Considering it's been many moons since they last secured a spot in the NSW Primary School Sports Association Knockout Finals, it came as no surprise Orange Public School's win in Thursday afternoon's Western decider sparked raucous celebrations.
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Capping off a preliminary campaign that kicked off all the way back in May the blue and golds held off a fighting Dubbo Public side at Sir Neville Howse Stadium, their defensive effort the highlight in ultimately winning 26-19 to progress.
They'll now head to Sydney for the finals on October 21, where they'll be pitted against the North Coast region's champion in the quarter-finals, with the semi-finals and state championship clash to the be played the same day.
I've been told it's quite a while since we last made it to state so it's really exciting.
- OPS assistant coach Leasa Konza
The side is made up of Abigail Kiely, Amy Robinson, Brianna Priest, Elsie Callaway, Emily Clunas, Emily Vanstone, Hannah Oliver, Joise Gordon-Smith, Lyla Callaway, Xanthe Huxtable and Xanthe Staniforth, and their quarter-final opponent will be decided on September 25 and will be either Narranga Public or Casino West Public.
"It's only my first year at the school so I wasn't sure how long it had been, but I've been told it's quite a while since we last made it to state so it's really exciting," Leasa Konza, who coaches the OPS side along with Lynne Middleton and Samantha Spicer, said.
"Dubbo did such a great job in the way they spaced the court and it was a really good game, the girls are all really excited to win but Dubbo played so well.
"There's been a lot of hard work gone into it so it's just great they get to go away to the finals now, we'll see how we go down there but just getting there is such a massive achievement."
In a battle of two outfits that, combined, provided the Western side with five stars OPS did enough to build an eight-goal lead by the final break before Dubbo pegged back one in a strong final term.
After a first-round bye OPS kick-started their campaign with a 28-11 win over Orange rivals Calare, before knocking off Orange East, OSSA Gold, Condobolin Public and Mulyan Public on their way to the final as well.
The excitement could well continue for a number of the side too, the bulk of the Western title-winning side will turn around on Saturday morning as their OPS Shezaroonies side takes on Waratahs Greengate Sandwich Bar in the Orange Netball Association 12 Years Red grand final.
"There is a number of this side that will play in that grand final, it would be so good if they were to win that as well," Konza said.
OPS' 10 Years Blue side has also won through to their decider, they'll take on Hawks Ward Nutrition as part of ONA's blockbuster morning of junior grand finals, before the senior deciders that afternoon.
Those junior grand finals begin from 8.30am on Saturday morning, with the West Orange Motors Senior Competitions' grand finals kicking off from 12.10pm.
The main event, the division one Toyota Cup decider between Orange City Craig Harvey Mechanical and Life Studio, starts at 3.15pm.
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