Brentwood School - Brentwoodian 2020

42 1st VII At the start of the season we began with a new and improved 1st VII with five new players. The mood and attitude of the team was so good and it was great to see everyone getting along and working well together. After a tough defeat from the Old Brentwoods losing by a short margin we had a quick turnover to create one of the most successful and memorable seasons a senior team has had. Our first major competition was the first round of the National Schools. After a great day of many grueling matches we came second gaining us a place at the Regionals. At the Regionals, missing out by a couple of points, we unfortunately did not progress to the National final. However a standout performance throughout the day was by the midcourt. Lucy Holloway in particular made some sensational interceptions at WD and during the physical games at WA, her feisty personality shone through. Skye Lynch at C made some crucial and accurate passes into the circle which enabled the shooters to score the game- winning goals. In January the first round of the ISNC plate competition came around. We played Farnborough Hill and won 72-34. This was thanks to the awesome and accurate shots by our shooters, Anna Reeves, Lauren Burgin and Niamh Mills. Their movement in the circle was great and they consistently shot, resulting in a whopping 38 lead. Their performance was aided by Ellie Marshall demonstrating tireless movement to get the ball into the shooting circle. Shortly after we faced New Hall School in the County Cup. This was a dreaded match due to long term rivalries. This was a highly contested game and we won 28-21 due to the teamwork and determination that every single player on the court demonstrated. Lastly, one of our final highlights of the season was the fixture against Beechgrove Academy in the next round of the National plate, which we won 55-35. Lauren Ager, Lousia Carolan and Sarah Dawe made some game-changing interceptions and tips, communicating well together in order to turn the ball over, leading to our success. Of course our season was cut short due to the global Coronavirus pandemic however, we can’t forget Mrs Juniper and Miss Atkinson coaching us from the very start of the year. Their friendship is so admirable, working hand-in-hand. Miss Atkinson has been amazing, always bringing a smile to our faces and enlightening the team in times of stress and Mrs Juniper's passion reflects on us all as a team giving us the motivation to continue playing at our best. We can’t thank you both enough for the dedication that you show each and everyone of us. None of this could have been possible without you both; we are all so appreciative of the effort and commitment that you put in on a weekly basis to try and get the best out of us, so thank you from behalf of the team. By Skye Lynch and Anna Reeves 2nd VII This last academic year the 2nd VII team has had many successes against not only other 2nd teams but also 1st teams. Our first game of the season was against Boswells in the first round of the MESSA league which we fought hard and won 16-14, with fantastic play from our shooters, Annabel Eastwood and Annabel Shaw. Another notable performance was against Bancroft’s School. Thanks to our excellent mid-court players Sadie Sumner, Emma Philpot and Elisabeth Olaiya, we had a convincing win 29-13, with just seven players, showing our great teamwork and fitness. Unfortunately we were unable to progress in the MESSA league after losing by just one goal to Sandon School’s 1st team, despite some excellent interceptions from our Vice-Captain, Zara Phillips in defence. After some injuries on the team Agnes Terazi and Heather Young rose to the occasion to become integral and valuable members, helping us win comfortably against Chigwell 18-8. The members of this team have all put hours of training in to become a 2nd team that plays and wins against some 1st teams, all while having fun and maintaining great team spirit. A huge thank you and well done to everyone. By Grace Parrish Netball