(Article by Marlowe Bloem)
Three age group titles and the overall title were on the line as the KZN Top 10 Water Polo Tournament – contested at 1st team, u15 and u14 age group levels – took place from Thursday to Sunday, with Westville Boys’ High hosting the 1st teams, Northwood the u15s, and Clifton the u14s. All three finals were played in the Chad le Clos Pool at Westville.
After four days of intense competition, the final game brought the Kearsney and Hilton 1st teams together in an early afternoon showdown.
Only two minutes in, Hilton opened the scoring through their captain, Meyer Malherbe. Hilton’s dangerman was unmarked, as the Greyhound defence, unwisely with Malherbe on the ball, dropped deep into their own territory. With time on his hand, the Hilton skipper blasted the ball into the top right corner of the net. First-quarter possession was equally shared, but Kearsney was unable to beat Trent Chubb, the Hilton ‘keeper.
First-quarter score: 1-0 in favour of the Midlands side.
The water got warmer when Kearsney scored three second-quarter goals, all from close range in classic striker fashion to take a 3-1 lead. Hilton pulled it back to 3-2 late in the chukka, but Kearsney had struck in a similar manner to that which had carried them to a 5-3 win over Clifton in the playoffs.
Second-quarter score: 3-2 in favour of the Botha’s Hill bunch.
While the previous quarters favoured one of the sides, the third quarter ended all square, with both teams scoring three times. The Greyhounds struck first through a penalty from James Pohl. Like a fisherman with a harpoon, he rocketed the ball into the top left corner of the net.
The Hiltonians scored last in the quarter via point Sebastian Laudenberg. With no passing options or marker, Laudenberg launched a missile from almost the halfway line, beating the Kearsney ‘keeper with a laser into the top right corner.
Third-quarter score: 6-5 in favour of the maroon caps.
There was all to play for in the final quarter. Although Hilton had won the overall KZN Top 10 title for three years in succession, their 1st team hadn’t once won the title in that time, and Kearsney would seal the overall title for a first time in 30 years with a victory.
Again, there was nothing to separate the sides, with both scoring twice, while possession and territory were halved in a tense final quarter. The sizeable crowd was on the edge of their seats.
When the final whistle blew, it brought the curtain down in fitting fashion on Blake Kruger‘s long Kearsney 1st team career. He finished it as a champion and the most capped player in the history of the school, having represented them 176 times in the pool.
Final score: 8-7 to Kearsney College.
In something of a surprise, Clifton missed out on the top four, going down to Westville in a penalty shootout and DHS in an upset in pool play. They, then, took a lead over Kearsney in the playoffs before Kearsney turned the tide to claim a 5-3 win. Those missteps cost the Durban school the overall title.
Their u14 and u15 sides won their age groups with outstanding performances in their finals.
Clifton beat Kearsney 11-8 in the Durbanites’ opening game of the u14 competition. That was reasonably close, but there was no touching them in the final as Clifton blasted out of the blocks, delivering a fast flowing, accurate and razor-sharp performance to open up an eye-opening 7-0 lead.
With such a big advantage, coach Warren Beuster was able to put his entire bench into the pool in the fourth chukka, with Clifton winding up the winners by a 13-5 margin.
In the u15 final, Clifton faced Hilton, who had claimed a 6-5 win when the teams met earlier in the competition. Despite the pressure of playing for the title, Clifton produced an assured showing to build up a 6-3 lead at half-time, on their way to a 7-4 win.
In the overall competition, Kearsney – with their 1st team winning, their u14s second, and their u15s third – finished top of the pile, with 29 points. Clifton – with their 1st team in fifth, and their u15s and u14s first – shared second with Hilton – whose 1st team was second, u15s second and u14s third – on 28 points.
Westville and Northwood completed the top five.
FIRST TEAM COMPETITION
Pool A
Clifton, Westville, Maritzburg College, Glenwood, DHS
Pool B
Kearsney, Hilton, Co-Ed, Northwood, Michaelhouse
Thursday, 10 October
Co-Ed 1-9 Northwood
Glenwood 3-11 DHS
Clifton (7) 4-4 (8) Westville
Kearsney 6-5 Northwood
Friday, 11 October
Clifton 9-3 Maritzburg College
Westville (10) 5-5 (9) DHS
Maritzburg College 6-5 Glenwood
Kearsney 7-9 Hilton
Clifton 4-7 DHS
Hilton 12-0 Co-Ed
Saturday, 12 October
Kearsney 11-4 Michaelhouse
Hilton 6-5 Northwood
Westville 12-6 Maritzburg College
Clifton 14-2 Glenwood
Co-Ed 3-7 Michaelhouse
Maritzburg College 5-10 DHS
Westville 9-4 Glenwood
Northwood 4-6 Michaelhouse
Kearsney 16-4 Co-Ed
Hilton 9-4 Michaelhouse
Semi-finals Playoffs
Michaelhouse (4) 3-3 (7) DHS
Clifton 3-5 Kearsney
Bottom Playoffs
Northwood 7-4 Glenwood
Maritzburg College 9-0 Co-Ed
Semi-finals
DHS 6-8 Hilton
Westville 5-7 Kearsney
Sunday, 13 October
Final Positions
Co-Ed 2-15 Glenwood (9th/10th)
Northwood 10-2 Maritzburg College (7th/8th)
Clifton 10-4 Michaelhouse (5th/6th)
DHS 6-9 Westville (3rd/4th)
Kearsney 8-7 Hilton (1st/2nd)
U15 COMPETITION
Pool A
Kearsney, Westville, Maritzburg College, Glenwood, Michaelhouse
Pool B
Clifton, Hilton, Co-Ed, Northwood, DHS
Thursday, 10 October
Clifton 24-1 Co-Ed
Northwood 13-6 DHS
Kearsney 6-4 Westville
Co-Ed 2-11 Northwood
Friday, 11 October
Kearsney 18-1 Maritzburg College
Westville 15-1 Glenwood
Clifton 15-0 DHS
Westville 13-1 Maritzburg College
Saturday, 12 October
Clifton 5-6 Hilton
Maritzburg College 8-3 Glenwood
Hilton 17-1 Co-Ed
Westville 6-3 Michaelhouse
Kearsney 15-4 Glenwood
Hilton 12-1 DHS
Maritzburg College 6-5 Michaelhouse
Clifton 8-2 Northwood
Co-Ed 3-8 DHS
Glenwood 4-3 Michaelhouse
Hilton 11-2 Northwood
Kearsney 14-2 Michaelhouse
Semi-finals Playoffs
Northwood 4-5 Westville
Maritzburg College 3-13 Hilton
Bottom Playoffs
DHS 4-0 Michaelhouse
Glenwood 4-3 Co-Ed
Semi-finals
Kearsney 6-10 Hilton
Clifton 5-2 Westville
Sunday, 13 October
Final Placings
Michaelhouse 9-0 Co-Ed (9th/10th)
DHS 6-2 Glenwood (7th/8th)
Maritzburg College 3-11 Northwood (5th/6th)
Kearsney 10-5 Westville (3rd/4th)
Hilton 5-9 Clifton (1st/2nd)
U14 COMPETITION
Pool A
Clifton, Kearsney, Michaelhouse, Co-Ed, DHS
Pool B
Northwood, Hilton, Maritzburg College, Westville, Glenwood
Thursday, 10 October
Co-Ed 8-7 DHS
Westville 16-1 Glenwood
Clifton 11-8 Kearsney
Friday, 11 October
Maritzburg College 4-11 Westville
Kearsney 11-6 DHS
Northwood 10-2 Glenwood
Kearsney 13-5 Co-Ed
Hilton 20-0 Maritzburg College
Clifton 18-4 DHS
Hilton 10-0 Glenwood
Saturday, 12 October
Michaelhouse 8-3 DHS
Northwood 9-10 Hilton
Clifton 19-0 Co-Ed
Northwood 10-2 Maritzburg College
Kearsney 10-6 Michaelhouse
Hilton 5-4 Westville
Maritzburg College 1-8 Glenwood
Clifton 19-6 Michaelhouse
Northwood (1) 2-2 (0) Westville
Michaelhouse Co-Ed
Semi-finals Playoffs
Kearsney 9-5 Westville
Northwood 10-4 Michaelhouse
Bottom Playoffs
DHS (1) 7-7 (2) Glenwood
Maritzburg College 5-11 Co-Ed
Semi-finals
Clifton 12-2 Northwood
Hilton 9-10 Kearsney
Sunday, 13 October
Final Placings
DHS 7-2 Maritzburg College (9th/10th)
Glenwood 3-4 Co-Ed (7th/8th)
Michaelhouse 3-5 Westville (5th/6th)
Northwood 3-7 Hilton (3rd/4th)
Clifton 13-5 Kearsney (1st/2nd)
STANDINGS
U14
Clifton
Kearsney
Hilton
Northwood
Westville
Michaelhouse
Co-Ed
Glenwood
DHS
Maritzburg College
u15
Clifton
Hilton
Kearsney
Westville
Northwood
Maritzburg College
DHS
Glenwood
Michaelhouse
Co-Ed
1st Team
Kearsney
Hilton
Westville
DHS
Clifton
Michaelhouse
Northwood
Maritzburg College
Glenwood
Co-Ed
Overall
Kearsney 29
Clifton 28
Hilton 28
Westville 21
Northwood 17
DHS 13
Michaelhouse 12
Maritzburg College 9
Glenwood 8
Co-Ed 6
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