KEY POINTS:
Mt Albert Grammar's sporting awards dinner promises to be some show with 60 of their best boys and girls to be handed a coveted cap as a senior champion.
Fittingly, the October 17 function will be held at Eden Park overlooking the ground on which their rugby team turned back the clock to snap a 16-year wait for senior 1A championship honours.
The school, in its 85th year, collected the spoils with victories in senior netball, rugby and soccer championships. The three teams between them played 38 games in their respective sports. The only game they lost was the second-round rugby clash in May when the first XV went down 12-7 to Tamaki College - the team they beat 28-15 in the semifinals 10 days ago. In beating De La Salle 27-18 in the final, MAGS became the first co-ed team since Otahuhu College beat WBHS 10 years ago to win the final.
There is some hope for the other schools who will chase the coveted crown next season as only around 40 per cent of this season's winning team are expected to return.
Netball coach Te Aroha Keenan promises her team will again be competitive with all but four of her 12-strong squad due back to defend the title they won with their 39-28 win over EGGS.
Kevin Fallon will also have over half of his first soccer XI back to defend the title they have won for the past four seasons. Their 6-0 win over Macleans on Saturday took their goal tally to 69 while conceding only 11.
Like the other champion MAGS teams, their sights are now set on national honours. They will be joined by AGS, Kings and WBHS as Auckland teams at next week's Lotto Sports premier tournament in Napier. Before tournament week, they must return to their home ground this afternoon for a Knockout Cup semifinal with Sacred Heart.
The first XV will also be back in action this afternoon with their opening game to find the northern (Blues franchise area) representative for next month's nation top four play-off in Rotorua.
They play North Harbour representative Takapuna GS at MAGS today and will then travel on Saturday to play the winner of the clash between Whangarei BHS and Kerikeri HS (also today). If needed, TGS will play the northern representative next week to find a winner.
The top four games will be played on September 1 and 3. Nelson College have won through from the South Island while the winner of the match Wesley College and Hamilton BHS will represent the Chiefs franchise region and Gisborne BHS and Wellington College are battling for the Hurricanes spot.
* * *
BASKETBALL
Led by a handy 28 points from Houston O'Riley and with good support from Paaka Hakaraia, KBHS beat Northcote College 94-83 to ensure top spot after round-robin play in the premier boy's championship
Rangitoto upset WBHS in a close encounter getting home 53-52 on the final whistle with Robert Loe (WBHS) and Sam Butler scoring 15 points as the top scorers for their respective schools.
In other games, AGS beat Avondale 73-45 and Dilworth just got up to beat MAGS 72-69 to ensure their top-four finish.
Northcote took premier girls' honours ending round-robin play with a resounding 103-31 win over Rosehill. Stevee Theyers, the match MVP, scored 27 points and chipped in with nine assists.
AGGS were made to work hard before getting home 78-64 over Massey. Michaela Hogarth (24) and Tyla Tariau (16) were the leading scorers for AGGS while Chevannah Paalvast led the scoring for Massey with 20 points.
Rangitoto ensured themselves of a top four finish with their 74-35 win over Avondale.
* * *
HOCKEY
Two late goals was enough to get Rangitoto home 3-2 over WGHS in their inter-city semifinal.
Locked 1-1 at halftime, WGHS, with goals from Samantha Muir and Samantha Malins, led 2-1 before Shelley Adams, with her second goal of the game, levelled it at 2-2. With two minutes to play, Mia Sehlmann grabbed the winner which put Rangitoto through to tomorrow's final.
They will play St Cuthbert's who beat Diocesan 1-0 in a game decided in the opening couple of minutes. AGS were taken to penalty strokes by King's in boys' action. After both teams failed to score in regulation time, AGS won 4-2 on strokes.
WBHS edged Rangitoto 3-2 to book their place in tonight's final against AGS.
* * *
NETBALL
EGGS started Saturday's premier final strongly to take the early lead. But once the favoured MAGS side settled and produced their full-court game, there was little doubt they would win their first title after three years the bridesmaid.
Ahead 12-8 after the first quarter and 20-11 at halftime, MAGS continued to press.
Led by 16-year-old shooter Darrell Leota who missed only three of 26 attempts, and with support from captain Lavinia Vaitohi, MAGS eventually won 39-28. They continued their winning form last night beating Massey in the Waitakere premier final.
* * *
RUGBY
AUCKLAND
Spurred by words and jersey presentation from All Black Luke McAlister and a haka led by Manu Ene, the MAGS 1st XV hit Eden Park running. They were soon stopped in their tracks when Kelekolio Hifo kicked a penalty to give De La Salle the early lead in the much-anticipated 1A final.
MAGS hit back with a Ropate Rinakama try to take a narrow lead. A second try, from wing Ray Laulala (which also went unconverted), put MAGS 10-3 ahead.
A second penalty closed the gap and a try, after some strong running from De La Salle, to Karl Savelio and a Hifo conversion stunned the MAGS supporters as De La Salle went to the break 13-10 ahead.
Carl Perry found his kicking boots during the interval and landed an early second half penalty for 13-13 before MAGS edged ahead when, on the back of some fine runs from Tutu Tairea, Perry crossed for a try which he converted for a handy seven-point lead.
But De La Salle were not done with and replied with a Murphy Leilua try to again close the gap.
With a couple of minutes to play, MAGS won a succession of close-range penalties and eventually put man of the match Sean Fletcher over for a try which Dominic Stead (who had replaced the injured Perry) converted for a final 27-18 margin.
The preceding 1B final was won 17-8 by Otahuhu College over Dilworth. Otahuhu now return to the 1A competition, their place in the 1B championship taken by neighbours Papatoetoe HS.
NORTH HARBOUR
It was ironic Takapuna GS should share the 1st XV championship with Massey HS.
It was the first time the school had reached the North Harbour final but in a previous life, playing in the Auckland competition, they had shared the title with AGS in 1941.
Few gave Gary Cunningham-coached TGS much chance against perennial contenders Massey in the North Harbour Stadium final.
After taking the early lead with a Ben Blucher penalty - due reward for some strong early play - TGS went to the break trailing 5-3 after Fabian Tago had scored an unconverted try for Massey.
A second Massey try, scored by halfback Philip Tuigamala, a conversion and a penalty goal stretched their lead to a handy 15-3.
Late tries to TGS' Ben Mune (converted) and Greg Peasants-Tate levelled it at 15-15. Needing to kick the conversion for outright championship honours, Blucher hit the upright. The title was shared but TGS, with the better record in matches between the two schools in earlier rounds, will represent the association in the chase for a spot in the national top four play-offs. They face a tough away game with MAGS this afternoon.
In other North Harbour action, WBHS 2nd XV repeated last year's effort in beating Long Bay 25-10 to take the Bowl final while Rangitoto backed up with their 19-3 win over Mahurangi to take the Plate.
Rosmini won a see-saw fourth grade final 15-8 over WBHS while the exciting fifth grade final between to well-drilled, skilled schools was won 13-7 by WBHS over Orewa College.
Massey, despite conceding a late try to Northcote hooker Ema Eki, held on to take the girl's championship 17-12 after first-five Stevie Masiutama had set them on their way with two first half tries.
Fullback Justine Manaia ran 30m to dot down under the posts for a game-breaking 17-5 margin.
AUCKLAND/COUNTIES MANUKAU GIRLS
South Auckland schools dominated this combined championship with three of the four teams from Counties Manukau schools.
Led by centre Billy Jean Ale, who scored two tries and kicked a conversion, Papakura HS raced to a 17-8 halftime lead over Manurewa HS,
Manurewa hit back to take an 18-17 lead which they managed to defend under real Papakura pressure in the dying minutes.
In the 10-a-side final there were tries galore as Southern Cross Campus stretched their 28-5 halftime lead to an eventual 43-24 triumph over a plucky Tuakau College, who scored three second half runaway tries.
* * *
SOCCER
On paper the 6-0 margin suggested MAGS' win over Macleans College was a cakewalk. The 1-0 halftime scoreline said it was anything but and a fair indication of the brave effort by the visitors.
Mark Withers set up Milosh Nikolic for what was the 35th-minute opening goal after a good battling effort from Macleans. But once they stepped up the pace - scoring five goals in the last 30 minutes - MAGS gave their gritty rivals little.
Withers scored three in 15 minutes for another hat-trick while 14-year-old Karlo Pavic (on for Nikolic) headed home a Skye Parmenter cross for 5-0 in the 80th minute before Malcolm MacRae blasted home five minutes later to seal the championship.
Macleans ended the day in third place but that could be threatened if WBHS manage to beat AGS in a catch-up game.
* * *
SQUASH
Led by Kelly McKeown, St Cuthbert's successfully defended their national SS teams title in Nelson losing only two of the more than 50 matches they played.
The final, against Waikato Diocesan, was a one-sided affair and over quickly with St Cuthbert's taking an unbeatable 3-0 lead.
The experience of having their players back from last year showed with McKeown, Lana Harrison, Emily Sayes, Christine Miller and Young Eun Koo all backing-up.
They were joined by the only newcomer Chaturika Jayasinghe, who filled the reserve spot.
