Oxley High School’s under 15s soccer sides continue to defy the odds as they power through their respective state-wide competitions.
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The boys (Bill Turner Cup) and girls (Bill Turner Trophy) have both moved through to the final 16.
The school is one of just four schools to have both girls and boys teams still alive at this stage of the competition.
The other three schools with two teams in the hunt are Westfields, The Hills and Cavendish Road.
The amazing achievement has been a talking point with teachers believing this is a first for the school.
“Both sides have gone well before but we can’t remember ever having them both in the round of 16 in the same year,” boys co-coach Peter Yeo said.
However, the road to the final 16 has been far from easy.
Along with 7am practice sessions each week, both sides have had to produce stellar performances to move through.
The girls have had an even mix of big wins along with close ones.
In their most recent outing, the side took on ASC St Joseph's Lochinvar and came away with a tight one-goal victory.
Manager Heath Pett made special mention of Jessica and Emma James for their performances throughout the competition but said the team as a whole worked well together.
“The side’s very diverse,” Pett said.
“We have some really well-rounded players that play in the mids and defence and there’s a lot of girls that have played together for a long time.”
Pett said the side’s secret weapon was the coach.
“You have to make mention of our coach Marie Wise, she’s a local rep coach and offered to coach this side,” Pett said.
“She’s done the 7am training all the way through and has played a huge part.”
The boys path has included a couple come-from-behind wins including a golden goal victory.
Their last match was against Mount St Patrick College, Murwillumbah where Jem Barbara scored a double and Daniel Peel sent one into the back of the net to win 3-1.
The boys now play John Paul College in Coffs Harbour and Yeo believed the side’s fitness would once again be a big factor.
“The fitness has played a big part, that’s what we’ve been training for,” Yeo said.
“The only blow-out score has been against McCarthy, every other game hasn't been won until the very end.”
The girls will take to the field for their next match against Hunter Sports at Oxley High School on Thursday, August 10 while the boys play on August 11.
