The 2025 Chronicle

11 4 10 3

7 7 2 1 4 6 8 2 3 8 4 5

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

252 220 32 227 159 68

36 30 67

were delighted to welcome three new coaches, Mr Sbu Cele, Mr Phiwokuhle Ali and Mr Thabo Sithole, and look forward to many happy years with them on our coaching team. We bid Mr Steve Sliedrecht, Mr Thabiso Mdhluli, Mr Thabani Mchunu, Mr Luyanda Zondi and Mr Joshua August farewell and thank them for their fantastic contributions to our game. Looking back on 2025, the overriding feeling is one of fulfilment. Across every age group we saw consistent excellence, remarkable team spir it and significant individual growth. Many of our teams finished the season with outstanding records, and the senior groups de livered performances that will be remembered fondly. Our junior programmes enjoyed one of their most success ful years to date, with performances across the age groups that bode extraordinarily well for the future of Michaelhouse basketball. The U14 side delivered a standout campaign, crowned by a magnificent showing at the prestigious Jeppe Basketball Festival, where they emerged victorious against every KZN opponent they faced and defeated a host of strong Gauteng schools along the way. Their energy, skill and fear less competitiveness were a joy to watch. At U15 level the teams continued to play with the freedom and joy that has become a hallmark of our junior basketball, returning from every tournament richer in experience and confidence. Once again the Michaelhouse U14 Invitational Basketball Festival in the October holidays proved a resounding success and a true celebration of the game, with our young sides displaying tremendous heart and spirit throughout. The highlight at U16 level was nothing short of historic: our U16A team won our own Michaelhouse U16 Invitational Tour nament for the first time in its 14-year history – a landmark achievement that sparked jubilant scenes and confirmed the strength of this talented group. Not to be outdone, our second team produced a masterclass of consistency and dominance to win the B Division at the Maritzburg College Jenny Orchard Invitational (JOI) Tournament. They went through the entire event unbeaten, claiming the title in superb fashion and un derlining the remarkable depth running through the entire programme. To every player who pulled on the red and white this year: thank you. You embraced the challenges, supported one an other, and played the game with a passion that embodied everything this school stands for. To the extraordinary coach ing staff – many of whom have become close friends over the years – thank you for your expertise, your countless extra hours, and your unwavering belief in our boys. As I hand over the reins to Mr Simphiwe Xulu and Mr Nkanyiso Ngcobo, the incumbent Head Coach, I do so knowing the Michaelhouse basketball programme is stronger, deeper and more united than ever before. The foundations are rock solid, the talent pipeline is thriving, and the culture of excellence is firmly em bedded. It has been my great privilege to serve as Master in Charge. I will follow the teams’ progress with the keenest in terest and the warmest affection in the years to come. Here’s to 2025 – a season that will live long in the memory.

4TH 5TH 6TH 7TH

6 1

4 0

86 55

96 46

-10

9

0

20 12 8

598 479 119 60

U16A U16B U16C U16D U16E U15A U15B U15C U15D U15E U14A U14B U14C U14D U14E

12 8 10 4 10 2 20 8 11 8 11 3 11 7 11 6 20 8 11 1 11 1 10 6 6 4

354 300 54 283 196 87 191 249 -58

67 40 20 67

77

64

13

12 0

938 577 361 40 373 245 128 73 409 199 210 27

254 207 47

64 55

126 118 8

39 20 19 0

773 519 254 51 425 529 -104 40

12 0 10 0 10 0

301 221 80

9

312 162 150 9

4

0

221 135 86

60

TOTALS 304 142 162 0

8651 6556 2095 47

FIRST TEAM BASKETBALL First team: Lufuno Kanyongolo (captain), Lukas Lorenzo, Araf El-Maamry, Christian MacPherson, Makena Githiri, Tinashe Simelane, Cameron Schwegmann, David Moodie, Nkateko Mathebula, Troy Rautenbach, Khashane Maenetje, Michael Ngorima The 2025 season was a tale of two halves – one that tested us deeply and another that rewarded our perseverance with perfor mances and results that filled the entire Michael house community with pride. On paper, the first-term record will show a team that struggled to convert effort into wins. In reality, the story was far more encouraging. We opened the year with two agonising overtime defeats against Kearsney College and St Charles College – matches that swung on the finest of margins and could easily have fallen our way. At the highly competitive Maritzburg College JOI Tournament we produced some of our best basketball of the term, running the hosts exceptionally close in a thrilling 39-45 contest. The away fixture at Hilton College left a particularly sore taste: leading by 10 points entering the final quarter, we let victory slip through our fingers through lapses of our own making – a harsh but invaluable lesson for a still-maturing group. The second half of the year saw a transformed side. With les sons learned and confidence growing, we took a young, hun gry squad to the Kearsney Stayers Tournament and finished a highly creditable sixth out of 14 teams. A standout moment was our commanding victory over St Stithians College, a result

RESULTS TEAM P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

WR %

32 11 21 0

1482 1295 187 34 532 381 151 79 482 259 223 64

1ST

19 15 4

0 0

2ND 3RD

11 7

4

153