There was no shortage of sport in Term 2 at William Clarke. This term was highlighted by the Grade of Origin series, in which the Year 12’s won the series and claimed the inaugural Grade of Origin shield. Year 12 dominated the first game in week 3, beating the Year 11 team by 21 points in a thrilling game of netball. In week 5, the Year 12’s took on the Year 11s again, looking to close out the series in a game of touch football. Both teams put on a gritty performance, with moments of excellence displayed throughout the match, but ultimately, the Year 11’s walked away with the win. This sent the series into a decider match of football in week 7. The Year 12 team, led by their passionate manager, started well and looked to be the more dominant team, holding the majority of possession, but things went wrong quickly, with the Year 11’s managing to outrun the Year 12 defence line and score a one-on-one goal against the keeper. The Year 12’s did not panic, though, driving the ball back upfield and scoring an equaliser 5 minutes later.
As the tension built, both teams were presented with opportunities to score and ultimately win the game and the series, but neither team capitalised, with Mr Noble blowing his whistle and sending the game to penalties. For the first 4 pens, the two teams went shot for shot, with all players slotting away their penalties with ease. After the Year 12 scored their 5th penalty, the pressure was placed on the Year 11 player, who shot the ball too high, hitting the crossbar. With this, the Year 12’s had won the grade of origin series, going back-to-back after their winning run in Year 11.
Later in the term, in week 9, the Year 12’s continued their form in their basketball match against the staff. The students started quickly, putting 11 quick points on the staff team. Although they began to slow as the match progressed, the 6-man staff team improved as the game went on. The staff eventually gained the lead, with the students having some ground to make up. In the end, despite the tireless effort of the staff, the students’ class proved too much for the teachers, claiming victory by 1 point.
The in-school competitions were not the only sporting activities that took place in Term 2. Several teams across the secondary school competed in the Hills Zone sport competition, which consisted of multiple weekly games spanning across multiple age divisions and sports each week. Some highlights of the competition this term were attributed to the college’s senior boys’ teams in both soccer and basketball , who ultimately won their respective grand final matches.
For the Senior Boys Navy Soccer team, the ultimate win was just an ongoing standard of their performance throughout the entire competition, progressing through the entirety of the competition undefeated. Led by captain Sonny S, the team, through a combined effort, was able to win the grand final in an astonishing 6-0 final score. Year 12 student, Campbell K, had a notably exceptional game, scoring 3 goals in the duration of the match. This final win was not just a great individual match, but a reflection of the ongoing hard work and commitment of the team, with a full squad filling out every game and pushing through weekly early morning training sessions whilst successfully managing the heavy workload of senior school.
Furthermore, the HZSA Senior Navy basketball team dominated the competition all season. Despite battling through many injuries throughout the season, the team only lost 1 game to Pacific Hills in a close match, with only 1 point separating the two teams. As a result of their continuously dominant performance, the boys were able to make it to the grand final, where they would have a full team for the first time all season. With the homecourt advantage and tremendous support from Year 11 and 12 students, the boys came out aggressively from the start. They built an early 10-point lead on the back of 4 straight 3 pointers from Year 12 student, Hunter M, and despite a promising comeback effort from Redfield College in which made for a high-stakes but exciting finish; Year 12 student Clovis C and Year 11 student Daniel G provided the team with a spark on the defensive end allowing the boys to come away with a 9-point victory against Redfield.
The Firsts basketball team represented the college at the 2026 Basketball New South Wales Opens Schools Tournament. The team opened their tournament with an impressive opening win against Matraville Sports High School. The boys would go on to dominate the rest of the round games in commanding style with another 2 comfortable wins over Kellyville High School and St. Luke’s Grammar. The boys would continue their winning streak against Ryde Secondary College in the semi-final. After being down by 15 at halftime, the boys fought back in excellent style, led by terrific senior leadership from Year 12 students Alexander S and Hunter M on the defensive end, as well as Year 11 Student Callan H, scoring 11 straight points to help lead the team to the grand final. Despite a hard-fought effort throughout the day, the boys would ultimately come short against a dominant St Augustine’s College in the final. The boys displayed tremendous teamwork throughout the tournament and were able to secure 2nd place.
