Brentwoodian 2019

51 Netball The 1st Team had some tough early matches against strong schools, including Putney High School in the early stages of the Independent Schools National Cup Competition. Unfortunately we narrowly lost in extra time by just one goal, but this drove us to train hard leading to great improvements as a squad throughout the rest of the season. Starting a new season always takes some adjusting, but the squad gelled quickly this year. Fifth Years, Lauren Ager, Lauren Burgin and Mia Citroen were great additions to the team; Mia in defence, who continually made crucial turnovers, Lauren Burgin with her consistently accurate shooting, and Lauren Ager, who was always determined and a versatile player in both attack and defence. Unfortunately we were knocked out of the Essex Cup by a very strong Barking Abbey side, however, the girls did not shy away from the tough competition and battled hard throughout. We also missed out on qualifying for the regional finals by losing to Felsted in the deciding match of the tournament by just one goal, but credit has to go to a formidable defensive unit of Zara Phillips, Lucy Patchett and Lily Spencer-Smith, who kept us in the game after a shaky first half and fought hard to turn over possession. Despite a few early setbacks, we finished the season as winners of the MESSA league, with wins against teams including KEGS, but the highlight of the season was most definitely the Kelsall Tournament. This is always a tough competition but one that has a great atmosphere. There were some strong sides including Gresham’s and Highgate School, but the team remained determined throughout. After beating our local rivals, New Hall School, in the semi-final by just one goal, we progressed to the final, beating Stephen Perse School by one goal in a nail-biting match. The team was calm under pressure and the girls worked hard for each other - Anna Reeves was agile in the shooting circle, while Skye Lynch used her strength and speed to take the ball down court. As the last competition of the season, we could not have hoped for a better result than to finish as winners! FIRST VII A big thank you must go to Mrs Juniper and Miss Atkinson, who have coached the team through a tough season. Miss Atkinson’s knowledge and experience, especially of the defence, has been invaluable during team talks, while Mrs Juniper, always passionate and fiercely determined, has been the driving force behind the team. It has been a pleasure for the Upper Sixth girls to end our Brentwood journey with Mrs Juniper as our coach, after starting with her in the First Year. We will always look back fondly on the years we have spent as part of the squad and without her we would not have had such a fun netball journey. Thank you for everything Miss. We wish the rest of the netball girls lots of luck next season - we have loved being your Captains this year. By Lucy Wilde & Lily Spencer-Smith