The King’s High School 1st XI Football Team capped off a successful 2019 season last week at the Premier National Tournament in Napier, gaining a place in the top 4 in NZ. The highest placed ever for a King’s Football Team.

Previous to tournament, this team had been unbeaten in all competitions, including inter-schools, tournament qualification games and Wednesday competition games. 

Last week's tournament was made up of 32 teams and after pool play of three games they are divided into the top 16 and bottom 16. King’s in 2018 finished 15th but in 2019 the goal was always a top 8 finish. We took on King’s College on the first morning and won comfortably 4-0. Then a scrappy 2-2 draw was the end result in our afternoon game with Waimea College. Tauranga Boys' gave us our first loss of the season on the second day, however, we still qualified second in our pool, which took us through to the top 16. 

We potentially had the toughest draw as our afternoon game was against Auckland school boy champions Saint Kentigern College in what was for many watching, the biggest upset of the tournament toppling the tournament favourites, 2-0. 

We then backed this up by taking down Mount Albert Grammar School 2-1 the following morning after being 0-1 down. This gave us a semi final with Auckland Grammar who ground out a 2-0 win leaving us in the dreaded 3rd v 4th play-off game. Tired legs and a quality performance from St Peter’s (Auckland) meant we ended up finishing 4th overall which is King’s best ever result. The previous best finish by King’s was 7th in Mr Scott’s time as a student in the 90’s when the tournament was 24 teams.

An amazing achievement on the national stage for this group of young men who show true grit and strong heart through out the whole tournament.

Jed Collings was named MVP for the tournament. 

Thank you to Mr McPhail as Coach with Mr Hore as Assistant and Manager + Mrs Collings as Medic.

Finally, we bid farewell and thank you to our Yr 13 leavers who played their final game in a King’s shirt on the last day of tournament: Jed Collings, Chi Campbell, Kaleb de Groot-Green, Genta Kojima, Ben Taylor, Ryan Gardiner and Raven August.  Well done boys on your contribution to King’s High Football and leaving it in a better place than before you started.