The Friary U14 boys’ hockey team delivered a phenomenal performance at the Staffordshire Schools Hockey Championships, earning their place in the Midlands Finals after a determined and skilful display across five fiercely contested matches. As the only non private school in the competition, finishing as runners up is an exceptional achievement and a testament to the squad’s hard work, resilience, and growing confidence.
The boys set the tone early with a cracking 3–0 victory in their opening match against Wolverhampton Grammar. Josh Hunt lit up the pitch with a superb drag flick finish, while Oli Anderson came agonisingly close to a hat trick, netting two goals with sharp support from teammates Harry Milsom and Osama Alashi. It was the perfect start and a statement of intent.
Their second match saw them face local rivals Lichfield Cathedral. Despite some controversial decisions, Friary kept their composure and battled to a well earned draw, showing maturity and discipline under pressure.
The third fixture brought their toughest challenge: Queen Mary’s Grammar School, a side the boys knew would test every ounce of their defensive strength. Friary held them to 0–0 until the final five minutes, eventually conceding in what became the narrowest defeat Queen Mary’s inflicted on any team all day. Even in loss, it was a performance to be proud of.
Newcomers Larry Evans and Isaac Adams, both in Year 8, made an impressive debut at this year’s Hockey Championships, slotting seamlessly into the U14 squad and showing maturity well beyond their experience. The pair demonstrated excellent teamwork and intelligent gameplay throughout the tournament, working hard off the ball and contributing to the team’s rhythm and structure. One of the standout moments came when Larry delivered a superb ball into the D, setting up Oli Anderson perfectly to fire home.
As the final games approached, tension rose. A game in hand ruling meant Friary needed at least a draw in their last match against Newcastle to secure second place overall. The boys dug deep, showed real character, and achieved exactly what was required, clinching the runners up position and booking their place at the Midlands Finals in Nottingham on 27th February.
Coach Kim Fallows was full of praise for the squad’s commitment and progress. “We knew we had a good chance,” she reflected. “We’ve put in a lot more training and match preparation this year and seeing how far the boys have come is something we took into the competition with high hopes. Finishing runners up is an amazing achievement, and reaching the Midlands Finals is a huge success for sport and hockey at The Friary.”
Elliott Trent was nothing short of outstanding throughout the tournament, stealing the show with a goalkeeping performance far beyond his years. Calm, fearless, and razor sharp under pressure, he conceded just two goals across all five matches, an incredible statistic in a competition of this standard. Time and again he pulled off spectacular saves, keeping Friary in crucial games and giving his teammates the confidence to push forward. His consistency, bravery, and match defining moments earned him the well deserved title of Player of the Tournament, a recognition that reflects just how vital he was to the team’s success.
With the U16s set to compete later this week, spirits are high and momentum is strong. If the U14s’ performance is anything to go by, there’s every reason to believe more success could be on the horizon.
