Schools
7 December, 2022
Lowood boys impress at Calvary Cup
THE Lowood State High School U16 boys placed second in the Silver Cup while the U14 boys placed seventh as both teams took part in the Calvary Cup futsal competition on November 23.
Schools travelled from the Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, Gold Coast and Redlands areas to participate in the event at the Carbrook-based Calvary Christian College for 18-minute contests featuring no half-time break.
Many of Lowood’s players had taken part in other competitions, although this year was the first time they competed in the Calvary Cup.
The U16 boys division split into top and bottom tiers, named Gold and Silver, due to the number of teams involved.
Lowood’s U16s placed third out of four schools in Pool A, having lost 3-1 to the host school and then having a scoreless draw with John Paul College (JPC) before beating Redlands 3-1.
In the Silver Cup play-offs, Lowood was scheduled to contest the fourth-placed JPC team from Pool B, but the Pool B team forfeited.
With Redlands winning the other play-off match, Lowood’s U16s were primed for a rematch with the Redlands team only an hour or so after the teams previously met.
Redlands proved stronger the second time around, which meant Lowood placed second in the Silver Cup.
Lowood coach Sofia Megom said Aiden McDonald was a standout performer as goalkeeper throughout the tournament.
“Aiden’s skills and confidence improved each game and he consistently demonstrated a positive attitude which contributed to the positivity of the rest of the team,” Ms Megom said.
“A special mention must also go to Alexander Lukritz and Adam Canavan for stepping up to co-captain the U16 boys for the tournament.
“The boys took the responsibility seriously, warming the team up and leading their team each game with respect and positivity.”
Ms Megom said she thought the key to having a good tournament was maintaining a positive attitude, regardless of the outcomes.
“If players are able to recover positively after a loss or a tough game, or take a win in their stride, it dramatically improves their mentality going forward and can positively impact their results later in the tournament,” she said.
“Overall the standard of the competition was high and the U16 players were certainly put through their paces.
“Considering the competition, I am very proud of how well the boys worked individually and together as a team to achieve the results they did.
“The high intensity and game load was similar to other competitions the boys had competed in previously, however I think at the end of the day, the heat got the better of the boys in the end with everyone returning to school exhausted.”
Ms Megom said the U16 boys did a fantastic job of upholding the school’s RISE (Respect, Integrity, Self-Reliance and Engagement) values on and off the court, and demonstrating great sportsmanship towards their teammates and the other schools.
Lowood’s U14 boys also placed third in their pool, albeit a bigger pool than the U16s were in.
The Jacob Veraart-coached U14s began with a 2-all draw against Ripley Valley and then defeated Loganlea 5-0, before going down 4-0 to Calvary College.
Lowood’s U14s bounced back with a 2-1 win over Shailer Park and a 2-all draw with JPC, before going down in the semi-finals.
“I thought it was a really encouraging result considering the experience levels of some members of the team,” Mr Veraart said.
The coach said the result against JPC was impressive, and that it would have been even more favourable were it not for a few missed chances and one sloppy defensive mistake.
“The players battled hard and dominated territory for the majority of the game,” he said.
Looking at the team situation overall, Mr Veraart said, “The boys played team first futsal, chasing hard back in defence, always supporting each other and were committed to improve each game.”
