Girls' football joined the party as Northern schools celebrated another successful season of winter sports.
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The Northern High School Sports Association staged its grand finals around Launceston on Wednesday and executive officer Andrew McCarthy reported another bumper year of sporting participation.
"The numbers are bigger than people realise and more than 50 per cent of kids who play school sport do not play outside school so it is their only sporting outlet," he said.
"Girls' football started this year with four teams and we hope to get another couple next year as that is really taking off."
ELSEWHERE IN SPORT:
With UTAS Stadium out of action, football was played next door to the soccer at Prospect Park with hockey at St Leonards, Elphin Sports Centre staging indoor soccer and Hoblers Bridge hosting a thrilling senior firsts netball final.
Kings Meadows and Riverside were locked together at half-time, full-time and after extra-time, meaning the title went to Meadows who finished higher on the ladder.
"It's nice to have a really tight competition," said Kings Meadows teacher Claire Lovitt, whose school's seconds had lost another tight final by three goals to Exeter.
"It's awesome to give all the students an opportunity to participate in competitive sport which they might not have outside school. They get to try sports they might not be familiar with and it really encourages teamwork."
A year after losing the soccer firsts' title to Prospect, Riverside regained it with a 7-1 defeat of Queechy.
Coach Rohan Pooley heaped praise on his squad marshalled by midfielders Connor Hannes and Will Fleming with its two female members Chelsea Wing and Meg Connolly operating as wing-backs.
"We had a really strong team all year and it's really exciting for the group," Pooley said. "It's a really good squad of 16 and for all of those playing it was their first pennant."
The twilight footy firsts grand final saw Kings Meadows and Riverside locked together after normal time for the second time in the day before Meadows kicked away in extra time.
RESULTS
FOOTBALL (at Prospect Park): junior firsts, St Pat's d LCGS 103-19; senior seconds, Exeter d Prospect 96-23; senior thirds, Riverside d Kings Meadows 74-41; senior firsts, Kings Meadows 10.6 (66) d Riverside 6.18 (54).
NETBALL (at Hoblers Bridge): senior fourths, Campbell Town B d Campbell Town A 12-5; senior thirds, Star of the Sea d Brooks 23-15; senior seconds, Exeter B d Kings Meadows B 16-13; senior firsts, Kings Meadows dw Riverside Blue 31-31.
SOCCER (at Prospect Park): seconds, Queechy d Newstead Christian School 2-1; firsts, Riverside d Queechy 7-1.
GIRLS' INDOOR SOCCER (at Elphin): Brooks A d Cressy A 2-1.
HOCKEY (at St Leonards): Prospect d Riverside A 11-3.
Rob Shaw
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
