The Glen High School results at DHS 2008

The Glen High School (TGHS) went into the 2008 edition of the Durban High School (DHS) basketball tournament on the back of an 8^th place finish out of 12 teams in 2007. With only 3 players having been to DHS before, the team was full of rookies hungry and excited to go prove themselves at a higher level. With TGHS making this trip an annual event, the usual visits to the beach and the malls (Musgrave, Pavillon and Gateway) are on the itinerary every year.

Before making the trip to Durban, TGHS played a friendly against Pretoria Boys High School (PBHS) to gauge the team’s readiness which they lost so the coaches went into the tournament without any kind of expectations.

TGHS faced Pinelands High School in their first pool game and from the first whistle, the coach could see the fear in his players’ eyes but to his surprise his rookies stepped up to the challenge like “ducks to water” and outplayed the senior members of the team. TGHS led for most of the game but lost it in the 4^th quarter after the posts were fouled out. In their 2^nd game, they faced a DHS invitational team that had better players man for man and they lost by 6 points. In their 3^rd pool game, they played Falcon College; from the onset TGHS used a lot of screen and rolls over their taller opponents and it worked. On defense TGHS forced Falcon College to play on the perimeter instead of using their height advantage inside and in the end they won their first game of the tournament. In the final pool game, TGHS played New Forest a team that looked like they had just come off the soccer pitch. Overconfidence got the better of TGHS and they were beaten much to the surprise of their opponents and their coach.

TGHS played against Christian Brothers College from Pretoria for position, in a game that had a lot more than pride at stake. CBC pressed with a man on man from the start so TGHS used a lot of screens the entire game. After building a good lead and with their starting five fouled out, TGHS started working on their plays which worked against a CBC team that couldn’t convert their free throws from the charity line. TGHS won by 14 points much with the bench playing half the game. Their next game was against Westville Boys, which they led by 3 points with 2 minutes to go. One of the assistants got a double technical foul for throwing the ball too hard to the referee and Westville took a 1 point lead and still had possession which they converted. This sequence of events turned the game on its head and they couldn’t regain the focus and the lead. In the final game of the tournament, TGHS played against Kingsway high school for position 15 and they came out victorious by 13 points.

The Glen High School player of the tournament was Ronald Moroleni. The team now awaits the start of the Pretoria school league in the 2^nd term.

TGHS touring squad 2008

4. Kabelo Madisa

5. Kutloano Chauke

6. Sibusiso Phiri

9. Abuleke Mthumbu

10. Katlego Motshoene

11. Vusi Mazibuko

12. Mogale Lefakane

13. Khopelo Bapale

14. Ronald Moroleni

15. Evano Pez

Coach: Isaia Monyamane

Teacher in charge and assistant coach: Bojan Palic

Manager: Ntlatleng O.G

First aid: Botshelo Ntlatleng

Statistician: Seloka Phirwa

Final results with tournament standings for the B section will follow….