After missing out on the NSW Combined High Schools finals the last couple of years Orange High School (OHS) returned to state-wide tournament’s biggest stage in 2017, and came back with a bang.
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Qualifying for the top 16 after winning the Western title in emphatic fashion in March, the Hornets made their presence felt at the play-offs at Netball Central this week, ultimately finishing fourth in the state.
The black and golds produced a stunning performance to win through to the semi-finals and were the last remaining non-sporting school in the competition before falling, but doing so valiantly, in the final four.
“It’s just an incredible, amazing effort, I’m so proud of them and the girls are just over the moon,” OHS coach Tegan Dray said.
“We definitely had plenty of self-belief and we’d aimed for a top eight finish, anything after that would be a bit of bonus.
“Three years ago we came fifth and then we haven’t been to the finals for the last two years, so to finish top four in their first year back (in the finals) is just amazing.
“There isn’t actually a trophy for it, but we’ll claim the unofficial title of country champions.”
It took huge performances from netball nurseries Hills Sports High and Westfields Sports High, in the semi-final and third-place play-off respectively, to resign the Hornets to fourth.
Pitted against the likes of Narrabeen Sports High and Hunter Sports High, along with Westfields, in the two-pool final 16 stage, OHS lost just one game to qualify second.
The Hornets took care of Elderslie 35-29 in the quarter-finals, before just going down to Hills (26-18) in the semi-finals.
To finish top four in their first year back (in the finals) is just amazing.
- OHS coach Tegan Dray
“The girls played some amazing netball, the (semi-final) against Hills was a really physical sort of game but they hung in there,” Dray said.
“Hills actually went on to win it too, they beat Endeavour (Sports High) 54-34 in the final, Endeavour had knocked Westfields out so we played them the third-place play-off after that.
“It was even with about three minutes to go.”
OHS was ultimately edged out 31-27, a few calls not falling the Hornets’ way in the dying stages.
“It was actually the first time in 12 years Westfields hadn’t made the final, so to be able to match it with the benchmark of school netball is amazing,” Dray said.
A crucial aspect of the Hornets’ success is how young the team – made up of made up of Mariah Robinson, Sarah Eslick, Milly Wilcox, Poppy Keegan, Anna Matthews, Cheynoah Merchant, Tabua and Milika Tuinakauvadra, Kelly Prevett and Haegan Boland – is.
Only two are in year 12 and will move on next year, with the remainder of the side made up of year 11s (three), year nines (four) and one year eight student.
With that in mind, all signs point toward many more years of success for the side.
“Hopefully we can continue it,” Dray said.
“It was amazing to see the younger girls play so well against older, more experienced opponents.
“The mix of experience and enthusiasm we had worked really well, it was great to see the older players really help the younger ones through as well.”
Matt Findlay
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
