SAINT Joseph’s Regional College touch footballers added another page to the school’s history books when it claimed the NSW All-Schools touch football championship at Penrith on Friday.
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A nail-biting 4-3 win over Sydney’s Mackellar High School in the final ensured the year 7/8 girls team became the first in the school to win a touch football title in that age division.
They sailed through the competition undefeated before overcoming a few nervous moments in the one-try win in the tournament decider.
The key to the success was on their fitness levels after they successfully navigated their way through seven challenging matches on the day in warm conditions.
Vice-captain Tahlia Hopkins admitted most of their opposition were an unknown quantity which made their success sweeter.
“We didn’t really know what we were coming up against so that was a challenge, but our fitness in the end proved better than the rest,” she said.
“(By the end of the tournament) we were all tired and had been out in the sun all day so it was pretty tough.”
They were rarely troubled in the early stages of the competition and conceded just the one try in the five games leading in to the quarter-finals.
We didn’t really know what we were coming up against so that was a challenge, but our fitness in the end proved better than the rest.
- St Joseph's Regional College touch football vice captain Tahlia Hopkins
They proved too good for Bankstown Girls High (7-0 and 9-0), Mudgee High School (8-0), Hills Sports High (4-1) and Young High School (6-0).
The semi-final and final were a different story as they held on to register their place in the final with a 4-2 win over Callaghan College.
Hopkins said the team qualified for the All-Schools gala day after progressing through another gala day earlier in the year at Taree.
“In Taree, we had a fair idea what to expect because we’d played the other schools in other comps,” she said.
“There were schools in Port that we knew about, but in this one we didn’t know what to expect.”
The vice-captain said one of the secrets to the success was due to some of the team growing up and playing together.
“Most of us went to primary school together and we’ve met a few of the other girls in high school as well,” she said.
“It was just really good to play with them all.
Most of us went to primary school together and we’ve met a few of the other girls in high school as well.
- Tahlia Hopkins
“When we were all on the field we were helping each other out and communicating really well which helped.”
The win ensures the team are now in the running to win the school team of the year award, while some of them will back up for the NSW Junior State Cup next February.
“I’ll be in the under-16s at State Cup, so it’s a good preparation for that,” Hopkins said.
The school’s year 7/8 boys made it to the semi-finals before they were defeated 2-1 by Narrabeen Sports High School.
They finished equal third in the state.
