On Wednesday 1 August, the MacKillop Year 10 Girls and Boys Football teams played in the ACC School Girls Cup in challenging weather at Hay Park in Bunbury.
The wet weather played havoc along with blistering winds but did not dampen spirits, as all players were keen to try and make it through to the next round.
Commencing the day strongly, the boys made light work of Bunbury Cathedral Grammar and Mandurah Baptist College. With a strong four-goal breeze blowing across the open expanses of Hay Park, the boys fought hard into the wind before reaping the benefits at the other end.
A bye followed the first two physical contests and with the rain arriving, the wind chill factor affected already sore muscles.
Katie Shepherd, Hannah Wilkinson and Ella Anderson were rock solid in defense for the girls against both Bunbury Catholic College and Mandurah Catholic College, picking up plenty of possessions. MacKillop also controlled the ball well in both games with fantastic midfield pressure by Lucy Hill, Sophie Stratford, Ella du Preez and Shona Kiely.
Unfortunately, our forward pressure struggled to convert to goals in the extremely strong winds and slippery conditions, and MacKillop girls lost both games to their opponents. The team had a great time, though, and never dropped the smile off their faces, despite finishing the day with a few bruises and sore bodies.
“I was very proud of how the girls represented the College,” said their coach Mr Ben Horrocks. “I look forward to seeing them develop their skills in the future.”
Game three for the boys pitted them against a notoriously difficult Bunbury Catholic College. Trailing by over a goal at half time and kicking into the wind for the second half, a pivotal move to full forward saw Jack Williams kick a late goal and put the boys up by one single point as the siren sounded.
The final challenge for the day was to overcome the size of Mandurah Catholic College, but when Jaxon White was rushed from the ground with an ankle injury, it turned out our more formidable opponent was the cramping of exhausted muscles. Several boys limped from the ground at different times as the team tried to coax more life into their bodies. Trailing by three goals at half time, the team defied the odds to bring the game within 4 points, but were still short by the final siren and narrowly missed out on progressing to the finals in Perth.
The young men that represented the College are to be commended for the spirit with which they played every game and the impeccable manner in which they conducted themselves on the day. Standout players included Blake Cann, Josh Barr, and Jack Williams.
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