Waitaki Boys' Exchange

By Harry McDonald

Last week saw our first-ever interschool against Waitaki Boys'. The large contingent of JMC boys boarded the buses and vans at 7:20am to make the scenic trek up to Oamaru. Eagerness and excitement ran rampant through all the boys, especially for the basketball juniors who would take on the Waitakians first at the brand new Network Oamaru Events Centre.

In basketball, it was Waitaki who were to reap the rewards of the home court advantage as they got out to a strong lead against the juniors early, one that they would hold throughout. Unfortunately, the seniors were unable to avenge the juniors, although captain Sean G put up a strong performance with 26 points. After being down by just 5 at the half, a few too many missed shots saw the senior boys also come up short in the end.

A strong football First XI were the next into battle, and they were ruthless right from the first whistle, with a goal from Max Nation within 30 seconds, seeing them take the lead. Dominance and precision would be the way to describe the emphatic 6-0 win. Our junior footballers also showed dominance, with a strong performance from them seeing them get the win, taking the interschool to 2 all.

Unfortunately, the chess team were unable to checkmate their opponents, eventually going down to a very strong Waitaki team. The debating team competed in the beautiful WBHS Hall of Memories, and were hoping to take home the victory. Unfortunately it was not to be for both the juniors and the seniors - with only the former prevailing.

Sadly, the losses continued in the badminton, leaving the rest of the boys with a bit of work to do to win the exchange. Doing just that were the trapshooters, with the stacked line-up of boys taking the win. It was a bad day to be a clay target, as the shooters put on a clinic of accuracy and precision.

The winning continued in the junior hockey, with the boys wreaking havoc on the turf to put away the Waitaki side. The Second XI side were tasked with a tough matchup, taking on the Waitaki first XI. They did themselves proud, as the two sides could not be separated and the fixture ended in a draw.

The under-14 rugby boys put on a brilliant performance, winning in spectacular fashion over a tough Waitaki side. Kane K was sensational, splitting the defence with ease, and finishing the game with plenty of tries to his name. Lastly was the First XV in a top-of-the-table clash. The match was extremely physical, with both sides fronting up well. Thanks to two pieces of individual brilliance from captain Zac C, JMC took the win 31-25.

Overall, the exchange was an overwhelming success, with Johnnies ultimately winning 6-4. A huge thanks to Waitaki Boys' for hosting the exchange, all the parents that came to watch, and all teachers and staff that came up to help the exchange run smoothly. Without a doubt, Waitaki will be hungry for the win down in Dunners, meaning next year's exchange will be as exciting as the inaugural one was.