Pretoria High School League 2008 report cards-Girls
Open Girls: Pretoria High School for Girls vs. Rosina Sedibane
By Rosemary Leak (PHSG 1st team coach)
We all thought the final would be PHSG against The Glen, however this year; it was not meant to be.I was told how Rosina played their hearts out, gave their very best to beat The Glen and this left me somewhat nervous going into the final.The match we had previously played against them was no easy win, they are a strong team and I knew they were craving to take PHSG down in the final.With four players down I still had an extremely strong team to work with. The first quarter was close, players doing their best to find their feet on a surface which saw many a team slipping and sliding about. Second quarter was when the magic began; PHSG firmly focused on their goal, went out there and played their best match as a team, ever! Suddenly it all came together, their defense solid, their passes smooth and their scoring on target. They wanted this, with a hunger and a passion I had not seen in them before.Rosina put up a good fight, never giving up until the final whistle. They were worthy opponents who played a strong man defense which gave my players a hard time in trying to advance down the court. They are definitely a team on the rise and one to be taken very seriously!
In the end though, PHSG were victorious, reclaiming their title and finally being able to put last years defeat behind them with a new founded confidence and an even stronger team spirit.I am extremely proud of my 1st team.Well done ladies, you are SUPER STARS!!
U16 Girls: St Mary’s DSG vs. Pretoria Girls High School
By Neo Mothiba (St Mary’s DSG U16 coach)
It started off as the battle of two Giants. One has been unbeaten all season and the other is the reigning champion. It was a nervous start with both teams making unnecessary turnovers and the floor was limiting the players’ mobility. The first blow went to St Mary’s after the point guard found the MVP on the top of the key for an easy jumper. It was a battle of two tactics, PHSG relying on their one man (woman) offence and DSG matching with their five man defense.
It was neck and neck until second half when the PHSG No 10 started heating on offence and defense by making very good interceptions. DSG point guard Dineo Mnisi kept her cool and followed the coaches’ instructions. In the last 10 min PHSG were up 4pts and seemed like history would repeat itself. The DSG coach called a time-out with 4 min left on the clock. After the time out DSG pulled up their socks and went on the prowl, DSG had a 6-0 run and seemed like the girls from PHSG were caught by surprise. With 2 min left on the clock DSG went on the box and 1 defense to try and deny the hot No 10 of PHSG. In the dying min of the match DSG were up two points and No6 from DSG got fouled to get two at the line. She missed the first one and buried the second shot to put DSG up by 3 pts. Thinking the game was won DSG lost concentration and allowed the No 10 from PHSG to get a glimpse of the rack from beyond the arch, which she buried to tie the match and take it to OT.
After a stern talking to from the coach of DSG the Saints’ point guard who had played the whole 40 min showed what it takes to run at the point, While PHSG were frustrated by the defense which was shutting down their main scorer. DSG outscored PHSG 10-6 in the final period to give the Saints a well deserved title and the bragging rights. I must say in the girls section it was a game that was not to be missed with Coach Neo Mothiba showing some emotion for the first time this season. Well done to DSG, PHSG, Willowridge and The Glen for a hard fought season.
U14 Girls: Willowridge vs. St Mary’s DSG
By Katlego Malatji (Willowridge coach)
This section was unpredictable throughout the season and those who were just spectators were not willing to put their heads on the block in terms of predicting a winner. The final was always going to be interesting as both the teams who were involved had beaten teams in the semi-finals that they had lost to during the season.
Willowridge came into the game more confident than their opponents whom they had beaten twice this year already, a mistake which would prove costly. The game started very slowly with the teams exchanging the pleasantries of giving away possession easily and doing nothing with it. The fourth minute of the game proved to be a vital moment as it was determined that Willows number 15, Xoliswa Ben-Mazwi, was not on the score sheet. She was asked to leave the court and the reaction of the coach which earned him a technical foul served as an indication of how valuable a player Willows had lost. Although the Willows team was a bit de-moralised by this it cannot serve as an excuse, the DSG side that they faced was more polished and versatile than the one they had made easy work of during the season. Thato Mataboge and Lerato Maleka did a good job on the 2-1-2 defence to stop the promising and imposing DSG number 14 post Jessica. The coach had evidently under-prepared as his focus on blocking post play opened opportunities for the eventual MVP point guard of St Mary’s to run amuck and her shooting guards to rebound her efforts. Willows fought hard on the breakaway but their lay ups left a lot to be desired. DSG took the lead after some strong half court defence and excellent shooting in the first half. Mbali Malobola and her shooting guards stepped up their defence and got very physical in the second half, they intercepted plays, stopped passes and showed great character in a quest to fight back but it was all too little too late. DSG development coaches must be commended as they managed to build a strong team and fix all its short comings to create the 2008 champions. The game ended 18-6 in favour of the worthy winners St Mary’s.
The B section girls’ final also featured these teams B teams and that game ended 4-2 in favour of DSG.
Mothiba showed emotion? what kind? damn i missed it!!!