Sports News
Super St Johns Scoop Second.
On Thursday 26th September nine boys from year 5&6 made the short trip to Ely Hockey Club to take part in a football tournament which was our first competition of the new school year. The ten teams from local schools were split into three groups as we attempted to defend our title.
Our first match was against the favourites Fordham. This turned out to be a very cagey affair with few goal scoring opportunities thanks to strong defending by Eric and Sam. Despite conceding an early goal ESJ kept going but couldn’t find an equaliser and the game finished in a 1-0 defeat. Next up was Ely St Mary’s the first of two local derbies in this tough group stage. ESJ attacked well with Reuben looking dangerous on the right. Jasper came off the bench with instructions to go and score the winner which is exactly what he did with a lovely goal to secure a 1-0 victory. The final group stage game was against another strong team, Isle of Ely. This was a great end to end spectacle from the off with chances galore. Milo made some outstanding one on one saves to keep our opponents at bay and Alex defended resiliently. At the other end Jacob stayed composed to slot home giving ESJ the lead. Isle of Ely equalised shortly before the end and although both teams had further chances, the game ended 1-1. The result ensured that we finished second in our group and therefore qualified for the semi-finals.
Wilburton were the opposition as we fought for a place in the final. ESJ dominated the match from start to finish and Jasper scored early to settle the nerves. The intense pressure eventually paid off as Marley came off the bench to weave his magic and score the all-important second and decisive goal. The final score was a 2-0 win as we advanced to the final.
A familiar foe awaited us in the final in the shape of Fordham in a re-run of our first game in the group stage. This turned out to be a much closer game but again Fordham scored an early goal as they played some lovely football to break through our defence. Milo again made some excellent saves to keep ESJ in the game but this time we looked much more of a threat going forward. Aiden dominated midfield as he had for most of the games and despite coming close on numerous occasions we were extremely unlucky not to get an equaliser as the game ended again in a 1-0 defeat. Congratulations to Fordham, they were the best team in event and deserved to win it.
Although everyone was extremely disappointed not to win the tournament, second place was a great result for a squad that consisted of six boys from year five and they will get another chance next year to go one better.
Fantastic Footballers Finish First.
The final sports competition of the school year was the highly anticipated Year 6 Football Tournament held at Ely Hockey Club. The twelve teams from local schools were split into three groups.
Our first match was against Fordham B. Dylan got ESJ off to a flying start with a lovely header and Jimi netted soon after. Riaz was solid and classy in defence to stifle any threats on our goal and ensure a 2-0 win. Next up were Rackham A who looked strong in their previous game. It turned out to be a close affair, ESJ dominated possession but the Witchford side looked dangerous on the break. Jimi (aka – the fox in the box) poached the only goal of the game and a second victory was achieved 1-0. Our final group game was a local derby against Isle of Ely and looked like being our toughest test yet. ESJ flew out of the blocks with a brace from Dylan. William, selflessly playing out of position up front swivelled to net the third. The greens dominated the match and Luke marked the oppositions best player out of the match. The final score was 3-0 confirming our place at the top of the group and a place in the semi-finals.
Our opponents in the semi-final were Fordham A who had romped through their group unbeaten and were favourites to win the tournament. Callum set down an early marker with some excellent tackles and strong defending, he had the striker in his pocket the whole game. Owen was magnificent as the holding midfielder mopping up any loose balls and winning everything against Fordhams best player. Gregor dealt comfortably with any shots he faced. In a scrappy game the first goal was always going to be important and as the ball bobbled around in the box Stanley was on hand to slot the winner past the helpless keeper. This proved to be the only goal and eased ESJ into the final 1-0.
In the final we came up against the competitions surprise package, Mepal & Witcham who had swept all before them. The match was mainly played in Mepals half but despite intense pressure the keeper stood firm and repelled every effort that he faced. It was 0-0 at full time and no goals were scored in extra time so the game would be decided by a dreaded penalty shoot-out. Each side nominated seven players to take their penalties with ESJ taking the first one. Midway through the spot kicks the teams still could not be separated until a brilliant save from debutant keeper Oscar swayed the advantage in our favour. William had volunteered to take the last penalty and when he slotted it calmly in the corner of the net victory was ESJ’s 6-4. Celebrations started and the trophy was ours.
This was a fitting way to complete Sports Events at Ely St Johns for this group of children who have been a pleasure to coach throughout their time here. Their enthusiasm, ability and sportsmanship have been exemplary from day one and we hope that they continue to enjoy whichever sports they participate in in the future.
Super 6’s Smash Opposition For Six.
March Cricket Club was the destination for ten year 6 children on Wednesday 19th June as they travelled to take part in the re-scheduled cricket tournament against seven other schools. Each player from the fielding team bowled five deliveries and rotated their fielding position after each over. Each batting partnership faced ten balls.
Our first match was against Millfield. Strong batting by Oscar W and accurate bowling by Cassia ensured a comfortable 108-60 run victory. The next match was Westwood Yellow whose team was made up of mainly year 5 children. Huge sixes from William Fr and great bowling by Imogen helped ESJ cruise to a 119-19 run win. The final group game was against Cavalry Yellow. Owen dominated the batting, scoring freely and when it came to bowling William Fi took a wicket and fielded energetically. The final score was 101-48 runs in favour of ESJ resulting in us winning our group and qualifying for the semi-finals.
Cavalry Blue were our opponents in the semi-final and proved to be a tough challenge. Laura and Oscar P hit some lovely shots and a close game finished with a narrow 81-65 run victory for ESJ. Our last match was the final against Westwood Blue. This was another close encounter which seemed to swing one way then the other. Left hander Kaleb was cheered on by his team mates as he struck several boundaries giving us a good start as we batted first. Callum also crashed a couple of shots for four. William Fr’s fast tight bowling then helped us secure the win 101-52 runs and lift the trophy.
This is always a lovely event, held at a beautiful venue and very well organised. The weather was warm and sunny and the children had a great time putting their hours of lunchtime training to good use.
Tag Rugby Tryumph.
On Thursday 6th June twelve year 6 children travelled to Ely Rugby Club to take part in a mixed girls and boys tournament organised by Northampton Saints Rugby Club along with five other teams from across Cambridgeshire.
Our first opponents were Fordham 2. This was an end to end high scoring game which went down to the wire. Cassia tagged brilliantly to stop the opposition in their tracks on numerous occasions, while Quinn carried the ball well gaining valuable territory. William Fr and Stanley ran riot scoring tries galore. The final result was a hard earned 10-9 victory.
Our next match was against Millfield 1. Despite the team getting off to a slow start Emilia’s speed and determination helped tip the tie in ESJ’s favour and sharp passing and running from William Fi ensured a 6-2 win.
Next up were Millfield 2 who had a young inexperienced side but still worked extremely hard. Despite their best efforts they were overrun by some excellent agility shown by Dylan and great tagging by Iyan. The final score was a convincing 10-1 win for ESJ.
Our penultimate game was against Great Wilbraham a small school who brought a mixture of year 4,5 and 6 children to the event. Florence worked hard with some incisive runs and Callum burst through the opposition lines to score several times ensuring a comfortable 9-2 victory.
The final match was against Fordham 1 who had also won all of their games so far. As expected this was a close, cagey encounter throughout with the lead switching on several occasions. Gregor dominated the middle of the pitch as he had during the whole tournament with some lovely passing. Jessica handled the ball well dodging attempts to remove her tags. At the end of the 14 minutes ESJ led by one try but before the final whistle blew Fordham crashed over the line with an equaliser. The match finished 6-6.
It was great to see the children enjoying their rugby as they demonstrated skills that they had learnt in hours of training. Their attitude and sportsmanship were exemplary as was their commitment.
Bee Netball
We recently had some sad news that the company that runs most of our inter school sports competitions has unfortunately ceased trading and all planned tournaments have therefore been cancelled with immediate effect. As I’m sure you are aware, Ely St Johns provides many sports opportunities especially for the key stage 2 children and we hope that this will continue in the future.
Year 6 children had been training for the Netball Tournament for a couple of months and despite the event being cancelled we decided to run an in-house competition so that the children could showcase their skills in a competitive environment. Twenty boys and girls were split into four teams of five. The first semi-final was played between Team A and Team C. Harley scored an amazing 6 goals for Team C as they dominated the match with some smart tactical play and the final score was a resounding 8-2 victory. The next semi was between Team B and Team D. Team D flew out of the blocks and were 5-0 up in the blink of an eye. However this game was far from over as Team B stormed back into the match with goals galore from Owen and Annelyse. They took the lead in the final minute to take the win 10-9.
The third place play off was Team A v Team D. Goals from Callum and Florence ensured that Team D romped home to a 7-1 win and therefore finished the competition in third place. The Grand Final was a clash of the titans with Team B taking on Team C. This was a closely fought match between two great teams with end to end action. Riaz netted 4 times for Team B but Charlene played superbly to score 5 times and Team C ran out overall winners 6-4.
Congratulations to the winners Jessica S, Charlene, William Fr, Harley and Stanley, there incredible teamwork and will-to-win shone through and ensured that they claimed the title of ESJ Netball Champions 2024.
Artful Dodgers
On Wednesday 24th January 2024 ten year 6 children travelled to The Hive to take part in a Dodgeball Festival along with seven other local schools. The morning was split into two sessions. To start with they completed challenges aimed at developing skills and building confidence. The emphasis was on helping the children to practice their throwing, catching and dodging skills.
The second part of the morning consisted of ten matches against the other schools. Each child showcased their skills in different ways. Harley, Nathan, Lily and Rosie threw powerfully and accurately managing to hit several of their opponents. Iyan and Monte showed their rapid speed and agility through-out the competition. Mercy, Teddy and Darcie were super stealthy as they dodged balls skilfully and showed great awareness and flexibility to avoid the balls heading their way. Our catching king was Thomas who managed to remove several players from the other teams by expertly catching their throws. ESJ won seven, drew one and lost two games overall.
This was a great, friendly event which gave children that previously hadn’t had the opportunity to compete in sports events outside of school, a platform to showcase their amazing skills. Everyone enjoyed their morning and came back into school excited to tell their classmates all about their experiences.
Sixes Stack Up The Silverware
On Friday 1st December eight year 6 children travelled to March to take part in a Sport Stacking competition against ten other teams. The format for this competition changed from previous years. One competitor from each team competed in consecutive races and the slowest time was eliminated leaving one stacker to progress to the semi-finals and then the final.
Our first event was the Individual 3-3-3. Jessica and Laura both done well to make it to the final of their respective heats but just failed to make the semi-finals.
Next up was the Team 3-3-3. This was a relay race with all four team members taking it in turns to stack the cups, down stack the cups then run back to tag their teammates. Both ESJ teams finished in the top two in their semi-finals and progressed swiftly through to the final. The yellow team (Ilina, Madeleine, Eliza and Laura) performed brilliantly claiming second place to take the silver medal. The green team (Arthur, Dylan, Delia and Jessica) narrowly missed out on a medal when they were unlucky to finish in fourth spot.
The last event of the day was Individual 3-6-3. Arthur and Laura cruised through their respective heats and semi-finals to book their places in the grand final. Despite stiff competition Arthur performed magnificently to beat the favourite and win the Gold medal finishing in first place. Laura achieved some great times to finish in third place and deservedly won the bronze.
The medals and certificates were fully deserved as the children put in many hours of practice both at home and in their lunchtimes at school. The team spirit shown by all of our competitors was great to watch and it was good to see the huge smiles on their faces through-out the tournament.
Fan'TAG'stic Rugby
We travelled to Ely Hockey Club on Friday 3rd November to compete in the annual Mixed Tag Rugby Tournament. Nine children from year 6 were chosen for the team having showcased their skills during PE lessons. Schools were initially divided into four groups with the winners and runners up from each group progressing to the Gold group and the teams finishing third and fourth moving into the Silver group.
Our opening match was against Fordham A and was an end to end encounter. ESJ eventually ran out victors 6-4 with tries being scored by Gregor x2, William Fr x2 and speedy Stanley x2. Next up was a game against Isleham B which again was a closer fought event and we found ourselves 3-1 down at the halfway point. A couple of substitutions changed the flow of the game and we fought back strongly to eventually win the game 4-3. The try scorers were Stanley, Elliott and William Fr x2. The final game in the opening group stage was against local rivals Ely St Marys. In a very one sided match ESJ played some exquisite Rugby, thrashing their opponents 6-1 to win the group and progress to the Gold group for the next round of matches. The scorers were William Fr x3, Gregor, Elliott and William Fi.
Isleham A were our first opponents and this proved to be another high scoring game which ebbed and flowed through-out. ESJ eventually won the match 5-4 to extend the winning record. Tries were scored by Elliott x2, Emilia, Florence and William Fr. Our second game saw us paired with St Andrews. ESJ dominated the game winning 4-1 with tries from William Fr x2, Cassia and Stanley. Going into the last group game against Robert Arkenstall we knew a win would put us in the final. Once again ESJ blew the opposition away with a commanding performance to seal a well-deserved 4-0 victory. Tries were shared between William Fi, William Fr, Gregor and super sub Quinn.
The final was a repeat of last year with the always well organised and talented Fordham B our last hurdle to overcome. Fordham won the toss and therefore started with the all-important possession. Another end to end match was hard fought from start to finish and the scores were level at the end of normal time. Unfortunately the game was decided in extra time when our opponents sneaked over the line to score the decisive try to clinch the final 4-3.
Everyone had a great morning and played some really fast, exciting, attacking Rugby throughout and every member of the squad scored. The team spirit and positivity was pleasing to see and the sportsmanship shown was exemplary. The Children deserve huge credit for all the training that they done in their lunchtimes in the week leading up to the tournament and in their PE lessons. Although initially disappointed to lose such a close final the children should be immensely proud of finishing in second place out of 16 teams with six wins and only one defeat.
Great Girls Score Silver
On Monday 16th October ten girls from years 5 & 6 made the short journey to Witchford College to compete in a girls football tournament. There were seven other teams in the event with all schools playing seven minute games against each other.
Our first match was against Fordham A who are traditionally a very strong well organised team. This proved to be the case and despite a great effort we were very unlucky to concede two own goals and couldn’t quite find a way back into the game, which culminated in a 2-0 defeat. The next opponents were Robert Arkenstall, another tricky tie early in the competition. We won a hard-fought match 1-0 with a great strike from captain Jessica S and some tough defending from the impressive Jessica H. Our third match was against Isleham, the game was end to end through-out until the deadlock was broken by ESJ’s striker Enid who crashed the ball home and celebrated in style as we clinched another 1-0 victory. Sutton were next and another close encounter was decided when Olivia slotted in the only goal of the game to give us another 1-0 victory. The clean sheet was largely due to our goalkeeper Jess who made several fine saves. Game five was a big local derby against Isle of Ely. This was a cagey game from start to finish but thanks to some brilliant defending from Leya the final score was a 0-0 draw. Our penultimate fixture was against Fordham B. From the outset ESJ dominated the match with Annalyse and Sophie flying down the wings creating chances galore so it was no surprise when Cassia and Jessica S grabbed the goals to ensure a 2-0 win. Our final game was against Weatheralls and all of the girls were determined to finish on a high. Madeleine was a rock at the back in every match we played and kept our opponents well away from the goal. At the other end Cassia scored a fantastic brace. For her second goal of the game she ran the entire length of the pitch to rifle in an unstoppable shot and clinch a deserved 2-0 victory.
With only one defeat and six games without conceding a goal ESJ finished 2nd overall behind Fordham A who dominated the tournament and won all of their games. This was a magnificent achievement as only three of our team play competitive football for Saturday teams and was testament to their hard work and willingness to listen and learn.
Year 4’s Runaway Success.
Five girls and five boys from year 4 were chosen to compete in the annual Quadkids event on Friday 30th June at Witchford Village College. The competition is made up of four athletics challenges:
50m Sprint.
400m Run.
Standing Long Jump.
Throwing a Howler.
This is a team event where all team members score points towards an overall total, the faster that the runs are completed the more points are awarded. The further the children run or jump the more points the team receive. The children were split into heats where they competed against the other school.
Our first event was the Standing Long Jump. Griffin jumped to an amazing 1.78m, with Leja just edging it with a huge jump of 1.8m. Minty also performed well with a very creditable leap of 1.46m.
Next up was the daunting 400m run. The children have practiced this race at school to help them judge pace and staying power. Leja and Enid stormed to victories in their respective heats with Lucy achieving a hard fought second place. For the boys Sam ran brilliantly and led from the front the whole time to comfortably win his heat. Griffin and Marley finished second in their heats with well-judged runs and Jude came third to add important points to our total.
Our penultimate challenge was a mixture of technique and power, throwing the Howler. Marley threw an incredible 16.9m with Joe pulling out one of his best throws 11.7m. Olivia managed 11.4m for the girls which was a great effort.
The final event was the 50m Sprint. I was blown away by our athletes as Sam, Griffin, Marley, Leja and Enid all romped to first place finishes in their heats. A notable mention also for Olivia and Joe who fought hard to achieve second in their heats and further boost ESJ’s points tally.
I am delighted and proud to confirm that out of the seven teams competing Ely St Johns finished in 1st place taking the Gold Medal. The competition was well run as usual and the weather was kind to us. It was great to see all of our athletes giving 100% in all of the events that they took part in and their never say die attitude was a pleasure to witness.
Ten children from Year 4 travelled the short distance to Ely Hockey Club for a Football Tournament on Friday 1st July. There were eight teams, split into two groups of four. The winners and runners up from each group qualified for the semi-finals.
Our first match was against Ely St Marys B and despite going an early goal down, the team responded well and fought back to gain a well-deserved point thanks to a goal from William. Luke was solid in defence with some strong tackles preventing their attackers from scoring again. Next up was Rackham B who fielded an inexperienced team including some Year 3 children. The final score was a resounding 9-0 victory, Callum and Jimi both scored hat-tricks, William scored a brace and Stanley netted the other. Riaz ensured that there was no way through for the team from Witchford. Going into the last group game we knew that a win would put us into the semi-finals. Our opponents were a very strong Westfield A team who had impressed throughout the tournament. This turned out to be an extremely tough end to end match, but a goal apiece from speedy Stanley and Dylan clinched the points for ESJ. A special mention to Callum who man-marked their dangerous number 9, not giving him a sniff of a chance all game, he even followed him to the touchline when he was subbed just to make sure that the threat had gone. Elliot was also outstanding in defence sweeping up any loose balls with great positional sense.
Our reward in the semi-finals was a tie against Ely St Marys A. By now the boys were playing some beautiful, flowing passing football and they easily despatched their opponents 6-0 with a hat-trick from William, two from Jimi and another from Dylan. Awaiting us in the final were our local rivals and the team that we had played in our first game, Ely St Marys B. This time we got off to a flying start with an early goal from Owen, who adapted seamlessly to several different positions during the tournament. Gregor the Goalie was called into action but saved well and should be proud to have only conceded one goal in the whole event. Towards the end, Dylan slotted in another important goal to seal the victory and win the competition.
It was great to see the joy and excitement on the boys faces as they deservedly lifted the trophy for Ely St Johns. A great team performance with every player contributing fully to this impressive display of exciting football.