ISA U16 netball finals

By Mrs Rebecca Stewart, PE Teacher.

On Tuesday 10th March the U16 Netball squad travelled to Nottingham to play in the ISA U16 National Finals at the David Ross Sports Village. The morning’s competition was not as easy as the results show. The team had to work incredibly hard to keep possession, turn over balls, and score high pressure shots. The girls showed excellent team work, a fantastic work rate and a desire to win throughout the day.
The Group match results were as follows:
Holme Grange 2 – 11 IHS
Webber 6 – 12 IHS
Wycliffe College 5 – 8 IHS
Scarisbrick Hall 13 – 6 IHS
Hulme Grammer School 4 – 10 IHS
This left us second in our group and into Cup competition for the afternoon. Our first match was against Queen Ethelburga’s, a notoriously strong school, in the quarter finals. Despite working hard by half time we were trailing 5 – 1. The team was determined to fight back and pulled one goal back at a time. One after another the goals came, thick and fast, and with each one we gained in confidence. The shooters were on fire and the defence worked tirelessly to turn over balls and deny goals. We did not let a single shot in during the second half. The final score was Queen Ethelburg’s College 5 – 8 IHS. This was the most satisfying win of the day, to score seven goals in six minutes and to not concede any was testament to the team’s resilience and perseverance.
King’s High School were our next oppositions in the semi-finals. They were a strong, very physical team at both ends, winning possession unfairly at times. The girls held their heads and managed to keep it to a 3 – 3 draw at half time. We were determined that skill should triumph over brute force and the girls went out to ruffle King’s feathers, driving hard onto the ball and strong in contested battles! We took a well-deserved 8 – 5 win, gaining us a place in the final!
Our final game was against Scarisbrick Hall. We knew from the mornings game they were a very slick, direct team and were returning as last year’s winners. The girls played their hearts out but, on this occasion, Scarisbrick dominated from the start and denied us the opportunity to get the ball into our attacking third. Congratulations to Scarisbrick on winning the tournament.
A tough end to brilliant day, every player gave it their all, we couldn’t have asked for anymore. We acheived 2nd place overall and a silver medal, and are incredibly proud of what the team has achieved. What a fantastic end to their season.
Congratulations to Annie, Lilia, Tilly, Freya, Chloe, Sienna, Amaiya, Sophea and Isabella.