The Catholic Weekly 11 September 2022

SPORT The Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) Interschool Tennis Finals sawMarist Catholic College Randwick crowned as the winners of two divisions. Randwick served up success in the Junior and Senior Boys Championship matches and were the only school to win multiple age groups in the Conference 1 Tennis competition. The Intermediate Boys division was taken out by Christian Brothers’ High School Lewisham. The girls finals were just as fierce with Marist Catholic College North Shore victorious in the Juniors, and Brigidine College Randwick walking away with the Intermediate Girls trophy. All finals matches saw strokes of brilliant skill across the court and the determination of all athletes could be seen from the stands. The SCS Interschool Tennis Championships were a success and gleaming opportunity for athletes to display their ability and sportsmanship. AS THE final whistle blew spectators rushed to Marcel- lin Football Field to hoist high the newly crowned cham- pions of the Sydney Catho- lic Schools (SCS) Interschool AFL, Marist Catholic College North Shore. In a muddy Grand Final match between the number one teams of both SCS Con- ference 1 AFL pools, North Shore dominated Holy Cross College Ryde with a final score of 99-19. After both teams finished first in their respective com- petitions there was an air of thick anticipation and excite- ment before the first ball-up was thrown. Although there were sure to be nerves before the game, North Shore did not let this get the better of them and played with ferocity and an ‘eyes on the prize’ nature. North Shore coach, Simon Jenkins’ game plan was to keep it simple and after a fiery first half it proved most effec- tive. “Boys, we’re in front. Let’s just focus on playing football” he said at half time. Credit is due to North Shore players Jack Dowd and Luca Micalletti who after be- ing key players throughout the season continued to stand out in the final. They were challenged by Ryde athletes Bill Kaczmarek and Jonah Watson, but the sea of blue and red made it difficult for Ryde to contest the Championship. The hillsides were packed with spectators and when all was said and done North Shore were given a proper winners’ send-off by their fans as the new holders of the SCS Interschool AFL Cham- pions title. PATRICIAN BROTHERS’ Col- lege Fairfield pulled off a fairy- tale ending in the Peter Mul- holland Cup (NSW/VIC/ACT) Rugby League competition, de- featingThe Hills Sports High 20- 16 in the grand final. Their army of fans included an elated Tony Farley, the Exec- utive Director of Sydney Catho- lic Schools. Down 16-0 early in the sec- ond half, the Pats team put on a guts and glory display that saw them surge home with minutes to go and win the title against the toughest of teams,” Mr Farley said. “It was great to be there and congratulations to the legendary Pat’s team, their coaching staff and supporters who made it such a memorable ¾ Tasmyn Haynes Pat’s break 30-year drought North Shorewin in dominating style AFL final sees College register huge win over Holy Cross team’s valiant best efforts ¾ Tasmyn Haynes ATHLETICS TENNIS ¾ Tasmyn Haynes Game, Set, Marist! SCHOOL SPORTS Luca Micalletti (North Shore) drives forward in the Sydney Catholic Schools Interschool AFL Grand Final. Marist College crushed a valiant opposition in Holy Cross Ryde. PHOTO: MARIST CATHOLIC COLLEGE NORTH SHORE day.” Pat’s last won the premier- ship trophy in 1992, defeating Harristown State High School Toowoomba by just one point. They entered the 2022 Peter Mulholland Cup (NSW/VIC/ ACT) grand final fresh off the back of a nail-biting 19-18 win against their Fairfield archfoe Westfield Sports High School, scoring all of their tries in the second half of the grand final to pull off a dramatic, emotional victory. “All year we have been the underdogs, [coming] into the grand final as the one per- centers,” remarked Player of the Match, Patrician Brothers’ sec- ond-row lock Joshua Alhazim. “Without God’s blessing and the opportunity of attending such a great school we wouldn’t have won. Everything we have done over the last two years has led us to this point” For head coach, former NRL star Frank ‘The Tank’ Pritchard, the victory at Leichhardt Oval tasted particularly sweet. That is because COVID-19 left Pritchard in a coma on New Year’s Eve andhehad tofight his way back to health. “I nearly lost my life but, praise be to God, I’m here with my family and friends towitness history in themaking,” Pritchard said. “The boys don’t even know what it means to the school and to the Old Boys who were here today.” Even in the face of adversity Pritchard continued to train his players and successfully steered them to the grand final of the revamped NRL Schoolboy Cup. Pritchard thanked his coach- ing staff – Bill Bourke, Bethany Neaves, Lisa Coluccio, Joshua Morgan and AndrewKhanano – for their “commitment and ded- ication to training our boys” this football season. “I’m so incredibly proud of our young men and coaching staff; the way they’ve shown their tenacity and dedication, training up to three days a week RUGBY Patrician Brother’s College, Fairfield . Peter Mulholland Cup (NSW/VIC/ACT) GRAND FINAL WINNERS 20-16 pts AFL Marist Catholic College, North Shore Sydney Catholic Schools Interschool AFL competition WINNERS 99-19 pts even through the school holi- days,” Peter Wade, the Principal of Patrician Brothers’ College, said. Patrician Brothers will now travel to Queensland to play the Phil Hall Cup champions, Ipswich Sports High School, in the National Schoolboy Cup Championship on Wednesday, 14 September at Redcliffe Dol- phins Stadium. Patrician Brothers' College Fairfield celebrate the big win in the Peter Mulholland Cup. PHOTO: GUY ZANGARI MP What an epic comeback from the Patrician Brothers Fair- field team!” Tony Farley