubazana for their excellent efforts in bringing out the best in the boys and helping them reach new heights this year. They have set the bar at its highest point for the boys who follow, and we look forward to an exciting 2024 that lies ahead. I would also like to thank Mr Mazibuko for his excellent work as head coach and commend him for the strides he has made with the team. We look forward to his expertise as assistant coach

FIRST TEAM RESULTS OPPOSITION

RESULT PF

PA

Kearsney College Maritzburg College St Charles College Treverton College Northwood School Kearsney College

Won Lost Lost Won Won Lost Won Won Won Won Won Lost Lost Lost Lost Won Won Won Won Won Lost Won Won Lost Lost Won Lost Won Won Won Lost Lost Lost

62 42 42 65 58 37 52 58 51 37 39 52 23 30 44 42 41 70 65 51 29 62 48 29 38 38 35 58 83 64 61 46 42

41 61 54 12 50 48 26 20 42 28 37 54 37 32 56 34 21 69 15 30 55 28 44 35 39 37 48 46 23 65 47 65 8

Usuthu Forest

Bishops

Soweto Academy

Maritzburg College St Charles College St Benedict’s College

Northwood School

Parktown Boys’ High School

King Edward VII School

ESCA

St Peter’s College

Hilton College

SAHETI

Kings School Linbro Park

St Benedict’s College

The Clan

Hilton College

St David’s Marist St John’s College Kearsney College Kearsney College

Clifton College

Glenwood High School

Treverton College

Westville

Hilton College

St Charles College

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