Netball
It was a gorgeous evening for the netball fixture against Caldew, with the sun shining and both teams in high spirits. We had three teams playing: Year 7, Year 7/8, and Year 10. Our fixtures against Caldew are always closely contested, and we knew we would have to dig deep until the final whistle.
Year 7 This was a tightly matched game from start to finish. The first third ended 1-1, with neither team able to dominate the scoring. By the end of the second quarter, the score remained even at 3-3. There was plenty of excellent attacking play, but at times, we lost possession by not always utilizing the right player on the court. With just two minutes left in the final quarter, Caldew managed to score the decisive goal, ending the match 5-4 in their favour. A fantastic effort from the team—well done!
Year 7/8 A mixed team took to the court and delivered an outstanding performance. They moved well, linked up, and supported each other effectively. WHS started strong and maintained momentum throughout the game. Miss Hodgson commented, “Everything came together; it is the best I have seen them play in terms of passing and movement.” The final score was an impressive WHS 12 – Caldew 2. A dominant display—fantastic work!
Year 10 Having recently played against Caldew’s Year 10 team in a tournament, WHS had a good understanding of their opponents. The first quarter was unsettled, with fast-paced passing that occasionally proved too quick to control, leading to some errors. By the end of the quarter, WHS trailed 1-3.
However, strong defensive play in the second quarter put Caldew under pressure. WHS worked incredibly hard, keeping the goal difference to a minimum, with the score at the end of the second quarter finishing 5-3 to Caldew. In the final quarter, Caldew upped their game, displaying powerful passing and dynamic movement that unsettled WHS. They pulled away, making the score 9-3. A quick team talk and a shuffle of positions saw WHS put up a solid defensive effort, preventing further goals and pulling one back. The final score was Caldew 9 – WHS 4.
A superb effort from all players! We are proud of your determination and teamwork. Evenings like these are amazing—well done, everyone!
Hockey
On a glorious sunny Thursday afternoon, both Year 8 and Year 9 hockey teams showed great resilience against Caldew School but unfortunately, could not convert all their chances into goals.
Our Year 8 team, who had 2 new outfield players this week, worked hard in both attack and defence. They showed some good individual skills and linked up play, creating several opportunities but unfortunately could not convert these to goals. Final score was 3-0 to Caldew.
Meanwhile, the Year 9 team had more success at goal scores, scoring one in the first half and one in the second. Caldew however, converted all of their chances, and despite our team’s efforts, the final score was 6-2.
Special mention goes to Holly Brough (Year 8) and Janie McAulay (Year 9) who were named players of the match for their improved confidence, skills and team-play during matches. Well done to all involved for a resilient performance!
Table Cricket
Nine excited William Howard students travelled to Penrith on Friday for the Lord’s Taverners Table Cricket County Finals. Three teams from the North of Cumbria and three from the South met to battle it out for a place in the North-East Regional Table Cricket Finals in May.
Our team had squeezed in a lot of extra practice, staying behind after school one night a week for the last three weeks knowing that they would need to play exceptionally well to progress.
They won their first game confidently against Cartmel, then they faced Whinfell – the winners of the North-East Regional Finals for the last two years. They knew this would be a difficult game but they played well and although they lost, it was only by four runs. The third game of the morning was against Cockermouth. This was another closely fought game which unfortunately they lost.
Going into the afternoon, the three top spots were all still up for grabs. Our William Howard team knew they had to win their last two games to have a chance of going through. They felt nervous but they came out confidently and won their next match against Dallam, scoring their highest number of runs of the day. Their final game was against Appleby, the team that had beaten them at the North Cumbria competition. Buoyant from the result of their game against Dallam, they again played confidently and won.
When the results were read out at the end of the competition, our team didn’t really know exactly where they stood, so they were ecstatic when they realised they were placed second and would be going on to compete in the North-East Regionals in May. There were smiles all round!
Congratulations to all the teams who took part and made this a wonderful day of table cricket.
Huge congratulations to our William Howard Team – Andrew (Captain), Samuel, Nicky, Summer, Eve, Emily, Amy, Harry and Lewis. They played brilliantly and worked so well together as a team, supporting each other throughout the day. They were a real credit to the school.
Thank you to Hannah Paling of HP Activities and John Hughes from Cumbria Cricket for running the day.
