20 teams competed at the Pettigrew-Green Arena over the weekend to play for seeding positions for teams going on to enter the North Island Junior Secondary Schools Championships which will be staged here in Hawke’s Bay in the first week of December. Hawke’s Bay has 13 teams entered and our top seed male and female teams should look for good results at the National event.
In the girls competition Hastings girls meet Woodford Premier in the final. Woodford were no match for the Hastings team going down 10 – 25, 14 - 25 (0 -2). This was however an improvement on their result from last weekend when they lost to Havelock North 10A in the semi Final. Havelock north will have to be happy with the 3rd seeding spot for Hawke’s Bay teams. Havelock North Year 9 team pushed hard this weekend winning extra sets and will be very pleased with their improvement.
Final placing for the teams entering North islands were:
1st: Hastings Girls
2nd: Woodford House Premier
3rd: Havelock North High School Year 10
4th; Havelock North High School Year 9
5th: Taradale High School Girls 1
The boys’ teams endured a tough draw with back to back games and duties for most teams all weekend. It was the seventh game of the tournament for both Napier Boys 1 – Pit stop and Taradale High School Boys 1 in the final. Both teams looked weary and at one stage it looked possible that the game would go to the third tie break set with Napier Boys lacking the energy to finish. The final result was Napier Boys Pit Stop 25 – 17, 25 – 21 (2 – 0). Napier Boys 2 – Engineering Solutions played off against Hastings Boys for 3rd and 4th spot with Hastings Boys winning 25 – 23, 25 – 14 (2 – 0).
Taradale should be very pleased with their result this weekend after finishing outside of the semis last weekend. Although they appeared to push Napier Boys in the final the number one Napier Boys team has more depth and should go well at the North Island event in two weeks time. Taradale though will likely continue to improve and will also be a team to watch. The other interesting result of the weekend was that of the 4th Napier Boys team – Sainsbury Logan and Williams who beat Taradale Boys 2 and Gisborne boys in pool play to come 8th overall in the tournament.
Final placing for teams entering North Islands are:
1st: NBHS 1 – Pit Stop
2nd: Taradale High School Boys 1
3rd: Hastings Boys High School 1
4th: Napier Boys High School 2 –Engineering Solutions
5th: Hastings Boys High School 2
6th: Havelock North High School Boys
7th: Napier Boys High School 3 – Firmans Marine
8th: Taradale Highs School Boys 2