Great Scot April 2019 Great Scot_156_April_2019_Online | Page 47

The summer season of 2018/19 will long be remembered as the
most successful season in recent history, marked by a consistently high
standard of performance by all senior teams, culminating in Scotch
winning three APS premierships — in tennis, cricket, and rowing —
achieving several close seconds, and featuring a myriad of highly
competitive performances by our firsts teams.
The 1st VIII Tennis premiership has ended a 30-year drought —
the last time Scotch won the title was back in 1989. The team was
undefeated, with eight wins and two games unfortunately abandoned
through wet weather. This breakout season saw our boys go from
strength to strength as the season progressed, including a critical win
against St Kevin’s at home, 11 games to five. The final game against
Wesley was played in challenging conditions on the Montgomery Courts,
and although we won comfortably, 15 sets to one, it was very tight, mainly
due to the threat of rain.
Great intrigue was placed on the Caulfield Grammar School and
Xavier College game. An undefeated Caulfield Grammar can consider
themselves unlucky not to share the premiership, as bad weather meant
that they did not get a result. Our boys were extremely humble in victory.
Under the leadership of Captain Max Sinclair and Vice Captain Lachlan
McAndrew (both Year 12), they have carried themselves with class
all year.
The 1st XI Cricket premiership will go down as one for the ages, with
our boys continually finding a way to compete. In an APS season with
no dominant team, Scotch won early games, giving the team valuable
confidence and momentum at the start of the season. Captain Will Lovell
(Year 12) led consistently with both bat and ball, and his own season sits
as one of the most influential performances in recent years. As the season
progressed there were several rain-affected games, and the competition
became tighter. An amazing outright result against Brighton Grammar
away from home proved crucial to the team’s premiership success. Will
Lovell was again the star, with seven wickets across the two innings.
The final round of APS cricket provided many scenarios, with five
teams still in contention for the flag. While a draw against Wesley on our
Main Oval was enough to deliver an unlikely flag, some assistance was
provided across the creek, as a last wicket stand by St Kevin’s denied
Geelong Grammar an outright result and the premiership.
Our rowers set the benchmark for our sports program, and their
success is second to none. This season our 1st VIII won the New South
Wales and Victorian School Eight Championships and also the Head
of the River for the 14th time in 16 years. Amazingly, it was our Captain,
Marcus Emmett’s (Year 12) third consecutive Head of the River win, a
feat not achieved since the inclusion of all 11 current schools into the
APS. The crew backed up this performance with victory in the schoolboy
eights at the Australian Rowing Championships at Penrith.
The 2nd VIII also excelled at Penrith. The crew was split into two fours
and came first and third in the schoolboys’ coxed four. Amazingly, our 3rd
VIII came second in this event. (More information about Scotch rowing
appears elsewhere in this edition of Great Scot.)
Several of our sports fell just short of premiership glory. The futsal
team was minutes away from an APS flag. The final game against Carey
Grammar School seemed destined for a draw, until a late goal to the
opposition in the last 90 seconds of the game proved the difference
between the two teams. The team played a dynamic attacking brand
of futsal all season, and should be commended on a fine season.
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