5 minute read
Boys' Hockey
Written by 1st XI Captain, Rob Wilson.
It really was another excellent term for the boys’ hockey teams. In just 9 weeks they played over 100 matches, involving over 250 boys and finished with an overall win rate across all teams of 80%.
The U16s finished with a 100% record. Add to that a hat-trick of County titles for our U12, U13 and U14 teams and a cup run that took the 1st XI to the last 16 of the National tournament, and it all amounts to a very special season. A huge thank you must go to the group of staff who have given up so much time to enable 19 teams to play fixtures this term. To summarise all the successes this season would have taken up several pages so we felt the best way to do that was for the coaches to select two teams of the season from across the age groups. The first is made up from all of the junior ‘B’ teams and the 3rd & 4th XI squads. The second is made up from our Junior ‘A’ teams and the 2nd XI. Obviously there were a number of strong contenders who just missed the cut and in some cases we have had to be creative with positions to fit all the nominated players in but here are the final versions.
THE ‘B’ TEAM, TEAM OF THE SEASON IS:
Goalkeeper Oscar Powell, U12B Right Defence Harry Williams, U14B Centre Defence Jacob Barton, 3rd XI Left Defence Dan Woodward, U15B Right Midfield Seb Easen, U13B Centre Midfield Monty Saunders, U13B Centre Midfield Ryan Johnston, U15B Left Midfield Jonny Lester, 4th XI Right Forward Beau O'Mahony, U12B Centre Forward Jack Watts, U14B Left Forward Ted Weinberger, 3rd XI Reserves Rex Evans, 4th XI Coaches Mr Stuttard & Mr Hollywell
THE ‘A’ TEAM, TEAM OF THE SEASON IS:
Goalkeeper Rory Bushell, 2nd XI Centre Defence Milo Powell, U13A Centre Defence James Linegar, U15A Right Midfield George Hancock, U14A Centre Midfield Noah Davis, 2nd XI Left Midfield Will Butterworth, U12A Inside Right Charlie Day, U13A Inside Left Owen Brown, U15A Right Forward Ollie Yates, U15A Centre Forward Sam Tisdale, U14A Left Forward Sam Milborrow, U12A Reserves Louis Kenyon, 2nd XI Toby Knight, U13A Alfie Marks, U14A Seb Kennard, U12A Coaches Mr White & Mr Reeman 1ST XI REPORT
The season started well with the inaugural pre-season trip to Cardiff, where Kingswood comprehensively beat both KES and Dauntsey’s, setting up the season well. A good vein of form continued with progression in the Cup following an 8-0 win over Monkton, much to the delight of the large Kingswood crowd, dutifully led by the people’s player of the year: Freddie Robinson! It wasn’t until the next round of the Cup where Kingswood were truly tested, but we were able to get the better of a close 3-2 result versus Prior Park. The season probably peaked with the performance against King’s Gloucester in the round of 16 in the Cup, seeing us triumph 7-1 in a fluid display of attacking hockey, with Will Shardlow demonstrating his newly found abilities up front, and Freddie Marks running the show in midfield. However, all good things must come to an end, and it was heartbreak for all when we lost to Magdalen College on penalty strokes following an emotional comeback. A slight dip of form followed which saw a few disappointing results, but we made sure to finish the season well, guaranteeing Mr Opie a win in his final school hockey match.
...good people make good hockey players...
MR OPIE
It is, of course, a great shame to hear that Mr Opie has decided to throw in the towel following a mere 32 years coaching Kingswood hockey, and it leaves me wondering if I was the straw that broke the camel’s back! But in all seriousness, I cannot express enough how lucky I, and we, have all been to have been coached by Mr Opie. For me, the last four years have seen varying degrees of quality and strengths and weaknesses in our teams, but it is clear to everyone that one thing remains constant. Mr Opie has always instilled a sense of togetherness and desire to do well for each other in all his teams. And I think what makes Kingswood teams so different to other teams is that we truly are just that; a team, not a collection of individuals, and that is all to Mr Opie’s credit. If you have been able to watch this season, or previous seasons under Mr Opie, you will have noticed the likes of Will Farmer barrelling up and down the pitch, desperately trying to win his races and get an advantage for his team. But that is always in the nature of the teams that Mr Opie builds, as he always says: good people make good hockey players, and it is that which has been the key to our success. He will be sorely missed but I am sure the legacy that he has built will continue to go from strength to strength.
COLOURS
COLTS COLOURS: Ollie Day, Joe Randolph, Will Shardlow, Joe Watt HALF COLOURS: Miles Deverell, Will Farmer, Jim McAllister, Finn Morris FULL COLOURS: Ollie Lechmere, Freddie Marks, Tom Roach, Rob Wilson
1st XI 2nd XI U16 3rd XI U15A U15B U14A U14B U14C U13A U13B U13C U12A U12B U12C U12D
Canford L Monkton (Cup) W Monkton W W W W W W W W W W W W W W Dean Close W W W W W W W W W W
Prior Park W W W W W W W W W
King's Bruton W W W W W W W Cheltenham College W W W W Beechen Cliff W W L W W W
Millfi eld Prep Warminster W W L
W KPS L W King Edward's L L W L L W W W W L L W Dauntsey's W W W L W L L L W L W L Clifton College L W Bristol Grammar L W W W W W W W W L King's (Glos, Cup) W Win Ratio 73% 88% 88% 67% 89% 71% 89% 83% 100% 86% 60% 100% 88% 67% 60% 100%
