INTER-SCHOOL GAMES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 86, 3 July 1945, Page 7

INTER-SCHOOL GAMES

FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL WHAKATANK v OPOTIKI The annual football and basketball matches between the Opotiki and Whakatane District High Schools took place last Tuesday the A teams meeting at Opotiki and the B's at Whakatane. In spite of broken weather for three or J'our days previthe day was fine and l'airly, good conditions prevailed. | Tlie match between the first fifteen was a J'airly even game in which better team work Jinally brought victory to Whakatane. The local boys were somewhat handicapped by their travelling, and were slow to settle allowing Opotiki to score a try in the lirst three J minutes of the game. Whakatane quickly equalised, when I. Law gathered the ball from a poor kick by an Opotiki played and scored T. Davis converting with an excellent kick Irom near the touch line. Vigorous up and down play followed, both sides scoring in succession to bring the score to 11 all at half time. In the second spell the Whakatane. backs were able to handle better and scored two good tries from faultless movements in which most of the bucks handled. M. Tiepa paved the way for a third by a 'dash round the blind side of a scrum. Opotiki scored one more try as the result of a quick throw in from a line out which caught the Whakatane forwards out of position. For'Whakatane tries were scored by 1. Law (2) f B. B. Bell. D. Carling and G. Goodall. T. Davis converted four of and another

kick was also over but was disallowed. The linal score was 2(5—11 in favour of Whakatane. The match between the second lif'teens was uninspiring, being characterised by too much loo.se forward ork and lack of coordination amongst the backs. Whakatane won !)—their tries being scored by R. J. Taj lor and C. Hawthorne. Basketball Match, The A basketball match was a fast audi even in which, perhaps the most striking feature was the quick and accurate passing and sure goaling of the Opotiki players. This enabled, them to establish an B—o lead at half-time. The Whakatane girls were inclined to fumble the ball ? and missed several shots at goal. As the game progressed however they played much better and very nearly managed to catch Opotiki's time, being called with the score Hi —15. The accuracy of the goaling of the Whakatane B team also deteriorated badly in the second half of their game. The local girls held the. lead during the first spell but during the second Opotiki's passing proved superior. The linal .score was 18—12 in favour of Opotiki.