1ST XI FOOTBALL Manager: Claire Nicolson Coaches: Matt Cortesi, Ollie Hawkins
much hope for the year. With a balance of quality Year 13 veterans and promising younger players, College had one of the best teams on paper. The season began against Cashmere High School in the first round of the Mainland School’s 1st XI Premier Competition. It was a chance to show the team’s capabilities and snag the Connetics Challenge Shield. After falling behind 0-1, College turned on the attacking magic on display in Dunedin. Charlie Cameron was dangerous down the right-hand side – as he would be all season – scoring from a good build-up and counter- attacking opportunity. Gabriel Gallaway scored twice and Kosei Oikawa added one to give College a 4–2 victory and take the Challenge Shield off Cashmere. As it turned out, the shield never left College’s possession all year. A comfortable 3–0 win over Rangiora High School followed, with Gabriel Gallaway scoring a hat-trick of goals, while a convincing 3–0 win over St Bede’s College – with a very solid, all-round performance – gave the 1st XI momentum and put the “team to beat” tag on its back. The Shirley Boys’ High School (SBHS) game then typified several College games throughout the season. College scored early, with a perfectly placed free kick by co-captain Kosei Oikawa
headed home by co-captain Daniel Metherell. SBHS then put College under pressure, disrupting play. However, the defensive work – led by Daniel Metherell, Jamie Barr, and goalkeeper Harry Dufton – held strong to keep a clean sheet as College would do in most games. An early second-half goal allowed College to shut up shop and grind out a win. Burnside High School was defeated 2–0 before College came up against an old rival, Christchurch Boys’ High School (CBHS). Unsurprisingly it was a scrappy affair at times, but it also produced the goal of the season. A world-class free kick by Kosei Oikawa curved and swerved to the top right corner of the goal – going viral online. CBHS responded, having the better of the play in the second half. However, Caleb Palmer’s defiant midfield defensive work kept College one goal to the good, ensuring the win. Following a 0–3 loss to OBHS in the annual exchange fixture – when College gave several bench players more game time and rotated boys – the team got back on track with impressive clinical wins over St Andrew’s College (6–0), Middleton Grange (5–0) and Rolleston College (4–1) to secure the Premier National Tournament qualification as the top seed in Canterbury. Unfortunately,
Team: Daniel Metherell (captain), Kosei Oikawa (captain), Jamie Barr, Josh, Beaglehole, Finlay Broomhall, Charlie Cameron, Harry Dufton, Gabriel Gallaway, Alexi Georgiou, Andreas Gormack, AJ Madondo, Caleb Manson, Caleb Palmer, Alex Scott, Harry Sharr, Spencer Smith, Robbie Ward, Lewis Whiteside, Nick Wilson The 1st XI football team had a remarkable season. Although Covid-19 and national lockdowns again led to the cancellation of tournament week, the team completed a full league season and play-offs, as well as a pre-season trip and an annual fixture against Otago Boys’ High School (OBHS). Across all those games, the team compiled an impressive record, playing excellent football and achieving several ‘firsts’. Games against Timaru Boys’ High School, Otago Boys’ High School and Roslyn-Wakari AFC made up a small pre-season road trip, preparing the team for the 2021 season. The performances across the three games were encouraging, particularly against Roslyn-Wakari on a cold Dunedin evening, engendering
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