Birch Acres Primary books place in Norkem Festival netball final
Birch Acres Primary fought Parkrand Primary School for a spot in the finals.
The Norkem Festival continued with excitement as Birch Acres Primary School and Parkrand Primary School faced off for a place in the U12 netball semi-finals at Norkem Park Primary School on May 17.
Educators, schoolmates and parents filled the sidelines, cheering for their teams as they battled for a spot in the final.
Birch Acres, in particular, showed determination throughout the tournament, entering the match unbeaten with no losses or draws.
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“I am very proud of my team. I wasn’t confident that we would win all our games, but here we are playing in our semi-final.
“They played well against Parkrand, but made a lot of mistakes, maybe because they were nervous.
“However, they did well regardless. We are still nervous going into the finals, but I know they will make us proud,” said Birch Acres Primary School coach Paballo Mogashoa.
Birch Acres had performed strongly throughout the tournament, and their semi-final win further reflected their form.
Parkrand, however, did not back down despite the strength of their opponents. Both teams showed why they deserved a place in the final, but only one could advance.
The game was divided into two halves instead of the usual four quarters. In the first half, both teams took turns dominating, making it difficult to predict a clear winner.
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Although mistakes were made on both sides, players quickly recovered and adjusted, keeping the contest tightly balanced.
“I think we played well. We all tried our best, but I think we could have done better. I was hoping we would reach the semi-finals and finish first or second.
“Birch Acres played very well; they deserve it. I hope we finish third place in the tournament,” said Parkrand Primary School centre Taylor Vere-Russell.
The first half ended with Birch Acres leading 6–5, giving them a narrow advantage heading into the second half.
Early in the second half, Birch Acres began to dominate, capitalising on their opponents’ mistakes.
Although they also made errors, they quickly regrouped and maintained pressure on Parkrand, who fought on until the final whistle.
“At first, we were pretty nervous because we used to lose a lot of games last year, but winning games this year gave me momentum.
“During half-time, we thought we were losing because our coach told us so, but it wasn’t true; she just wanted us to work harder and focus, and I really appreciate that.
“It feels good, and I am nervous going into the finals because it will be the first time our netball girls could win the trophy,” said Birch Acres Primary School goal shooter Reatlegile Ramokgola.
In the second half, Parkrand scored four more goals, while Birch Acres added six. At full-time, Birch Acres secured a 12–9 victory, booking their place in the final and maintaining their unbeaten run in the tournament.
“I think we did well. Last year we weren’t strong, but we’ve improved a lot this year. I want to tell my team to never give up, to work hard, and that we can do it,” said Parkrand Primary School centre wing defence Kemelo Moela.
