NGHS & CHB College march on undefeated as Wairoa & Woodford face critical games to maintain A Grade place
Day three at the Lower North Island saw the culmination of the A Grade 2nd pool phase as the grade splits into 4: 1-8, 9-16, 17-24 & 25-32, with the extremes of the grade facing critical game for either A grade survival or NZ Secondary School Championship Qualification. In B grade the Pool phase (7 teams in each pool) has come to an end as we head into the cross-overs.
A Grade:
Napier Girls’ High School continued their winning streak in the competition, opening the day with a 38-23 victory over Newlands College before following it up with a 32-29 win over Palmerston North Girls’ High. The reward for the wins is a Quarter-Final against New Plymouth Girls at 10.30am, a victory will ensure a Top 4 finish and with-it qualification to NZ Secondary School Championships. They will face off against either St Marys or face off again with Palmerston North Girls’ High if they make the semi-finals.
On the adjacent court to Napier Girls’ quarter-final this morning, at the same time will be their Unison SUPER 12 rivals Hastings’ Girls High School taking on Sacred Heart New Plymouth in their plate Quarter-Final. A 10-point victory over fellow HB side Wairoa College was backed up with a 31-25 win over Hutt Valley, to put the team in a strong position for their mission to finish top in the plate section.
Also fighting it out to go as far as they can in the Plate competition is Havelock North High School who put the disappointment of a 31-28 defeat to Heretaunga behind them by beating Woodford House 33-23 in a tense finale to day three competition. Havelock North face Queen Margaret at 11.30am for their Plate Quarter-Final showdown.
The defeat to Havelock North has resulted in Woodford House facing the prospect of a fight for A grade survival. That fight starts with the crucial cross-over with Fielding High at 1.30pm, a win will secure them a place in A grade for 2020.
Wairoa College also face the same prospect, despite finishing day three with an impressive 36-28 victory over Whanganui Girls College. The opposition for Wairoa’s crunch game is Tawa College at 9.30am, the first Hawke’s Bay team in action on Day four.
B Grade:
Central Hawke’s Bay maintained their 100% record in the competition, doubling Nga Tawa’s score 28-14 in the opening game before a 36-28 victory over Mana College to secure top spot in Pool C.
Unfortunately, they will cross-over with fellow Hawke’s Bay school team Sacred Heart College, which consequently will mean only one of these two will be able to push to promotion to A Grade.
Sacred Heart’s lost narrowly 25-29 to Upper Hutt College before facing Statford High School in their crucial must win game for a Quarter-Final place, showing great strength of character to take the win 35-30.
It will be an early start for both teams as Central will take on Sacred Heart in the opening game of day four. The winner will take on either St Peter’s College or Mana College in the Semi-Final.
Taradale High School and Iona College, who faced each other in this year’s Unison SUPER 12 Bowl elimination final, both find themselves in the 9-16 bracket of B Grade.
Taradale will hope to push against any momentum loss in their game against NaeNae after back to back defeats on day three; 27-48 against St Peters College and 19-32 to Wainuiomata High School.
Iona College finished the pool off with a strong 35-20 win over Horowhenua College after a narrow 24-27 defeat to Porirua College in the morning.
Ahuriri William Colenso pulled out a great team performance, drawing with St.Matthew’s Collegiate 35-35 before losing to Waiopehu College. Unfortunately, the draw was not enough to avoid the 25-28 pool, where they will play S-I-A at 11.30am.
For Day Four Results head to Lower North Island Netball Facebook Page HERE