Final appetiser: WHS A goal shoot Holly Hoogvliet shapes to shoot over the top of GRC Concrete goal defence Sarah Russell. After falling behind by seven goals, GRC fought back to win the match, 44-41
Wakatipu High’s top netball team isn’t taking any notice of the form book heading into their Queenstown Premier Grade semi-final.
Fourth-placed Wakatipu High A will take on top-of-the-table GR Concrete this Saturday.
The two teams clashed last week in their final round-robin encounter, with GR Concrete coming back from a seven-goal deficit in the third quarter to win 44-41.
WHS A coach Lauren Middleton believes despite the recent loss, her girls can pull off a victory.
“I think that we’re playing very well at the business end of the competition and we’ve every chance of getting a final spot.
Saturday’s semi-finals
PREMIERS: noon – GR Concrete v WHS A; 3pm – Chico’s/ABL v Pub on Wharf
SENIOR A: 1.30pm– WHS B v WHS Yr 10A; 1.30pm – WHS Yr 9A v Executive Accommodation
Head-to-head
WHS A V GRC THIS SEASON:WHS A beat GR Concrete 50-41; GR Concrete beat WHS A 45-35; GRC Concrete beat WHS A 44-41
PUB ON WHARF V CHICO’S/abl THIS SEASON: Pub on Wharf beat Chico’s/ABL 41-40; Chico’s/ABL beat Pub on Wharf 60-42
Last weekend’s results
PREMIERS: GRC beat WHS A 44-41; Chico’s/ABL drew with Pub on Wharf 47-47
SENIOR A: Yr 10A beat Executive Accom 53-47; WHS B beat Yr 9A 45-26; Glenorchy beat WHS Blue 25-23
“Win or lose, as long as it’s a good game like it was last week we’ll be more than happy,” Middleton adds.
GR Concrete coach/goal shoot Di Griffiths says her team will have to stay focused to continue the team’s six-game winning streak. “We’re happy to be where we are at the moment and anything over and above that is just a blessing.”
Griffiths admits it will be a wee bit strange” taking on the school side – she coached there for five years until stepping down at the end of 2008.
Her “inbred” coaching instinct doesn’t stop when the girls are defending against her. “I talk to them all the time in the circle – you know, ‘Come on girls, keep up, nice lean.’”
In the other semi, second-placed Chico’s/ABL face third-placed Pub on Wharf. The two teams also played last weekend, drawing 47-47.
Chico’s/ABL coach Kay O’Connell believes her team can win by a comfortable margin if they cut down mistakes.
“If we can play without bad patches, we should be in front of them by four or five goals,” she says.
Pub on Wharf have won the championship for the past three years as Altitude, but defender Erin Aston says it’ll be close on Saturday.
“I think it’ll pretty much be goal for goal again. Hopefully we can come out on top with the win.”
The on-court rivalry will be just as strong a tier below in the Senior A league. WHS B go into the semis as top dogs, playing off against their Year 10A schoolmates. who are ranked fourth.
Second-placed WHS Year 9A face third-ranked Executive Accommodation.
In an end-of-season Premier playoff match, fifth-ranked Harcourts play sixth-placed United Arrowtown. In the Senior A grade, fifth-ranked Glenorchy play sixth-placed WHS Blue.
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