On the first day of finals for all grades of the Heathcote and District Football Netball League, numerous games were played in Lockington.
Football
Reserves: Bombers edge out Cats in first qualifying final
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In a thriller that would see the victor move on to the second qualifying final for Reserve grade, Leitchville-Gunbower held on to eke out a win against Lockington-Bamawm United.
Both teams toiled hard in the opening quarter, and scores remained level at one goal and behind apiece entering the first break.
The Bombers found attacking form in the second period, getting to work early and kicking a trio of maximums while the Cats were left chasing their tail. They added a sole goal and four behinds, trailing by 14 at the half-time siren.
Following the break, LBU bounced back, collecting three goals and a behind in the third term, while L-G tallied a pair of goals and behinds to maintain a now shrinking lead.
Despite a stronger second half from the Cats, who kicked another pair of goals and behinds in the final frame, they couldn’t catch the Bombers strong second quarter, holding out for a five-point victory.
The final score was L-G 7.7 (49) to LBU 6.8 (44).
Rowan Pollock shined in front of goals for the Bombers, kicking three goals.
James Kervin, Bryce Barnstable, Tyler Jones, Joshua Edgar, Thomas McGillivray and Dylan Jardine were honoured as L-G’s best.
Luke Thompson, Kyle Baker, Corey Sidebottom, Matthew Cartwright, Vincent Ryan and Noah Turner were named as LBU’s critical contributors for the match.
Both teams remain in the finals for another week, with LBU playing Mount Pleasant in the semi-final next Sunday and L-G playing White Hills in the second qualifying final on Saturday.
Under-18s: Cats maul Hawks to advance to second qualifying final
Lockington-Bamawm United’s under-18 side did the job against Huntly in their first qualifying final on Saturday.
The Cats came out hot in the first quarter, drilling three goals and a behind to open their account while holding the Hawks to a single goal.
LBU added another goal to its tally in the second, with Huntly only managing two behinds. The Cats were leading by 17 at the half-time break.
With their defence doing its job, holding the Hawks to a sole behind in the third term, LBU’s attack got to work, slotting three goals and a couple of behinds to well and truly take the game away from Huntly with a quarter to go.
Yet, the Hawks refused to back down, kicking a trio of maximums and behinds in the final frame to scare the Cats.
However, LBU managed to hold on to its own, bagging a pair of goals and being behind in the final quarter. Their four quarters of scoring proved enough to outlast a late surge from Huntly.
The final score was LBU 9.4 (58) to Huntly 4.6 (30).
Nicholas Mitchell and Charlie Mundie were essential to the Cats’ victory, kicking three and two goals.
Mitchell was joined by Bowden Stone, William Hann, Riley Carr, Cody Betts and Brayden Hull as the top Cats of the match.
LBU will face White Hills at Barrack Reserve in the second qualifying final next week.
Netball
B-Reserve: LBU triumphs in close call against Huntly
The LBU B-Reserve grade girls held on in a fourth-quarter frenzy, downing Huntly to advance to the second semi-final.
It was a close start to the game for both teams, with the Cats leading the way with nine goals and quarter time while Huntly finished the period with seven.
LBU then upped the ante, bagging 11 goals in the second quarter, while the Hawks could only add seven more.
Both teams secured ten goals in the third term, with the Cats’ lead remaining at six with a quarter remaining.
In a thrilling final frame, LBU held up on both ends of the court to secure a two-goal victory against a relentless Hawks side.
The final score was LBU 38 to Huntly 36.
LBU will now play White Hills in the second semi-final next week.
Under-17s: Cats come back from the brink to catch Hawks
In an astonishing comeback effort, LBU secured a place in the second semi-final by chasing Huntly down by one point.
The Hawks looked dominant in the opening quarter, scoring 11 goals while limiting the Cats to just five.
LBU then outscored Huntly in the second period, adding seven to their total, while the Hawks produced six to maintain a five-goal lead at half-time.
Both teams had hefty third terms on the attacking end, with Huntly adding ten goals to their total, but the Cats scored 12 to cut the lead to three with the last quarter looming.
In a shocking turn of events, LBU bagged ten goals to the Hawks’ six to beat them at the buzzer by a single goal.
LBU will take on Mount Pleasant in the second semi-final next week.
Under-15s: LBU unable to stop Demons’ onslaught
Despite their best efforts, the Cats couldn’t top White Hills in the under-15s.
In a close match, both teams gave it their all, with the Demons winning the day, the final score being 38 to 34.
Under-13s: Cats book themselves into second semi with win over Huntly
The LBU under-13 triumphed over the Hawks on Saturday to advance to the next finals round.
The Cats cruised to a comfortable victory over the Hawks, winning by 14 goals.
The final score was LBU 34 to Huntly 20.
Cadet Journalist