Dawnview High School has once again proven its sporting strength after successfully defending the Germiston Athletics Schools Association (GASA) shield plaque for the third consecutive year.

The achievement was no easy victory, as the school continued to balance athletics with several other competitive sporting codes, including soccer, netball and basketball.

The GASA Shield is the premier trophy in local interschool competitions, awarded to the overall champion at the Germiston Athletics Stadium.

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On the soccer field, Dawnview’s teams showed determination, hunger and fighting spirit throughout the season.

The U15 boys’ soccer team entered the Ekurhuleni Invitational League as defending champions and produced another strong campaign.

They lost only one match, against Mel International School, but narrowly missed out on the league title after finishing as runners-up on goal difference to Leondale Secondary School.

Their second-place finish was enough to secure qualification for the Ekurhuleni Invitational Cup, where the top four teams from the league advanced. However, their cup journey ended in the semi-finals after a tightly contested 2-1 defeat to Dinwiddie High School.

The U16 boys had a tougher season, with goals proving hard to come by, according to the school’s sports coordinator Sandile Dlamini. They finished sixth on the log and missed out on cup qualification. The U19 boys also ended their season in sixth place, also missing out on cup qualification.

The girls’ soccer team, however, continued to fly the Dawnview flag high.

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After starting the season as the previous season’s runners-up, they once again claimed second place in the Ekurhuleni Invitational league this year.

In the Ekurhuleni Invitational Cup, the girls entered as defending champions and showed great character to reach the final, but they were eventually edged out on penalties and had to settle for runners-up.

Dawnview’s netball and basketball teams also delivered strong performances, proving that the school’s sporting talent stretches across several codes.

The school’s netball teams all showed impressive form, with the U14 and U16 teams still unbeaten in the D6 Ekurhuleni leagues at the time of the interview.

On the basketball court, Dawnview competes in the Ekurhuleni South Schools Basketball League, with teams in the U15 and U17 divisions.

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Last year, the U15 boys finished second, the U17 boys placed fifth, while the girls’ team (open team) finished third on their respective leagues. This year, the league is still ongoing at the time of the interview, with the girls sitting in second position and waiting for the play-offs. The U15 and U17 boys were also still in contention.

In athletics, Dawnview’s season began with its inter-house competition. The school has four houses: Tau (green), Nari (red), Inkwe (yellow), and Tlou (blue).

Only athletes who finished in the top three positions during the inter-house competition were selected to represent the school at inter-schools.

Team Tlou won the inter-house competition and fielded the most athletes who qualified for the next round.

Dawnview competed in all track and field events at the inter-schools competition, hosted at Germiston Stadium, where the school successfully defended its GASA shield Plaque.

“We won at the inter-schools and defended our GASA shield, winning it for the third time in a row,” said sports coordinator Dlamini.

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He said one athlete later qualified for the district championships.

Dlamini said taking over the sports programme came with pressure, as the school had already won the shield twice before he stepped into the role.

“Since I took over sport last year, the school had already won it twice, which brought a bit of pressure. I had to ask myself how I would continue that legacy,” he said.

“Bringing the shield home brought all of us relief and joy,” said Dlamini.

He added that the process behind the school’s success required teamwork and strong organisation.

“The whole process is not easy. We have to release the whole school to the sports ground and have the house masters help ensure everyone competes. Then we go through the selection process. We also had to use the school camera for ID photos and the school machine to make copies of documents,” added Dlamini.

Dlamini also coaches the girls’ soccer and basketball teams while working as a GET Phase teacher for Grades 8 and 9.

“I teach mathematics and natural sciences,” he said.

The school’s basketball programme has also produced individual success, with two players, Desiree Kangame and Mikayla Nyamvundu, both 18, selected to represent Ekurhuleni South.

Dlamini said the girls’ basketball team continues to grow stronger each year.

“The ladies’ basketball team has improved year by year and has shown consistency,” he said.

“With another athletics shield in the cabinet and strong performances across soccer, netball and basketball, Dawnview High School continues to build its reputation as a competitive force in school sport,” said Dlamini.