St. Bernards College 2013 Yearbook #1 | Page 99

realise that success is 99% perspiration and 1% talent. The team did very well all season but illness and injuries at key times meant that they lost crucial games. This team deserved to be a finalist but they look on their 3rd placing as an opportunity to come back next year and take out the final. The team represented us well on tour and showed in the fixture against Wanganui HS that they are ready to take the next step and play the top college teams. 1st XI. The team has laid to rest the horrors of the past two years. This team went one further than the 2011 and 12 teams by taking out the division 1 title. The team had a very solid core from last season and with a sprinkling of talented year 11 they showed that Saint Bernard’s is becoming a footballing force and a college that believes in attractive football. Mr Wayne Ebert has achieved what no other Saint Bernard’s coach has managed and that, is to take a team to win the prestigious division 1 title. This theoretically placed us as the 7th best team in the greater Wellington region. Their victory against Francis Douglas proved that we can develop and nurture very fine footballers. Every player in the team has the ability to play at a much higher grade and I am positive that we will hear and see a lot more of them. Wayne’s prophetic words at lasts years prize giving proved inspirational “The team and I have unfinished business, we will not repeat the mistakes of previous years” MY GREATEST THANKS AND BEST WISHES GO TO THE YEAR 13 PLAYERS WHO HAVE FINISHED THEIR APPRENTICESHIP AT SBC. FOR SOME IT HAS BEEN 6/7 YEARS BUT FOR MOST YOU IT HAS BEEN 5 YEARS WHERE YOU HAVE DONED THE MIGHTY BLUE AND GOLD JERSEY AND SHOWN A COMMITMENT TO YOUR TEAM MATES AND THE COLLEGE THAT HAS BEEN TRUELY INSPIRATIONAL. It is very important that you continue your involvement in football either as a player or as a referee. Find the time and inclination to join a club. The friendships you have made through SBC football will last forever as will your friendships made when playing as an adult. Brenten Higson Football convenor. 14th September 2013 XI Report W To start off our campaign, we were entered into the pre-season Wellington Football Tournament held by Scots College. After two days of solid football, wet weather and multiple proud wins, we came out on top of our table and further made it to the final of the tournament ready to play Wellington’s powerhouse of football, Wellington College. Although we were seen as underdogs throughout the whole game, we fought off a very proud 0-0 draw; unfortunately losing in penalties. This was to be the start of a great season. After an article in the paper of our recent triumph, we all knew that we were now seen as the team to beat. Though with multiple injuries we had a rough set of grading games, finishing in an undeserved 4th place, narrowly missing out on playing premier football. Though this only made us more and more determined to win the Division 1 title. We started off our division 1 campaign with a 4-2 win over Rongotai and a 4-0 drubbing over our pansy rivals, HIBS. From then on in, start to finish, we lead the way. With two defeats on the trot towards the final games of the season we knew that it wasn’t over yet. With all the passion and determination we could muster, the boys came together to finish off the season with too heavy victories we could all be proud of. A 5-1 victory over Kapiti, and our last game at SBC on “Hazguard” saw a 9-2 win over Pram Col. Game St Bernard’s College 2013 after game, we had grown both in confidence and in skill as we finished proudly at the F