The Grey High School first-team hockey side ended the 2026 season with a 2-1 victory over their Eastern Cape rival, Selborne College, at the Rectory Astroturf in Gqeberha last week.
The Azzurri were pushed hard, but goals from Keegan le Roux and skipper Logan Goddard-Ford sealed the win.
It was a perfect ending to a season during which Grey High made significant progress and continued to perform as one of the country’s schoolboy hockey powerhouses.
“It was a great season for us. We had been together since last September, so it’s been a long journey with this group of boys,” the captain, Logan Goddard-Ford, told SuperSport Schools News.
“I think we progressed well from our first derby against South African College High School (SACS) and beating Paul Roos heading into the Hibbert Shield.”
In their home tournament, the toughest schools’ event on the calendar, Grey had to settle for fifth place, with SACS winning the Hibbert Shield.
The way they bounced back after the tournament impressed Goddard-Ford. Grey High went on an unbeaten run in the Eastern Cape, which included a 9-0 win over Woodridge College and a 3-1 defeat of St Andrew’s College.
Unexpectedly, they suffered a 0-1 loss to Wynberg Boys’ High in Cape Town, before several of their players headed to the SASHOC National Week to represent Eastern Province.
“Besides a few ups and downs, I think we played some good hockey,” Goddard-Ford said. “We had a couple of players making the SA Schools teams, which was really special after taking home the bronze medal at the IPT.
“We returned in term three, beat Grey College and Selborne, and those are never easy games, so it was a special way to end the journey.”
Goddard-Ford was one of eight players – the others were Keegan le Roux, Dale Jennings, Mathew Allibone, Ameer Muller, Ben Oosthuizen, Ben Atkinson, and Alejo Nota – who played their final game for Grey in the win over Selborne.
He said the senior players, along with the rest of the team, made his job as captain simple.
“This year, I was voted in as captain, so I already knew I had the backing of the boys. It was nice knowing that they have my back and there’s some trust in the group.
“It was easy to captain the side. The coaching staff also made my job easy, and the boys were committed to the plan on and off the field.
“There were some tough moments, but I enjoyed every second of it.”
Goddard-Ford, who made his debut in 2024 against Dale College in Qonce, said he intends to continue playing hockey after school.
As for Grey High, they’ll aim to maintain their high standards in 2027, with coach Andrew Beynon and his coaching staff, no doubt, setting their sights on a run at the Hibbert Shield title.
