Junior soccer teams impress

SCHOOL SPORT VICTORIA – SANDHURST DIVISION

Junior Soccer

On Tuesday 13 May, the Year 8 Boys and Junior Girls Soccer teams attended the Sandhurst Division competition in Epsom. Despite abnormally warm conditions for May, both students and staff were keen to get their soccer campaigns underway.

Year 8 Boys

The Year 8 Boys had four matches scheduled across the day. The boys showcased their footballing ability and their resilience, teamwork and sportsmanship as they aimed to bring home the shield.

Match 1 – CMCB vs Castlemaine Secondary College
The team got off to a flying start against Castlemaine, scoring two early goals in a dominant first half. Coen Kendall opened the scoring with a clinical finish before Jack Rees followed up with a composed effort to give us a 2–0 lead. The second half saw a controlled performance, and a well-executed counterattack, finished by Jacob Kendall, sealed a confident 3–0 victory to kick off the day in style.

Match 2 – CMCB vs Crusoe College
Facing a well-structured Crusoe side, the boys showed their quality early with two first-half goals from Kohan Carmichael and Jimi Read. From there, the team defended with discipline and composure, keeping Crusoe at bay in the second half to secure a solid 2–0 win. A professional performance that highlighted our defensive strength and game management.

Match 3 – CMCB vs Weeroona College
This back-to-back fixture tested the squad’s stamina, and while fatigue set in, the boys maintained their attacking intent. Numerous chances were created but not converted, as Weeroona held firm under pressure. With seconds remaining, Jimi Read found space at the back post and calmly slotted the winner into the bottom corner. The 1–0 result ensured a place in the final and rewarded the team’s persistence and belief.

Final – CMCB vs Eaglehawk Secondary College
In a tense and high-stakes final, Coen Kendall struck early from a scrappy corner to give us a 1–0 lead. Eaglehawk pressed hard in the second half, but our defence held strong. Then came the moment of the match – a spectacular bicycle kick from Simon Bu, straight from a corner, that left the crowd stunned and the opposition with no response. The 2–0 win capped off a brilliant day and the well-deserved title of Sandhurst Champions was achieved.

The team played with great spirit, skill and commitment throughout the tournament. Their ability to perform under pressure, support one another, and compete with integrity was a credit to themselves and the school. Congratulations to all players on a fantastic day of football. The team will now progress to the Loddon Mallee Regional Final on Tuesday 22 July.

TEAM: Coen Kendall, Sonny Kennedy, Tadhg O’Keefe, Jimi Read, Jacob Kendal, Angelo Cuadra, Kohan Uren, Rafael Bourke, Miller Kelly, Zander Walker, Leonardo Rusk, Simon Bu, Jack Rees, Levi Bugeja, Daniel Xue

Junior Girls

The Junior Girls were keen to impress early, so they came out firing in their first match against Crusoe College.  The girls played exceptionally well as a team and scored consistently throughout the match to win 7-0. This win saw them in high spirits after such a good start.

Their second match was more challenging, as both teams were evenly matched. Castlemaine Secondary College scored in the first half, which boosted the determination of the CMCB team. After a few positional changes at the half-time break, the girls began to outplay Castlemaine. They were able to equal the ledger on the scoreboard early, but just couldn’t find the winning goal despite a plethora of opportunities. The match finished in a 1-1 draw.

The girls then played against Weeroona College, and after their third consecutive game, they began to feel the heat and fatigue, which led to defensive gaps opening up. Weeroona soon managed to take advantage of this and broke through to score and gain the lead. Once again, CMCB were able to equalise, but another slight lapse in concentration saw Weeroona score again in the dying minutes to defeat a gallant CMCB team 2-1.

After a break, the girls had one more game to play, and they came out firing and finished on a high note to win their final game 5-0 against Eaglehawk Secondary College.

Unfortunately, due to their earlier loss, the girls just missed out on playing in the final. Despite this, we were still very proud of their achievements. Special mention to Zara Mould and Bronte Ellerton for coaching the girls all day. Their ability to manage the team and make positional changes was fantastic.

Both teams would like to thank the Year 9 Helpers: Nay Lae Oo Ku, Zara Mould, Ruby Ritchie, Sophie Healy and Bronte Ellerton. Hearing positive feedback from the convenor about the helpfulness and flexibility of these students is something the College can be really proud of.

“The CMCB students who came on the day were unreal and were required to be on many different grounds early on to cover the games, and all did an amazing job showing fantastic professionalism” – Sandhurst Division Convenor

TEAM: Zara Mould (Coach), Abby Wingrave, Olivia Parker, Rose Merry Ku, Emily Doherty, Amelia Cobb, Charlie Chambers, Katija Gallagher, Bronte Ellerton (Helper), Imogen Keller, Zalie Seamer, Scarlett Wagstaff, Ella Brown, Ruby Goggin, Sofia Angove, Kasia Angove