NORTH West teams found it tough again at their various State CHS and PSSA carnivals across the state yesterday.
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PSSA tennis and basketball carnivals were being held in Rockdale and Wollongong while CHS girls’ volleyball (Temora), CHS girls’ football (Bathurst) and CHS boys’ basketball (Minto) all had testing opening days.
In Rockdale, North West’s primary girls and boys’ teams were being managed by Ryan Griffiths and, while they had not fared too well on the first day, bounced back yesterday.
“The kids are playing well,” Griffiths said.
“It’s a big ask for them.
“They don’t have the finishing power that some of these other kids have down here.
“Against Mackillop and Hunter we won some sets but no matches on Monday.
“Today we beat Western in both boys and girls.
“The boys didn’t lose a set and the girls won both their doubles as well.
“That was awesome.
NW played Sydney North and South Coast and, while they lost, the boys “were super impressive in both”.
“They played out of their skins and the girls played really well as well,” Griffiths said.
“They all did the North West proud.
“They are a good bunch of kids who are all trying their hardest.”
Gunnedah South’s Aaron Osmond and Moree’s Abby Newton earned special praise for some outstanding efforts.
In Bathurst, the North West girls’ football side started its carnival with a 1-nil win over North Coast yesterday.
Moree’s Jessica Maher was the goalscorer when she broke away to slot it past the North Coast goalie.
NW goalkeeper Elizabeth Hollitt (Tenterfield), Coonabarabran’s Teagan Barron and Armidale’s Jessika Burling all excelled.
Unfortunately, the side slipped to a 5-nil loss to Sydney West, manager Tristan Jones said.
“They (SW) are a quality team but we only trailed 1-nil at half-time,” Jones said.
“We had a few chances too but then ran out of legs.”
Duval High’s Courtnee McFarlane, Armidale High’s Amber Burton and Glen Innes’s Melanie Symons all impressed for a side that plays South Coast and Sydney South West today.
At Minto the NW boys’ basketball side lost to South Coast (63-52), Sydney East (60-47) and Sydney North (81-49), manager Louise Taylor said.
“This is a very tough pool,” she said of a side that has been spearheaded by Jayden Pryor (Oxley) and Ben Eather (Farrer) with Quirindi’s George Cudmore and Farrer’s Seth Vine also impressing.
The side plays Sydney South West 2s and North Coast today, games Taylor is confident they can win.
The North West primary boys’ basketball side is also in action at Wollongong where they started with a 39-36 win over Western but then “ran out of juice against Sydney West”, manager Jono Willis said.
“Connor Watts has been outstanding for us, our best scorer and best rebounder,” Willis said of the Tamworth Public School student. “Joey Mead (Tamworth South) and Jack Dadd (Tamworth Public) have also played well.”
His side meets Hunter, North Coast and Sydney North today.
