Blackfriars’ school spirit shines in 2022 Intercol competition
The spirit of the Hounds was on full display during last week’s 16th annual Intercol against Christian Brothers College.
Blackfriars made the best-possible start to the three-day competition, taking out the Senior Chess contest, 3.5 games to 1.5.
Chess Captain Sang Le was named Blackfriars’ MVP, with Year 7 student Aedan Ryan taking home the medal in the Middle years competition.
Blackfriars, coached by teacher Andrew Haarsma, has had a strong record in Intercol Chess, winning seven match-ups and drawing one since it first became part of the Intercol fixture in 2012.
Table Tennis was first included on the Intercol program in 2010, with CBC having the upper hand in recent years.
In fact, Blackfriars had not won the Table Tennis since 2016 – until this year.
Led by Captain Hy Bao Buu and coached by old scholar Phi Trinh (BPS’18), Blackfriars not only won the Senior A2 contest, it was also victorious in the Middle B, Senior B and Middle A2 competitions.
Our Senior A2 MVP was Lucas Petroccia, with Jordon Ngo, Zavier Morelli and Lachlan Sutton also taking home medals as the best players in their respective divisions.
Day 1 concluded with the Debating competition.
Our Senior A team of Captain Nathan Sewart, Daniel Song and Juan Carlos Kilapio debated the negative on the topic “Buy-now and pay-later models, including credit cards and Afterpay, should be banned”.
Despite a very strong showing by our comparatively young team, CBC was awarded the win in a split decision, and by the very narrowest of margins.
Year 11 student Nathan was named Blackfriars’ best speaker.
In the Middle School competition, Year 7 student Ryan Lapinig took the honours.
Blackfriars will be looking to even the ledger in 2023, with CBC now edging ahead, 7 victories to 6, in the 13 years of Intercol debating.
With all three of this year’s Senior A boys still at Blackfriars next year, we have no doubt they will be very hard to beat in 2023.
Day 2 started with the bumper Basketball competition.
While the only the result of the Senior A game counts towards the Intercol Trophy, there were six games contested at Adelaide 36ers Arena.
The Middle A (34-26) and Middle B teams (52-18) recorded victories, while the Middle C (26-37), Senior B (18-56) and Senior C (35-80) games went to CBC.
Congratulations to our MVPs, Kiarash Shakouri (Middle C), Matthew Brown (Middle B), Eli Scharfbillig (Middle A), Luke Fernando (Senior C) and Bailey James (Senior B).
The Senior A game, in front of vocal crowds from both schools, was a tight contest, with Blackfriars coming back from a slow start to take the advantage at the mid-way point.
However, CBC was ultimately too strong, taking the win 53-62.
Jackson Puddy was named Blackfriars’ best player.
With CBC levelling the Intercol contest, it was going to come down to the final day, and the Soccer and Football, to decide the ultimate winner.
It was a wet start to Day 3 for our Senior B Soccer side, which was, unfortunately, outclassed by CBC, 12-0.
Simon Sangu took home the medal as the best player for Blackfriars.
The sun peaked through just as the 1st XI took to the pitch at Services FM Stadium, Gepps Cross.
Blackfriars, coached by Football South Australia Hall of Fame inductee Simon Catanzaro, took the early lead, with Year 11 Nathan Oan scoring the first goal of the game.
From there, it was a tight tussle, but CBC scored a late goal to secure the victory (2-4) and ensure, no matter the result of the Football later that day, it would retain the Intercol Trophy.
Nathan Oan was named Blackfriars’ MVP.
The action then headed to Prospect Oval for the 1st XVIII Football.
Blackfriars had its chances, and led for the first half, but could not combat a fast-finishing CBC, the final score 9.2 (56) to 10.10 (70).
Co-captain Josh Stodden was judged Blackfriars’ best player.
With a 2-4 victory across the competition, CBC again took home the Intercol Trophy.
Congratulations to everyone from CBC on what was a fabulous contest.
Blackfriars Co-Curricular Administrator Matilda Comley was proud of how the Hounds performed over the three days of Intercol.
“Thank you to all students who participated in Intercol 2022,” she said.
“Your efforts, sportsmanship and excellence – on and off the field, court, pitch or board – was beyond what I could have imagined.
“I am so lucky to be a part of a school of boys who will play their heart out for their school crest.”
While not counting towards the Intercol trophy, the competition with CBC continued into the weekend, with our younger students competing in Football and Soccer.
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