1st XI – Mr Parker

Record breakers, that was the aim at the start of the season. This is a talented group of players, many of whom have been part of the 1st XI for three years now since they joined the squad in year 11. The first game of the season was always going to be tough but there were signs of promise in what this team could achieve. A 6-3 loss to Ibstock showed what the team was capable of if defensively some minor adjustments could be made. The second game was played in torrential rain at St George’s Weybridge. This was not a day for purist football but rather one where gritty determination and winning the 50-50s would be key. The 1st XI were more than capable of that and ran out 4-2 winners, beating St George’s for the first time. A week later was a disappointing result vs City of London and a 5-0 loss.

That loss at the end of September was a major turning point in the season where the team would not lose another game until late January. A convincing 2-0 win versus Latymer was made even more impressive given that some of the key players in the team missed this fixture due to injury. This was Joe S’ first game for the 1st XI and he capped off a good performance with a fine chip to put the game to bed. Minsoo K got on the scoresheet too with a brilliant shot, cutting in from the right flank and curling the ball past the keeper. The next game was against City of London Freeman’s and the team really took things up a gear, winning 4-1. This time there were goals from Arhcie F, Lawrence W, Zac C and superb goal from Liam W assisted by Lawrence W who took the ball down out the air on his chested, juggled the ball a few times with his thigh before sliding the ball through the defence for LiW to fire home.

More wins followed this with wins vs Sutton Grammer (3-2) and Bedales (3-1) where KT made some big saves in both games, but the game of the season was the last fixture before the Christmas break. Wilson’s are a school which Box Hill have traditionally struggled against. At half-time, that trend seemed like it would continue with the 1st XI 2-0 down at the break. However, with 20 minutes left to play, a free kick was awarded on the edge of Wilson’s box. Up stepped the captain, Louie P, who curled the ball fantastically into the top corner to give the 1st XI a lifeline. Minsoo K levelled the game soon after, volleying home off the bar. In the dying moments of the game, with a sizeable crowd on the touchline, a long ball was played over the top of the Wilson’s defence with Lawrence W running in behind towards the top right-hand corner of the penalty box. Lawrence W let the ball bounce once and fired the ball on the half volley over the keeper across goal, cue pandemonium and a 3-2 win. The roar from the spectators was deafening and celebrations reminiscent of a cup final winner.

After the Christmas break, the team lost a feisty encounter with Harrodian 4-2 which was used as motivation to go on a very strong run to end the season. First up was Royal Russel and a 6-0 win in which the side never looked like conceding. This was followed with another emphatic victory versus Wilson’s. This time a much more comfortable affair where the 1st XI won 7-3. Reigate Grammar were the next opponents that were brushed aside, this time 8-0 with the best goal of the game scored by Luis L who scored a volley direct from a corner. Sadly the 1st XI couldn’t maintain this rich run of form and had a reality check in the second fixture of the season versus Sutton Grammar, in which a slow start to the game cost the team big time and resulted in a 8-2 loss. Yet again, this side showed incredible resilience to bounce back from defeat by beating Ewell Castle 8-1, with LaW scoring a free kick from 30 yards out as part of his hattrick.

This meant that the 1st XI needed to win one more game out of two to be the most successful side in modern Box Hill School History, going back 20 years. Tiffin were the first of those opponents and the 1st XI raced into a 3-1 lead at half-time. The pressure got to the team a little in the second half as Triffin clawed back one goal to make it a tight finish and as Tiffin pushed for the equaliser, Joe S fired home a goal as the keeper rebounded Zac C’s shot into Joe S’ path to settle the 4-2 and cement the legendary status of this team!