Competition in the U19 division of the KZN Top 10 Water Polo Tournament proved to be predictable at the Clifton Aquatic Centre in Durban on Saturday.
Hilton College, Kearsney College, and Clifton College, the top three finishers in the recent Clifton Water Polo Tournament, stated their cases, and predicting the order in which they will finish when the event concludes on Sunday will be difficult.
At the Clifton Water Polo Tournament, Kearsney edged out Clifton in a penalty shootout, then Hilton inflicted defeat on Kearsney in another shootout.
On Saturday, though, in the marquee match of the day, Clifton raced into a 3-0 lead over Hilton, then kept their noses comfortably in front until a late surge brought coach Paul Martin‘s charges to within a goal of the Durban school. But Clifton recorded a 6-5 win.
That result won’t count for anything when the playoffs take place on Sunday, but it will serve as a morale-booster for the hosts.
In their other matches, Clifton was ruthless, outplaying Glenwood 20-2, handing Westville a 9-4 loss, and shutting down Maritzburg College‘s attack in an 11-0 win.
Hilton bounced back with a series of emphatic victories, trouncing Maritzburg College 15-2 and Glenwood 23-1.
Kearsney wasn’t quite as dominant as Clifton and Hilton, but they won comfortably, downing Durban High School (DHS) 14-8, Thomas More College (TMC) 18-8, and Michaelhouse 9-4.
Props to Thomas More, who didn’t win a game but showed admirable fighting spirit. Kearsney was well on top of the Kloof school before TMC finished the contest by trading goals with the Botha’s Hill boys, eventually succumbing 8-18.
The big question is which team will join Clifton, Hilton, and Kearsney in the semifinals? Before the event, Northwood appeared to be the favourite, and they look likely to fulfil that status.
After opening with a 9-1 win over Thomas More, they won a key clash against Michaelhouse 6-4. Next, they beat DHS 9-7.
The Horseflies won only one of their four games, edging out Thomas More 5-4, but they were competitive in each one, and showed a sharp cutting edge on the attack, scoring 27 goals.
The action resumes at 07:00 on Sunday morning with an interesting showdown between Kearsney and Northwood. Kearsney will be favoured, but the Knights will fancy their chances after making a run to the quarterfinals at the SACS Water Polo Tournament.
In the U15 event, taking place at Westville Boys’ High, the teams expected to meet in the final, Kearsney and Hilton, dominated proceedings.
Kearsney recently won the Ian Mellier U15 Water Polo Tournament, while Hilton finished third, proving themselves to be among the best teams in their age group in South Africa.
Hilton also posted a clean record in the U14 competition at Northwood, while Kearsney was surprisingly beaten by Michaelhouse, going down in a penalty shootout.
Hilton squeaked by Clifton, winning 6-5 in their toughest outing, while Kearsney won by 10 goals against the same side.
In 2025, Kearsney won the overall title for a second successive year. Hilton and Clifton will try to prevent the Botha’s Hill boys from winning it for a third time on the trot.
U19 Results
Westville 13-0 Glenwood
Kearsney 14-8 DHS
Clifton 6-5 Hilton
Northwood 9-1 Thomas More
Westville 7-5 Maritzburg College
Michaelhouse 10-7 DHS
Clifton 20-2 Glenwood
Kearsney 18-8 Thomas More
Hilton 15-2 Maritzburg College
Northwood 6-4 Michaelhouse
Clifton 9-4 Westville
DHS 5-4 Thomas More
Hilton 23-1 Glenwood
Kearsney 9-4 Michaelhouse
Northwood 9-7 DHS
Clifton 11-0
U15 Results
Westville 21-1 Glenwood
Kearsney 7-3 Northwood
Hilton 6-5 Clifton
Michaelhouse 19-1 Curro Hillcrest
Westville 5-3 DHS
Northwood 9-2 Maritzburg College
Hilton 20-0 Glenwood
Kearsney 20-0 Curro Hillcrest
Clifton 4-3 DHS
Hilton 8-3 Westville
Northwood 14-2 Curro Hillcrest
Clifton 15-1 Glenwood
Kearsney 15-0 Maritzburg College
Michaelhouse 10-4 Northwood
Hilton 9-5 DHS
U14 Results
Hilton 9-2 Westville
Kearsney 12-2 Clifton
DHS 17-2 Glenwood
Northwood 11-3 Invitational
Maritzburg College 8-2 Westville
Michaelhouse (3) 6-6 (2) Kearsney
Hilton 5-1 DHS
Clifton 9-3 Invitational
Maritzburg College 17-0 Glenwood
Northwood 5-3 Michaelhouse
Westville 8-4 DHS
Kearsney 18-1 Invitational
Hilton 21-1 Glenwood
Michaelhouse 5-2 Clifton
Kearsney 5-1 Northwood
Maritzburg College 5-1 DHS
