JACKSON Sharpe added to his state resume in Tamworth this week.
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The Oxley High student was named in the CHS seconds following strong performances for North West at this week’s State CHS Championships.
He was the lone North West player to catch selectors’ eyes and was delighted to hear his name read out in one of the two sides to play in the NSW All Schools Carnival in March.
“I was really pleased,” Sharpe said.
“This was a goal.”
He’d been close a couple of years ago, being named as a shadow for the seconds team.
This year was also the last he was eligible to play for the CHS side.
He has been working hard for it.
“I’ve been training five days a week for eight weeks,” he said.
He’s also been travelling down to Newcastle to play for Raymond Terrace in the Newcastle competition of a Saturday after turning out for Eco Energy in the Tamworth competition on Friday nights.
He is also part of the Hunter Hurricanes 16s side that recently finished fifth at the nationals and won silver at the state championships.
Earlier in the year he also travelled to New Zealand with the NSW Country U16s side.
This week he was one of the more experienced players of what was a bit of a green North West side.
“It was more of a learning experience with new players in the team,” Sharpe said.
Some of them hadn’t played tournament water polo before and around half don’t play regularly.
“We grew as the tournament went on,” he said.
Manager Sharon Grellman concurred.
“We improved in defence and attack,” she said.
“Our defence improved and our communication in attack did too.”
They finished the carnival with two wins.
Both were 8-4 wins over Sydney South West and came at opposite ends of the
carnival.
Another highlight was pushing Sydney West, who finished fourth, in an 8-7 loss.
Sharpe was one of their best and was pipped by a point for the North West’s most valuable player by Isaac Moxon.
Moxon is one of a core who will be around for a few more years.
As part of the championships, a special exhibition game was also held.
The two teams, organised by Ron Surtees, played out a 5-all draw.
The penalty shootout to decide the winner was held at the Southgate Inn, across the road from the South and West War Memorial Pool.
By all reports it finished in a draw too after a long refreshing recounting of past days in the pool.
The exhibition match had been held to commemorate 125 years of public school sport in NSW and the game and post-match celebrations commemorated that nicely.
Olympians Daniel Marsden and Craig Miller captained the two sides, Marsden’s two sons, Mitch and Keenan, playing starring roles in Hunter’s 15-3 win over Sydney East.
There was a local connection to the Hunter side, with former Tamworth rep Harry Mihell playing with them and jumping in in goals during the latter stages of the final.