STC Football Write-Up:

This year has been a huge step forward for St Thomas’ football and was shown through the successful season that we accomplished. It all started early in the season with pre-season trials to determine the squad that would later go on and achieve well at the New Zealand National Tournament. The selection of the team was done differently to previous years as there as a squad of 16 who went to each game, and a wider squad of 21, with those extra 5 players playing for the Second Eleven team. Depending on the form and attitude of the players those 5 players in the wider squad would rotate in and out of the First Eleven squad for each week. This created a very competitive, committed and banterous team environment which was the key to our success through the year. The team environment shared between the players and coaches was what gave our team an edge when in those tough National Tournament games later on down the track.

As well as a new squad system there was also a new Christchurch High School Football Competition, with 12 schools splitting into 2 sections of 6 teams. Being ranked 12th out of the 12 teams in the Competition we had a lot of work to do in proving we were a real threat to the other teams. With a tame start to our first couple games we really kicked into gear in a very competitive and highly entertaining match against Rangiora in Rangiora where we managed to come away with the win, confirming our qualifications for Nationals and finishing 1st in our pool of 6. Going in to the competition ranked 12th out of 12 and to finish 1st out of our pool was a real statement that we were something special and weren’t to be taken lightly. This was the beginning of a long run of wins that consolidated our team as contenders for greatness this year and got us on the road to glory. This then lead into the second half of the Christchurch Competition where the 12 teams split into two sections of 6 again, but with the top 3 teams from the 2 previous sections in a top 6 Premiership section, and the other bottom 3 teams in their own bottom 6 Championship section. This meant that competition was fierce but we were up for the challenge. Continued momentum saw us start this second half of the season in the top 6 section with a hiss and a roar as we took first spot within a couple of weeks and stayed their right towards the end. With a couple close games towards the end of the half we made it into a semi-final against Boys High for the Christchurch High Schools Football Competition. Unfortunately we were not able to capitalise on the game and were bundled out to finish 3rd overall.

Now the attention was all set on Nationals which would be a huge step up and our greatest challenge yet. Arriving in Nationals the layout of the Competition was easy, you keep winning and you stay at the top, but if you start losing you slip down the order. Starting in the top 8 out of all schools in the whole of New Zealand was a great achievement in itself for our team and we were looking forward to the challenge that we would face against the likes of St Kentigans and Sacred Heart and other top North Island and South Island schools. With the two biggest games of our whole year back to back on the first days of the tournament really made us realise we were in a whole new level of football with good performances but not quite enough against very strong opponents saw us off to a losing start. But with STC determination and effort we managed to pull off a big win against Tauranga Boys High (a powerhouse school with a roll of 1800 students) which saw us vs Boys High School for the opportunity to climb higher in the tournament. A win would see us in the 12-16 bracket and a loss would put us in the 17-24 bracket. After the struggles to get to where we were, we weren’t going to give it up easy. Definitely our most pressuring game of the season and it had to be against our good friends from Christchurch Boys High School. A huge effort from all the boys saw us see it out to a 1-1 draw after going up 1-0, with no extra time it went straight to penalties. Never before in St Thomas’ history have a First Eleven Football team beaten Boys High. But unfortunately with two penalty saves saw us fall just short. Fighting in the 17-24 bracket we made sure to ourselves that we deserved to be in the top 20 of all New Zealand Schools and fought our way through 2 consecutive wins and landing a spot in the 17th and 18th playoff match. A very close affair saw us narrowly lose that match and finish 18th in all of New Zealand. Coming from being seeded 12th out of 12 teams in Christchurch to then finish 18th in all of New Zealand and 3rd in all of the South Island it was a truly amazing year with great success all around. It was a big year for Football as we made our school recognised as a real fighting team and in the future a team to not be messed with. As football continues to grow in the college with trips planned to America in 2017, we look to continue our climb up the national rankings.

The Coaches – Mr Richard Washington and Mr Jacob Allen

Year 13 leavers:

We are sad to farewell our year 13 leavers (Josh Smith, Campbell Harrison, James Rattray and our captain, Jacob Apeldoorn) who have been instrumental both on and off the field.

Josh “Snowy” Smith: A feared white knight in between the posts who showed cat like reflexes being a stand out at nationals, the only thing Josh fears is the strong UV rays of a harsh New Zealand summers day. His mannerism at trainings and off the pitch had a huge impact on the positive team environment.

Campbell “Tateys” Harrison: Famous for taking a sack of potatoes as his date to the year 13 formal this man was a fortress at the back for us this year. With the tackle of a rhino and the heart of an angel he was an asset to the team. Frustrated some of the best attacking players in the country.

James “Ratty” Rattray: The pinnacle of a team player, this young man worked constantly on improving as a player. He took it upon himself on tournament to clean everyone’s boots after day 1 showing the class and integrity of what a St Thomas man represents.

Jacob “Town Shoes” Apeldoorn: Taking the most successful St Thomas football captain title off a certain old boy…this young man left a true legacy. A hard working central midfielder with potential went often under rated in the work he put in to helping our successful campaign. Vision, strength and determination were all characteristics of his game shown throughout the year. He would have played in his town shoes if he could, always looking sharp before, during and after games.

Thanks, Josh J