U10 and U11 netball vs Plymouth College and Exeter School
This afternoon, all the Year 5 and 6 girls played in a netball triangular with Plymouth College and Exeter School. We ran the afternoon with some of girls playing on the courts and some girls coming into the dome. This meant more than 70 girls having a fantastic afternoon of netball.
U11A team:
Playing 5 a side, rather than the 7 a side format we have been training for, the girls were tested in terms of versatility and knowledge of the game outside of their normal positions. Overall, they did very well to adapt to this different style of game, and still came away with 2 good wins over the course of the afternoon. We did look a little scrappy at times, with our organisation and sharpness not up to its usual standard, and we tried to rush the ball down the court, making inevitable mistakes. However, we made outstanding interceptions, marked very tightly and put pressure on our opponents. The girls who found themselves as shooters did well to capitalise on some opportunities and we managed to dominate both games with our energy and solid skill base.
Final scores:
Stover 6 Exeter School 3
Stover 2 Plymouth College 1
A good afternoon and a learning experience for all. Well played girls!
Player of the match – Florrie Wills
Miss Robinsons player of the match – Isabel Wood
U11B and U10B teams:
The two B teams went into the dome to play two fantastic matches each with Plymouth and Exeter School. The Exeter games were tough and physical; however, the girls kept their focus and efforts remained high throughout. The teams rotated each half enabling our learning of the key positions to develop. In the Plymouth games, the girls seemed more relaxed and comfortable about their own job role with some wonderful phases of play coming together. Amelia and Thea particularly played well for the U11B team, making some fantastic interceptions and passes. Bessie, Jessica F and Charlotte all gained more confidence as the games went on with Jess scoring some lovely goals.
Results:
U11B
Stover vs Exeter School 9-1 L
Stover vs Plymouth 3-2 W
U10B
Stover vs Exeter School 4-1 L
Stover vs Plymouth 6-0 W
Players of the match
U11B: Amelia and Daisy
U10B: Phoebe and Clemmie
U13 Blundells cricket
Our U13’s gave a good account of themselves in the County play off versus a strong Blundells side this afternoon. Our bowling was much improved – only 3 wides over the 8 over innings and we batted bravely against some quick bowling! Batter of the match Arabella, bowler of the match Heidi- well played girls! Stover 44/7 and Blundells 107/3
U12 netball vs Teign, 5th February 2024
The U12s played a home game against Teign School. The game was closely fought until the final passage of play, where we managed to find some momentum to pull ahead and win 6-4. Molly and Maisey had their work cut out, marking two top Teign players, but they showed resilience and hard work throughout. POM: Katie
U13 netball vs Teign, 5th February 2024
Yesterday the U13 As played Teign in a very evenly matched game. We were a little flustered to begin with- throwing wild passes and not holding our structure in attack, Teign took advantage of this and came away 4-1 up after the first third. We had a more settled second third and managed to stop Teign from scoring any goals, we went into the lead 5-4. With a better structure and some great shooting from Millie in particular who stepped into the role at the last minute, we finally started to take control of the game and came out winners 10-7.
House Table Tennis
On Friday last week we played our House Table tennis competition. There was a lot of interest in the competition and Mrs Craven had to draw the competitors from the hat in the first instance. We started off with the Juniors in the morning. There were some really competitive first round matches with some intense concentration and some closely fought games. As the last 16 were selected it was looking very even in terms of points for the houses. As we progressed into the ¼ finals the draw was very even with Jump and Alex on one side and Herbie and Max on the other. The final was between Max and Alex. Max was very focused and his composure was possibly what won him the final in a hotly contested string of games.
In the senior part of the competition the first round matches saw the more recreational players leave early on. The last 16 then opened up the real competition. There were some good games with some talented players knocked out at this stage. One side of the draw was looking harder to progress through than the other and unfortunately Micheal, Hudson and Max were all knocked out at this point. The final was between Remy and Jonah and even though Jonah had the advantage of Remy’s point handicap he was unable to capitalize on it. Remy was the eventual winner.
It was a close call in terms of points for the overall winners of the House Table Tennis cup. As each player progresses through the round they accumulate 2 points per round for their house. A winner in the final also gains an extra 5 bonus points. The final results will be announced in assembly on Friday.
U14 football tournament
The U14 girls travelled over to Paignton to play some tournament football matches on astro. The games were fast-paced with quick turnarounds.
We played four games: Churston 1-0 loss NAC 0-0 Draw TGGS 2-0 loss Teign 0-0 draw
Rosa and Kita took turns in goal, making some fantastic stops and taking charge in defence. Sophia, Ava, Imogen, and Katy rotated on and off on midfield areas, gaining in tackles and playing the ball wide. Dara, Rosie, Rosa, Daisy, and Evie were starting to get goal-side in defence and tracking any through balls. The girls gained confidence as the afternoon went on and there are definitely some positives to take away and some considerations to think about before the next game. Well done, girls!
U13 netball vs NAC, 31.1.24
The U13 A & B teams went to NAC today for a little round robin of games. The B’s started well and put into practise what we had been learning in the lesson- making accurate passes and moving into space. Their footwork was also very good. They won their first game 7-0 and their second game 5-3. The A’s also had a good run. Their first game saw them win 6-0. In the second game they struggled to get into a space and had a lot of dropped balls. Against B team they did finally win 5-0. There was an opportunity for some new players to have a match today and as we develop our skills over the term we hope to involve more girls in the games. Well done to Maisy, Frieda and Amber B today looking very drilled in the B team. Ava, Natasha and Maggie also slotted into the squad well.
ISA South West Cross Country Championships
The results are in from the ISA Cross Country last week and on what was our debut at the event we have done exceptionally well and we will now target further success next year.
We have been crowned ISA South West Cross Country Champions in Year 7 Girls and Years 8 and 9 Boys, with both teams finishing in first place.
We have the following ten runners who have all qualified for the ISA Nationals in March:
Year 5, Tommy GH Year 6, Louisa W Year 7, Myles L Year 7, Katie W, third place Year 7, Pippa K Year 8, George E Year 9, Lottie H Year 9, Herbie G, third place Year 9, Jack D, first place Year 10, Meg S
Mr Lloyd
U11 football team qualify for nationals at St George’s Park
Massive congratulations to the U11 boys football team who achieved second place in the ISA SW U11 5-aside tournament and have qualified for nationals at St George’s Park. Stover were the only team who went unbeaten all day in normal time. In the group they won 3-0, 3-1, 2-0 and drew one game 1-1. This meant they won the group on goal difference. In the semi final Stover played Kingsley, who they beat 4-0. In the final Stover played the hosts, St Joseph’s. In a tight game Sam J got the games opening goal and Stover seemed to be controlling the game but St Joseph’s levelled the score with not long left on the clock. The game finished 1-1 and went to penalties. St Joseph’s won the penalty shootout 3-2. Results Stover 3-1 Shebbear college Stover 3-0 Polwhele House Stover 1-1 St Christopher’s Stover 2-0 Trinity B Kingsley 0-4 Stover St Joseph’s 1-1 Stover (St Joseph’s won 3-2 on penalties).
Well done to all who played excellent football all afternoon. Special mention to Archie S who led the team impeccably and was player of the tournament.
U10/U11 Netball vs ECS, 24.1.24
All of Year 5&6 girls got a chance to play both Stover teams and Exeter Cathedral School teams. The afternoon consisted of energy, high effort, and good team spirit across all 4 of our teams. Well done to all teams for showing improvement and understanding as the games went on.
The U11A team won 19-1 vs ECS.
The U10A team won 9-0 vs ECS.
The U11A vs U10A for Stover was closely fought with the U10s pipping the post on a 1-0 win.
The U11B team drew 0-0 vs ECS.
ISA South West Cross Country Championships
Our Cross Country squad was back in action this Tuesday following previous success at the South Devon Schools and the Devon Championships in recent weeks. Stover took a strong squad of 30 runners to compete in the South West Championships, which is also a National qualifier Competition. The event was held at Westonbirt School and 20 schools were there to compete for the National places. Although it was a team event, the top ten runners should then qualify for Independent Schools Association (ISA) National Cross Country Championships in Workshop in March.
The Year 8 and 9 boys team went off first and started really well. All of the boys ran an impressive race across 3.8km in challenging conditions. Jack D finished in 1st place, Herbie G, 3rd, George E 10th and Joe Grimes 15th.
Our Senior girls Years 10 and 11 across 3.8km – Meg S 4th, Karrie M 13th and Chloe H 14th.
The Year 5 and 6 boys across 2km – Tommy G-H 8th and Charlie P and Archie S also finishing in the top 15.
Year 7 girls ran 2.7km – Katie W 3rd, Pippa K 8th, Masie M 13th, Hannah B 14th and Nina C 15th.
Year 5 and 6 girls ran 2km – Louisa W 4th and Indie H and Isobel W finished in the top 15.
Year 7 boys across 2.7km – Myles L 9th and Marco also finished well in 13th place.
Year 8 and 9 girls across 3km – Lottie H 4th and Rosie Pell 11th.
A fantastic effort from all of our runners on what was our first outing at the ISA Cross Country. We will get confirmation of national qualifiers next week, so I will follow up with our National finalised next week. Many thanks to Westonbirt School for hosting, we all thoroughly enjoyed the day.
Alex Lloyd
Devon Schools Cross Country, 20.1.24
On Saturday 9 of our runners went to Exeter Arena for the Devon Schools Cross Country, having qualified to represent the South Devon Area. It was a bitterly cold day and the conditions underfoot were pretty tough, still quite hard for the first races but by the time the last runners were setting off the course had become quite boggy. Myles was the first of our athletes out and he came a very respectable 13th in his race, narrowly missing out on selection for the next round. Freddie had a tremendous race and came second in the Junior boys section- he will definitely be part of the Devon squad and the South West round. Jack, Ava and Lottie had good races finishing in the middle of the field and our senior boys had a more difficult time but full respect to them for turning up to run their races, well done to Michael, Lucas, Jonah and Woody. Keiran also ran as a senior but had a fall during his race and didn’t manage to finish. We look forward to hearing how Freddie gets on in the next round.
U11 netball ISA South West netball tournament, 17.1.24
Today our U11 team braved the elements to take part in our first ISA South West Netball Tournament. From the outset it was clear the standard was good and we began in earnest winning our first 3 group matches vs St Josephs, St Michaels, and Kingsley School showing discipline in play and athleticism, scoring 24 goals and only conceding 7. We went through as winners of our group and played St Christopher’s in the semi final. This was a testing game and we made some mistakes but dug in and found our rhythm eventually winning out 5-1. The final was a spectacle and physical encounter which was pulse raising from the start! We went an early goal down but pulled it back and in the closing stages of the match were 3-2 up. In the last minute they equalised and at the final whistle the score was 3-3!
Into extra time and the girls had to hold their nerve under significant pressure. Remarkably, in the next five minutes they scored a flurry of 4 more goals to eventually dominate the score line at 7-3.
Credit to the whole squad who worked their socks off ( in the freezing cold!) without exception and were focused, listening to advice throughout the day.
We now qualify for the National Finals in Warwick on the 13th March.
Well played girls!
Mrs Robinson
U15 Lady Taveners South Devon Cricket tournament
Stover finished 2nd in the U15 Lady Taveners South Devon Cricket Tournament. Over the course of an exilerating couple of the games, the girls were a real credit to themselves and showed excellent tactical awareness, keeping prepared under pressure. In the first game against Mount Kelly, the girls bowled and fielded impeccably, taking 7 wickets. We dominated the batting to secure to the win. In the second game against Plymouth, the girls thwarted Plymouth’s attack, taking two big wickets. Although our bowling showed a very high standard, we missed a few chances on the field, meaning Plymouth capitalised on this, winning by 28 runs.
POMs vs MK: Emily, Ava POMs vs Plymouth: Anna, Lily
Well done, girls for a great day of cricket.
Mrs Coster and Mrs Robinson
U13 netball tournament, 15.1.24
On Monday the U13s ventured out for their first fixture of the term to the area end of season netball tournament. Having only just come back to school and had one lesson of netball so far we were a little apprehensive about our chances. However, we took all opportunities during our first round matches and ended up winning our pool of 5 teams. This enabled us to qualify for the cup matches after lunch. With some trepidation we came up against NAC, Churston, Coombeshead and TA, to mention a few. The girls had a superb afternoon of netball. Initially a little frantic they settled well into their game, some great passing in attack and consistent shooting from Eva. In defence Kita was tremendous, intercepting so many balls. Arabella dominated the centre court and kept the flow of the ball when we were in possession. We ended up 4th overall out of 15 schools. A fantastic achievement and we look forward to putting some of what we learnt today into practise.
U14 and U15 netball vs Queens, 17.1.24
The U14 and U15 girls travelled to Queen’s to play in their first netball match of the season Both teams showed great organisation on and off the court, showing wonderful promise so early into the new season. Both teams won comfortably but with the right attitude of fair play and respect. Well done, girls.
18-5 win for U14s
21-13 win for U15s
Mrs Coster
U13 netball ISA South West netball tournament, 17.1.24
Today the U13s were again involved in a new competition for us, the ISA South West netball tournament, at Trinity. After the highs of Mondays matches we were all in good spirits and ready to make as much of an impact as possible against some schools that we had never played before. An exciting start saw us win 6-1 against Trinity- we didn’t play our best netball, but we took from that the need to settle in and play to the conditions. Our second game was against St Josephs and we played a much better game, directing our passes and making it difficult for St Joes to score, 14-0 to Stover. Our closest game of the day was against Shebbear and it really was nail biting, end to end, stuff with a final score of 2-1 to Stover. Finally our last group match saw us win 9-0 against Trinity B and we were into the Semi Finals against St Micheals. To our delight we were able to play some great netball once again which launched us into the finals against Westonbirt School. We were very evenly matched and once again the game was end to end but Westonbirt just got the better of us. We missed a few goals and they converted all of theirs and as much as we defended our hearts out, we just couldn’t get on top of the scoreline. The final score was still a respectable 5-1 to Westonbirt. However, all was not lost as the girls have still qualified for the Nationals in March which is a fantastic achievement in our first ever ISA competition. A real pat on the back to the girls for their performances today, a great squad who all made a difference to the play and all worked together to build us a great result on the day. Well done ladies!
U14 boys football vs Torquay Boys Grammar School, 16.1.24
The U14 boys started their season with a fine win at home. The sides were well matched with both sides looking to play in the right areas and an individual piece of brilliance from Harry J proved to be the difference.
The midfield quartet of Freddie, Teo, George and Joel were tenacious throughout, picking up second balls which allowed Stover to play on the front foot for most of the half. When called upon, the centre back partnership of Will and Samson held their own and were able to sniff out any danger. In attack, Freddie H and Harry J were making some good runs in behind but were well matched by a strong defence. It would take something special to break the deadlock which came just before half term. On the angle, Harry J did well to find himself half a yard to get a shot away and picked up the top corner with an unstoppable strike.
Torquay started the second half stronger and Stover had to be at their best in defence to maintain the lead with the full backs of Harry Y, George and then Aleks showed tremendous fitness and desire to support the defence as well as get forward in attack. Stover were rewarded with a second goal, a tremendous through ball was slotted in the bottom corner by Harry J – another fine finish. From there, Stover held firm with Seb taking the pressure off his defenders by commanding his area in goal and kicking well to get up the pitch.
A great performance and important clean sheet in their first game, well done. Man of the match was Harry Y who was all action with and without the ball on the right hand side.
Stover 2-0 Torquay Boys Grammar School
Mr Powell
Autumn Term 2023
Area cross country
At the end of last term Stover hosted the Area Cross Country Championships. A superb display from the Stover competitors saw some great results for us both individually and as part of the team competition. The conditions were perfect for running and the course held up well which enabled us to take the home advantage in a number of races. Freddie and Katie deserve a special mention for winning their races, amazing performances.
The following have all since qualified for the next round, the Devon Schools Competition, on the 20th of Jan at Exeter Arena.
Yr7- Katie, Pippa and Myles
Yr 8&9- Ava, Jack, Freddie and Lottie
Yr10&11- Woody, Michael, Jonah, Lucas and Meg
Seniors- Kieran
Well done, and good luck!
U15 hockey vs Shebbear, 28th November
This afternoon the girls took on a competent looking Shebbear side. A couple of early attacking moves by Shebbear were dealt with clinically by our defence and the play moved into our attacking half, with the girls putting together some excellent phases of penetrating passes, working the ball around and steering to the right option. It wasn’t long before the pressure in the D was converted into a score by Keira and from then on we were dominant. The second by Sophia was a result of some brave following in and the third and fourth were probably the pick of the day as Tilly fired in an aerial that beat the keeper cleanly and Keira made cracking contact on the post to find the net and cement a convincing 4-0 win. Credit to all the girls, a gutsy performance. Shebbear were kept out of the game by the Trojan efforts of our defence: Anna, Lily and Rosa unbreakable. Daisy in goal had a quiet time but made a solid clearance in the early stages. Some great efforts and quick one two’s in the midfield by Ava, Lottie and Sienna gave us the edge and Tilly, Keira and Sophia the playmakers, supported by Rosie, Dara, Imogen and Katie on the way. A great game girls and convincing win of 4-0.Well played girls!
Player of the Match- Tilly
Miss Robinson
U11 Tag ISA, 29th November
On Wednesday 29th November, the Year 5 and 6 Tag Rugby Team headed to Staverton Playing Fields to take part in the ISA Tag Rugby Festival. Stover played really well all day, running directly and hunting in packs when tagging.
In total they played 6 games, losing only 1 and finishing 3rd overall. The final game of the day, versus overall winners St Christophers Red, was an absolute thriller and the result of the game could have allowed up to 3 teams to win overall. They played extremely well, but were unable to put away all their chances with the final result ending in a 6-6 draw.
Well done to all involved, who played cohesively as a team and improved with each game throughout the day. Ned C support lines of running were impossible to defend, Archie S and Indy H finished off some great team play with some tries, and player of the day, William L, worked tirelessly carrying the ball in attack and tagging ferociously in defense.
Well done to all involved, you were a real credit to the school!
Results
Game 1 – Win 5 – 2 vs St Christophers Blue
Game 2 – Win – 6 – 5 vs St Mikes
Game 3 – Win – 8 – 3 vs St Joes
Game 4 – Loss – 5 – 6 vs Trinity A
Game 5 – Win – 8 – 4 vs Trinity B
Game 6 – Draw – 6 – 6 vs St Christophers Red
U13 Rugby Cup, 27th November 2023
On Monday, Stover welcomed 5 other school’s to compete in the annual Stover U13 Rugby Cup. The afternoon was full of fantastic flowing rugby and some monstrous collisions in defence. Stover did exceptionally well all afternoon, finishing 2nd with the only loss to overall winner Churston Grammar School in the final game of the day.
Stover put in some excellent performances, most notably against a strong Plymouth College side. In this game, the forwards controlled the ball, carrying hard and penetrating through the Plymouth defence; this allowed the ball to be moved through the backline with some stylish tries being scored in the corner and Stover winning 6-2. Stover won all their other games and would be winners if they were able to beat Churston in the last match of the day, Churston had previously drawn with Plymouth so there was all to play for. Churston went into a 2-0 lead which meant that Stover were always chasing the game and, as a result, were forcing the ball and making uncharacteristic mistakes. Stover had the ball held up on try line twice and ended up losing 3-2.
There were some notable performances on the day from the Stover boys. Robey Knight tackled tremendously all afternoon and carried the ball well. Finley Lees organised the defensive line with his excellent communication skills and Max Fearon was elusive with his running. George England was fantastic on the wing and used his electric pace to finish off some lovely team tries. The behemoth, Thomas Lilley, was an absolute handful all day for all the opposition.
Well done to all involved on the day, a great team effort.
U12 Rugby vs Queens Taunton
The U12 boys finished their rugby season with a superb performance against Queen’s Taunton.
Queen’s started brightly and were on front foot from kick off and were rewarded with the first try. Stover responded immediately with two tries in quick succession to take the lead. The tries came courtesy of some direct carrying from Marco and pace in the wide channels from Myles. The Stover defence held firm thanks to some great work in defence from Albie and Ed. Stover lead 4 tries to 1 at half time.
Queen’s came out of the blocks flying in the second half and punished some sloppy handling and high tackles from Stover. They managed to score 3 tries in no time to level the scores. Once Stover composed themselves, they played good running rugby and were smart with their offloads. They increased the lead further and just as Queen’s started to creep back into the game, they pulled away thanks to scores from Jago, Kaiden and further tries from Marco and Myles.
Stover 9, Queens Taunton 6
U8/9 Girls Tag Rugby, 23rd November
The Year 3&4 girls hosted Trinity for a tag rugby festival this week. The girls got stuck in and faced some fast boys and some older girls to defend against. This did not deter our efforts with some superhero tackles, fantastic runs on the wings, and bold tries being scored in both our red and blue teams. Excellent effort, girls! Well done.
U12/13 Girls touch rugby teams
The girls are all very much enjoying their new found love for rugby this term on top of their hockey experiences. Touch rugby is brilliant for the girls as it is allowing them to be physical, use fast decision-making, keep well-disciplined with our defensive lines, and come together as a team to get the best outcome possible. During Friday’s home fixture against Exeter Cathedral School and this afternoon’s away match against Trinity School, I’ve seen some fantastic runs, showing a purpose and competitive edge to get forward, pass the ball in wide areas, and when defending, some teamwork keeping our defensive line and closing down the opponents at the earliest opportunity. The Year 7s have really stepped up to the mark, asserting themselves on the pitch, whilst taking on advice from the Year 8s, whilst not being intimidated. The Year 8s have shown compassion and leadership with the Year 7s, supporting them well during decision-making. Sienna, Kita, Heidi, Natasha, Esme, Samantha, to name a few, have really enjoyed these competitive matches, sharing their passion and commitment to the teams, whilst playing with the usual Stover spirit and grit. Well done, girls!
Mrs Coster
U13B Rugby, 25th November
This afternoon we played 5 short matches vs Mount Kelly, St Peters and St Johns who played A+B squads. Our U13B girls played with increasing confidence and showed some decent ball handling during the afternoon. Milly captained the team well and our organisation improved, showing better awareness and closing down the attack. Frieda was almost unstoppable when she had the ball and ran in a try in every game. A really positive afternoon. The team were unbeaten and won 4 of the 5 matches, drawing 3-3 with St Peters A team.
Great results girls, well-played!
U14/15 Girls Rugby vs Trinity, 21st November
This afternoon we were hosted by Trinity in a round robin tournament of games.
The Stover girls were split into two mixed teams and named themselves ‘Stover Stingers’ and ‘Stover Squids’ – I tried to remain open minded at their name choices!
The girls looked pretty good from the start and had great intention and grit. They dominated in each game with the Squids unbeaten all afternoon and The Stingers only beaten 2 tries to 0 by The Squids!
They progressed during the tournament and began to move the ball more, drawing players but offloading before the touch tackle and generated pace and width. Special mention to player of the match Keira who was rapid and sidestepped through gaps to score 8 tries. Tilly and Sienna also found the try line with pace and all the girls played impressively.
Final scores:
Squids v Trinity 4-0
Squids v Trinity 5-1
Squids v Stingers 2-0
Stingers v Trinity 5-0
Stingers v Trinity 3-1
Stingers v Squids 0-2
Mrs Robinson
U15 boys rugby V Trinity School, 16th November 2023
Stover started the game really well, with some hard and direct runs from Lewis L and James T. This provided the backs with quick ball which led to early tries from Henry Preist and Oli R, with Henry also adding the conversations. Trinity were coming back into the game with one or two strong runners themselves, but our defence stayed strong, led by Seb M, Archie S and Lewis L putting in a number of dominant tackles. At 14-0 up Stover extended their lead through Lewis L after a powerful run from the halfway line, Henry E also snuck down the blindside off the scrum to score Stover’s 4th try, going into halftime 26-0 up.
The second half was much the same. Stover continued to play quick and expansive rugby, which opened the Trinity defence up, creating line breaks and scoring opportunities. James T capitalised on this with a great line off Will S and he had the pace and strength to finish for his first try of the season. Second tries for Lewis L and Henry P finished the game off 42-0. A pleasing attacking performance, but impressive resilience shown in defence to keep a clean sheet. Well done boys!
Result – 42-0 MoM – James T
Mr Lloyd
Bee Netball Finals, 15th November
This afternoon, Stover played host to the Years 3 and 4 and Years 5 and 6 Bee Netball Finals, as organised by the School Sports Partnership. The weather was fabulous, enabling us to use the outdoor courts, enabling more space and every team being able to go through the round robin of matches.
In the Year 5 and 6 event, which kicked off proceedings, 8 teams from seven schools all took part with the Bee Netball rotations being adhered to with each half a game played. This enabled every child to play in all 5 positions on the court in 5-a-side netball. The games were fast-paced and physical, but the girls worked well together with a great Stover spirit. Aphra and Thea were awarded Stover’s players of the tournament with their hard work and never give up attitudes all afternoon.
In the Year 3 and 4 event, which followed on, again, there were 8 teams playing a round robin round of quick and competitive matches. The girls were beginning to understand how quick the turnaround between attack and defence can be within the game and how we can address this moving forwards. Izzy was awarded Stover’s player of the tournament due to her no-fuss attitude and working to the best of the ability at all times. All the girls had a great afternoon, and we’re all looking forward to the netball pre-season, in preparation for the Spring term.
A special mention needs to also go out to the sports scholars who gave up their time to volunteer for umpiring and scoring for the entire afternoon. They all contributed to a wonderful afternoon and represented themselves and Stover with maturity, confidence, and dignity. Well done, girls!
U14/15 Touch Rugby vs Trinity, 14th November 2023
On Tuesday this week, the U14/15 girls hosted Trinity to play some touch rugby. The girls are very much enjoying their new founded rugby experiences, taking on all the advice and feedback that they can. We had a strong side with plenty of strength and speed to cover the wide areas on the pitch. Both sides showed their resilience to keep moving the ball forwards and making headway to the try lines. The game definitely improved with each quarter of play, with both teams listening to key advice and how to implement to rules effectively. The spirit in which the game was played was a credit to both sides, showing dignity, compassion, competitiveness and a real eagerness to get stuck in. Trinity went ahead mid-way into the game scoring a fast-paced sprint down the left wing, which we couldn’t stop. We took this opportunity to regroup and compose ourselves to get ourselves back into the game. We showed strength of character to keep going and move the ball more positively and directly towards the try line, Dara dropped the ball in the last second as she physically lunged towards the line, missed a try-soring opportunity. Lottie made a courageous drive for the try line on the 5th tackle, nail bitingly knocking the ball forwards, therefore another missed opportunity. That being said, all the girls deserve a big ‘well done’ for their hard work and team spirit to keep going throughout. Excellent work, girls!
Mrs Coster
U12 Rugby vs Mount Kelly, 15th November 2023
Our U12 boys hosted Mount Kelly in what proved to be a valuable run out for the team. Both teams started brightly; Mount Kelly scoring inside the 5 minutes but Myles responding immediately from the restart to score a fine solo effort from inside his own half. He showed great pace and agility to beat several defenders and score in the corner for what turned out to be the try of the game. As the first half progressed, Mount Kelly showcased their strong offload game to build a lead going into half time despite some brave defending from Topias and Charles out wide.
Stover showed a terrific fightback in the second half and were superb in defence. Special mention to Ed, Jago, Marco and Cameron in particular who showed physicality in defence and at the breakdown. In attack, Stover showed more intent to pass the ball through the hands and were rewarded with a flurry of tries as a result which also enabled Myles to complete his hattrick.
A much improved second half will give them confidence leading into their final fixtures of the term. There were plenty of positives to take away and the team has made fantastic progress this term.
U10 Tag Rugby, 10th November 2023
On Thursday the Year 4 Tag Rugby Team played in the ISA South West Tag Rugby Championship.
This was the school’s first experience of this type of event; with pupils playing against a number of independent schools not normally on our fixture circuit.
The team played incredibly well all day. In the pool stages they won 4 and drew 1 meaning they topped their group and progressed to the semi final. In the Semi they face Polwhele school and again played incredibly well winning 6-3. In the final they played Heywood. This was an evenly matched game with both teams quick at moving the ball and intense with their tagging in defense. Unfortunately Stover lost the final 5-6. All the pupils should be incredibly proud of their efforts and how they showcased the school on a regional level.
Player of the day – Emily P
Mr Ryan
U8 and U9 Hockey vs Plymouth College, 8th November 2023
The U8 and U9 hockey teams travelled up to Exeter University to play Exeter Cathedral School. The weather just about held out for us, giving the girls the opportunity to play both ECS sides. The girls improved as the game went on, showing better team-work and determination to win the ball back and try to move forwards. Both schools showed a better understanding of positioning and dribbling the ball forwards with encouragement from staff. We were beginning to advance into attack with numbers, and started to run onto the posts for support. Natalie and Juno made some fantastic powerful hits, narrowly missing the posts. Olivia and Izzy showed a sense of determination to win the all back in midfield. India and Charlotte showed their strength in defence, making some lovely tackles and interceptions. We now need to work better as a team, showing that we can keep the ball, take it down the lines and move more attackingly. Well done, girls.
Mrs Coster and Miss Wright
U10 and U11 Hockey vs Plymouth College, 8th November 2023
This afternoon, we hosting Plymouth College with our U10 and U11 hockey teams. With recent weather we opted to play on the courts and in the dome. This did not deter us in our positive attitude and hard work throughout the fixture. The ball got passed around with tenacity and spirit, showing control and commitment on the ball. The girls all worked together, rotating on/off the pitch, enabling everyone within the squad to play. We showed a determination to keep the ball and play out wide where we could, making some fantastic runs into the D and on both posts. Our team work and support ensued throughout the game, working well up to the end whistle with a positive outcome, winning both games, 4-2 in the U10 game and 4-1 in the U11 game. Well done, girls!
Mrs Coster and Mrs Robinson
U11 Hockey vs Plymouth College, 8th November 2023
On wednesday we hosted Plymouth College at home in our first match since half term. Playing on the hard court we have been training intensely to get to grips with the faster pace of the game and developing our ability to receive the ball on the move. I was so pleased today to see the girls put all our practice into action. They moved the ball around well, stringing patterns of play together and looking up before sending the ball with intent and a good degree of accuracy. Our structure was excellent – Isabel and Louisa stayed wide and worked brilliantly down the wings, Indi as sweeper was solid as a rock, cool as a cucumber and her distribution wide was superb. Sabelle and Florrie worked their socks off in the midfield switching capably between defence and attack. Aphra and Daisy played with a cool head, controlling and clearing the ball well and Tilly, Pixie and Iris made some important tackles. In the first quarter we worked the ball well but failed to have the commitment to get any reward for all our pressure and possession. As our confidence grew we started to make our attack count as 2 goals went in during the second quarter. In the third we really dominated and scored another 2 goals to go 4-0 up. Some excellent crossing, positioning, and sweeping the ball first time looked impressive when scoring and well played to our midfields and forwards who assisted and scored. In the final quarter Plymouth managed to get one back which made the final score 4-1 and a fair result.
We gave an excellent account of ourselves this afternoon – well played girls. All your hard work in training really showed and paid dividends!
Mrs Robinson
U12/13 Girls Touch Rugby, 6th October
This afternoon we took a strong squad of 15 Year 7 and 8 girls to St John’s to play in a touch rugby match. With our numbers, this meant we needed to swap around the squad to field 8 players at any one time. This gave all the girls some match experience and chance to put their learning into action on the wet and soggy pitch. Conditions under foot did make things a little difficult to find some continuity on the ball, trying to improvise to make some runs into attack. At times we looked strong, showing a physicality with the ball, as well as when defending, closing down the ball quickly and with a sense of purpose. This was particularly true with Esme, Sienna, and Arabella all showing their desire to win the ball back and dig deep to protect our own try line. Kita ran well with the ball, trying to find some opening gaps, but with the conditions being tricky, this was hard work. The squad did improve as the game went on, with the girls showing their determination in the dying minutes of the game. However, this was a little too little, too late, meaning that we narrowly lost 2-1 in tries to St John’s. That being said, it was a great afternoon, with a selection of great individual and team play being shown from the girls. I look forward to seeing how we can progress in the next game.
Players of the match: Kita and Arabella.
Mrs Coster’s players of the match: Sienna and Esme.
Well done, girls. Mrs Coster.
Prep House Cross Country
On the last day of Half Term, all the Prep pupils took part in the annual House Cross Country event in beautiful Autumnal conditions. The spirit of the morning was superb, following on from a fantastic Harvest Festival. The number of parents and family members all supporting the children was also a delight. Every child who ran, did so with the usual perseverance and determination to do their best for their House. All the results were added together, given each House an average per pupil. The overall results were as follows:
Individual results: Reception: 3rd = Billie; 2nd = Oliver R; 1st = Seb Year 1: 3rd = Freddie; 2= Charlie ; 1st = Wilfie Year 2: 3rd = Kelis; 2nd =Oliver; 1st = John Year 3/4 girls: 3rd = Daisy; 2nd =Natalie; 1st = Lily Year 3/4 boys: 3rd = Jakob; 2nd = Harry L; 1st = Arthur Year 5/6 girls: 3rd = Isabel; 2nd = Indi; 1st = Louisa Year 5/6 boys: 3rd =Archie S ; 2nd =Charlie; 1st = Tommy
House results: 3rd = Elizabeth Seymour 2nd = Mary Templer 1st = Victoria Courtenay
Years 3 and 4 Bee Netball, 16th October
On Monday afternoon, we played host to the Sports Partnership Years 3 and 4 Bee Netball Tournament. Twelve school teams were involved from Stover, Chudleigh Knighton, Chudleigh, Bovey Tracey, Rydon, South Brent, Christow, the Grove, and Ashburton. Our Stover team was strong and robust, winning 4 out of 6 games with great goals from Natalie in particular. In our Pool, we finished joint first, meaning that we’re through to the Partnership Finals in November! Well done, girls!
Mrs Coster
U15 Rugby Tournament, 18th October
The U15 boys rugby squad were away to Queens College, Taunton this week in what was a thrilling game. Stover started positively and moved the ball well, which resulted in us being able to attack the edges through Pablo and Felippe. Both causing problems for the Queens defence with their pace, but we were unable to break the deadlock. It was Queens who took the lead through a push over try and conversation.
Stover came back with a try from Felippe following some expansive handling and he finished well in the corner. It was a tight game for the second half with Queens scoring again and opting to take 3 points from a penalty kick. I was really pleased with the boys resilience and belief as they kept going throughout. They were playing the better rugby, so it was about patience and a try came from Oli R to bring the score to 17-10 with 5 minutes to play. After a strong run from Lewis L and some quick passing Captain Henry Priest went over for Stover’s third try. Jonah P then had the last play of the game to level the score at 17-17. He showed great character and successfully converted to finish with a draw. MoM – Will Sutherland impressive in defensive with some dominate tackles and a number of line breaks.
ISA South West Rugby 7’s U16
Our U16 boys rugby 7’s squad travelled to Shebbear College on Wednesday to play in our first Independent Schools Association (ISA) event. It was a challenging day weather wise for all the boys, which made playing 7’s difficult, but I was impressed with how well we managed to move and control the ball. The first game we were up against the host school Shebbear College. The boys created chances, but we just couldn’t get the final pass away. Shebbear took the lead but with a try from Billy D, Stover came back to 10-7 down. This remained the same for the majority of the second half and Stover were pushing for the winner, but unfortunately it was Shebbear who scored with the last play to make it 17-7 to Shebbear.
The second game was against Kingsley School, Bideford. A tough physical side, but Stover played really well. The ball went through the hands with ease and Daniel P and Woody J-B punished them out wide. Archie C added the extras and with 3 more tries Stover won 26-0.
The 3rd and final game was against St Joseph’s, Launceston. This was a very strong performance and Stover’s experience and athleticism shone through, tries from Tim H, Henry W and Woody amongst others meant Stover won 38-0.
Overall standings:
1st – Shebbear College
Runners up – Stover School
3rd – Kingsley School
4th – St Joseph’s School
U15 Boys Rugby, 19th October
The U15’s boys rugby squad competed in the Exeter schools Rugby 10’s tournament this week and with the host school, Exeter in our pool, St Peters CofE Secondary School (Exeter) and Honiton Community College we knew it was going to be a tough test. St Peters were up first and Stover scored through Henry P and Jonah added the extras. We remained in the lead for most of the game but with two late breakaway tries St Peters won 12-7, but Stover did gain a losing bonus point for finishing within 7 points.
Honiton were up next and a big physical side. This was a thrilling game and came down to the wire. Tries from Jonah P and Pablo G helped get the score line to 20-18 to Honiton. With minutes left the ball was spread across the line and Felippe was nearly in for the winner, but a great cover tackle from Honiton stopped him 5 metres short and Stover lost by 2 points, but picked up another losing bonus point.
Exeter School were the next test and they were an impressive side. The boys stuck at it and did score a good try through Felippe. However it finished 38-7 to Exeter School.
Mr Lloyd
U9 Hockey tournament, 12th October
The U9s travelled down to Plymouth for a tournament involving Mount Kelly, Plymouth College, Maynard, Exeter School, Truro, and Stover. The games were fast-paced and energetic. All the girls had plenty of opportunities to have some game time to put our skills in a competitive environment. We won 2-0 against Plymouth and Truro. We grew in confidence with each game. Players of the tournament: Izzy and Harriet R. Well done, everyone!
Mrs Coster
School Sports Partnership Cross Country, 10th October
This afternoon, some of our Year 3-6 children took part in our School Sports Partnership Cross Country event at Forches Cross. The children loved every minute, and we had some strong results, particularly from the Year 5&6 girls with 1st (Indi), 2nd (Louisa) , 3rd (Isabel), and 9th (Sabelle) with our top 4 runners, also a 10th (Florrie W) and Thea *. Year 5&6 boys finished 4th (Matias), 6th (Charlie) , 7th (Tommy), and 28th (Ned) top 4 runners. The U9 girls finished 12th (Emily), 15th (India), 26th (Daisy), and 27th (Bella). The U9 boys finished 4th (Harry L), 6th (Arthur), 25th (Jakob), 29th (James P) and 35th (Rocco). Well done to everyone involved.
Mr Powell
U9 and U11 Rugby Festival
Last week saw the Prep School host their annual U9 and U11 rugby festivals. We were joined by 5 other schools and all the boys in Years 3-6 represented the school.
There was a fantastic atmosphere on both afternoons, which was helped by the beautiful autumnal weather. All those that played demonstrated excellent game understanding and were able to showcase the skills learnt in games lessons.
U14/15 Hockey, Tuesday 10th October vs Newton Abbot College
This afternoon the U14/15 girls hockey team travelled just down the road to face Newton Abbot College. They presented themselves well with maturity and focus from the first whistle. They are forming such a strong bond with each other, that everyone feels a part of the team, supported, and encouraged to play their best and enjoy the game. The number of superlatives that went through my head during the match was phenomenal. The girls worked like a well-oiled machine in both defence and attack, showing their ability to play the ball far and wide and attack the D in numbers and with a sense of purpose. Towards the end of the match, we switched out defence and attack completely over, enabling players to play in a completely different position. The girls worked tirelessly until the final whistle, winning comprehensively, but with the right attitude of modesty and decorum. I am very proud and honoured to be able to work with these girls and see them progress together, as a team. Well done, girls!
Mrs Coster
U12 Rugby, Friday 6th October vs Exeter Cathedral School
Our U12 boys rugby team travelled to Exeter for a touch match against Exeter Cathedral School. Given the conditions, it was a great opportunity for the team to develop their spatial awareness and handling skills.
Stover started brightly and were the first to score thanks to a superb individual run from Miles. Stover scored a further few more before the half but the highlight was by far a length of the pitch run from Topi who gathered the ball from full back and backed himself to beat a number of defenders and score. The second half saw Stover use the wide channels more regularly and tries were added by a range of players including Frankie and Will who scored first for Stover! Will’s was a result of a perfectly executed cross-field kick into space from Milo. Miles continued his fantastic form to complete his hat-trick.
Thank you and well done for the Stover players who made up the numbers for the opposition to ensure more players could get on the pitch. Cameron even managed to sneak a try against us!
Exeter Cathedral School 5-45 Stover
Mr Robbie Powell
U9 Hockey, 5th October 2023
All the Year 3 and 4 girls travelled to Blundell’s to play a triangular with Mount Kelly and Blundell’s. Both teams played well. They are starting to learn and understand how to keep in their position, take on an opponent, and run with the ball. Well done, girls!
Mrs Coster
U16 Girls Rubgy vs Maynards, 2nd October 2023
On Monday our U16 Girls rugby squad were in action against Maynards school at Topsham Rugby Club. This is an exciting development within the department as we more forward with girl’s rugby and we are progressing onto full contact after half term, with the Exeter Chiefs Coaches taking a lead on this. The girls played touch rugby but we did introduce elements of the ruck and 3 v 3 scrums. Stover got off to a great start with some impressive handling leading to a try by Amelia F. Maynards also played some good rugby and evened up the score, but with a try from Lily H, Stover went into half time 10-5 up.
Both teams showed real progress in attack and defence which led to a competitive game throughout. Tries from Amelia F for her second and an interception try from Kiera B after some good defensive line speed, meant the game finished 20-20. Both schools are keen to develop girls rugby and we look forward to playing against Maynards after half term in our first contact game. Player of the match – Amelia F & Livvy McCarthy.
Mr Lloyd
U14/15 girls vs Plymouth College , 3rd October 2023
This afternoon the U14/15 girls travelled down to Marjons to face Plymouth College. The game was physical and determined with a lot of tackles being made from both teams. The girls showed great spirit and endurance to go the distance and compete for each ball. Our movement off the ball is improving, with better positioning and commitment to push up in attack. Tilly and Emily were a force to be reckoned with in midfield, asserting themselves in central areas. Keira, Ava, and Sophia are beginning to show more thoughtful runs off the ball using the width then sprinting towards the posts. In defence, the girls are showing their resilience and teamwork with courageous tackles from Lily, Rosa, Anna, Dara, and Anna.
Overall, a solid team performance with everyone working tirelessly until the end. Tilly scored the only goal in the game, however, this doesn’t show the true picture, as we did have a few other really good chances in front of goal, particularly with Keira narrowly hitting one ball tantalisingly wide on her reverse stick.
1-0 win to Stover.
Players of the match: Tilly and Keira.
Fantastic work, girls! Well done.
Mrs Coster
U14/15 girls vs TGGS , 27th September 2023
This afternoon the U14/15 hockey team travelled down to TGGS for a fast-paced match in warm conditions. Tilly organised and captained the team brilliantly, starting things off on the right foot with a well-rehearsed warm-up drill. TGGS were one player short, so we kindly loaned them one of our players to make it an even battle with 11-a-side on the pitch. Lottie and Dara stepped up to volunteer and did so with a rightly competitive and robust nature they always show, even though they were playing against their teammates.
Lottie, playing for both teams, scored for each side, showing great movement and instinct. Sophia made a great run with vigour into the D, showing her determination on the ball, securing a goal in the bottom corner. Tilly and Emily were relentless in midfield, working tirelessly all game to create some good link-up play. Dara, Rosa, and Lily showed great bravery in defence, making some crunching tackles. All on all, the girls worked well together and showed some personality on the pitch, digging deep and not giving up. We narrowly lost by 3-2, but we could have equalled, if not won, as we narrowly missed some wonderful opportunities in front of goal. Well done, girls!
TGGS Player of the match: Dara
Mrs Coster’s Player of the match: Lottie
Mrs Coster
U12 boys vs Shebbear, 21st September 2023
Our U12’s played their first fixture of the season and for many students, their first representing Stover. The boys started brightly with Marco crossing the line within the opening minute to give Stover early momentum. That lead was built thanks to superb individual tries from Myles and Jago which enabled us to lead for the whole match. The opposition grew into the game and scored a flurry of tries to close the gap; some of which Stover will be disappointed to concede as our defence began to fatigue. Just when the pressure was mounting, Myles scored an outstanding individual effort to extend our lead and secure the win. Special mention to Ed, Charles, Marco and Milo who were excellent in defence and at the breakdown. It was pleasing to see a number of the boys play their first ever game of rugby and contribute to a victory in a close encounter. An encouraging start with lots to build on – well done.
Mr Powell
U13 Girls vs St Peters, 20th September 2023
Today the U13 A & B teams travelled to St Peters to play in a triangular fixture against St Peters and Exeter Cathedral. Dodging the heavy rain on the way we were pleased to arrive and see not a raincloud in the sky! The U13B team started well in their game against Exeter Cathedral. Star had a really big impact on both or games and worked hard up and down the pitch in attack and defence. It was the first game out in the senior school for some of our Yr7 girls, Bailey and Katie made a good account of themselves and Eleanor and Freida really made super progress very rapidly. We ended up winning the first game 1-0 although we had most of the play. In our second game against St Peters we were unfortunate not to score. St Peters won 3-1 but this did not reflect the game at all, it was end to end and both teams played well with some scoring opportunities just missed.
U15 boys vs Shebbear, 19th September 2023
A solid start to the season for the U15 boys v Shebbear. 41-0 win MoM Louis Shaw.
A quick start from Stover putting pressure on the kick off which lead to a drop ball by Shebbear. Oli R reacted quickest and scored with Jonah adding the conversion. More Stover pressure at the breakdown led to two more tries from Henry P on debut and Oli R from quick thinking with a tap and go. Stover led 19-0 at the break.
The second half started well with fly half Jonah P leading the forwards through the phases which created space out wide. Debutant Felipe showed impressive pace and footwork to beat three defenders to score in his very first game of rugby. Tenacious defending and some big hits from captain Lewis L, James T and Bear S-P kept Shebbear out and further tries from Louis S, Seb M, Jonah P and Will S made the final score 41-0. A pleasing and disciplined performance well done!
Mr Lloyd
U13Bs Girls Hockey vs TGGS, 18th September 2023
The U13Bs travelled to TGGS for the first fixture of the hockey season. For some of the team it was their first time playing in a match and representing the school so there were a few nerves on the way in the bus. After a quick warm up and recap of positions the game was underway. We made a positive start and began to put some of the basic skills learnt into practise. TGGS were also a little unsure and took some time to get into the game so it was a fairly even first quarter, TGGS managed to break through the defence just before the whistle to score the first goal. Stover defence then realised the need to have stick down ready to defend and to chase back from an attacking position. We also developed our attacking skills throughout the game and Daisy and Gracie made some good runs up the wing into the circle but just couldn’t quite make contact with the ball to score a goal. The final score was 4-0 to TGGS in the end but the girls all played really well POM was Dottie.
Summer Term 2023
Prep House Cricket
Last Thursday, the Prep School hosted our final sporting event of the year – House Cricket. In the morning, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 came out onto the field with energy and enthusiasm to work within their House teams to go through a carousel of cricket skills involving bowling, wicket keeping, batting, and fielding activities. The children worked brilliantly together.
Then, in the afternoon, Years 3-6 came out in force to compete in House cricket. There were some competitive, yet friendly and encouraging games. The bowling improved as the afternoon went on, and there was a plethora of 4s being hit well. The atmosphere was electric.
The overall combined KS2 results were:
Girls’ cricket
3rd – Victoria Courtenay
2nd – Mary Templer
1st – Elizabeth Seymour
Boys’ cricket
3rd – Mary Templer
2nd – Elizabeth Seymour
1st – Victoria Courtenay
U14/15 Mackerel Fishing
On Tuesday it was the U14 and U15’s turn to go on their fishing treat. With no dolphins in sight, it was hoped we would have a more successful day on the water. It quickly proved the case as we caught one almost straight away. Trinity then came back with two of their own in quick succession putting the pressure right back on the Stover team. There was then rather a long lull and at 2-1 down (5-1 on aggregate) something big needed to happen. With only seconds to go Stover made the most fantastic turn around reeling in three whoppers to win the match 4-2. Unfortunately it meant a 5-4 defeat over the two legs, however it was another fantastic occasion for all involved. Fish of the match went to Samuel C who reeled in the late winner!
Well done to all involved and a huge thankyou to Rob Larkman at Trinity for organising both events.
U13B Girls Cricket vs Mount Kelly, 21st June 2023
Yesterday the U13 Bs welcomed Mount Kelly to a beautifully sunny Stover to play cricket. Stover opted to field first with Kita and Evie opening the bowling. 3 fast paced overs were bowled by Evie and Kita to start us off, only relinquishing 10 runs. Wickets then came from Natasha, Fran and Millie’s overs. Finally Heidi came on to bowl and really livened up the game with some terrific bowls, again taking 2 wickets. Most of the shots came to the leg side during the game, covered competently by Arabella and Kita. We managed to therefore keep Kelly to 223. Kita and Evie starting their batting in much the same way as their bowling, some super shots, with 2 4’s. Natasha and Lexi, combined well to bring our total at the halfway point to 234. Fran and Millie’s communication was exceptional during their innings and finally Tilly and Arabella came on to end the innings hitting another 2 4’s and gaining runs off every ball bar one. The final score was 265 to Stover. We had time to have another innings so everyone went into bat and bowl another over each. At the end of the second innings Stover came away with a very respectable 302 to Kelly’s 235.
U11A Girls Cricket vs Mount Kelly, 21st June 2023
This afternoon we bought our U11 cricket season to a close with a bang over at Mount Kelly.
We won the toss and opted to field, and put them under pressure from the first over, with Sabelle taking a wicket. The Mount Kelly girls batted well and hit some 4’s but our girls stayed active and had some close catching opportunities. Our bowling was mostly on a decent line and Hetty, playing up from year 4, had a near miss with her ball narrowly missing the stumps. Mount Kelly – 270
Into bat, and we started like a rocket with katie hitting 4 sixes in the first 2 overs. Sabelle, Darcy, Isabel, Georgie, and Hetty all also found the boundary during our innings. It was a great effort to not lose a wicket through the whole game.
It was a close-run thing, and a great match to finish the season and we came out on top with 286 runs.
Final score: Mount Kelly 270-1 Stover 286-0
Batter of the match: Katie Bowler of the match: Vicky
Well played girls!
Mrs Robinson
U13 Cricket Vs Trinity, 18th June 2023
On Friday our U13’s welcomed Trinity to Stover. Winning the toss Jack D elected to bat first on a beautiful afternoon. Teo and George opened up and put on 33 in quick time for the first wicket. After they were both dismissed Freddie C and Charlie W came together and moved the score from 42 to 106 before both retiring. We ended up on a good total of 121 off of our 18 overs.
Our bowling innings started well with Freddie H bowling both opening batsmen. However, Trinity then found their rhythm and three of their lads got into the 20’s. With one over to go Trinity needed 12 to win, over to Joe G who then bowled a fantastic over under pressure to leave Trinity 5 short.
A fantastic afternoon of cricket and a big thank you to Trinity for travelling across. Man of the match went to Teo for a great opening knock. Well done all!
Mr Halse
Stover Bowl, 19th June 2023
On Monday we hosted our annual Stover Bowl tournament, using the same format as previous years, 7 a side six overs per team in a fast-paced day of cricket. We welcomed Teign School, Plymouth College, Trinity and Shebbear for the day.
It was a fantastic afternoon played in great spirits throughout! The focus wasn’t so much on winning but more so on getting everyone involved and enjoying the game. Having said that, well done to Teign School who were unbeaten over the course of the day, and well done to our U12’s who only lost the one game.
Mr Halse
U11 South Devon Area Rounders Tournament, 16th June 2023
Today we faced 7 teams from South Devon on a glorious afternoon in the breezy sunshine in our lovely grounds. We set out with tempered expectations having not picked up a bat until Monday as we have been concentrating on cricket mainly this term.
I am pleased to say that, against the odds, the girls did brilliantly. Their progression from game 1 to game 6 was absolutely immense and a credit to them. They listened well, learned from their mistakes and kept their heads and focus all afternoon.
Game one against NAC we were fairly ‘green’ and were lucky to come out with an 8-6 win, but this was to be the start of the climb to the top of rounders mountain. Lessons were learnt, and we went into the next game against a strong Teign side looking to improve. We did, and batted well, hitting with power and channelling the ball through 3rd and 4th post. Another win, this time more comfortably at 8- 3 and a half.
Game three was always going to be toughest of the day versus a tactically aware and physical Churston side, and the girls were still working hard to put it all together. Amazingly in this game, we started to peak. The decision making got more polished and we took chances in the field. Milly made a brilliant catch at third post and Heidi took catching chances as well. Arabella and Kita did sterling work in the deep and we really minimised their scoring. Churston finished on 7 and a half rounders. Into bat and Kita hit the ball so far it interrupted the game on the next pitch, and Fran, Tilly and Milly all struck with force to score rounders. We managed to win this game by one rounder, and this put us on a high for the rest of the tournament. We were careful to remember to take it a game at a time but managed to put in win after win… not conceding a match the whole afternoon and ending up as champions of South Devon! A remarkable achievement!
Throughout the afternoon, Dotty’s throwing to second as bat stop was exceptional, Eva was absolutely solid on 2nd post, with safe hands and excellent throwing to 4th when needed, plus her and Fran batted thoughtfully. Heidi bowled accurately all tournament and controlled the game well from the middle. Tilly, in her first tournament really got into it and backed up and fielded well, as well as hitting lots of rounders. Star was a good all rounder and Kita, Arabella all fielded and hit beautifully.
What a way to go into the weekend. Well done girls!
Devon School Athletics, 10th June 2023
On Saturday 5 of our athletes went to Exeter Arena to represented Stover at the Devon Schools Athletics competition. Dan cleared 1m50 in the high jump and jumped a season best in the long jump of 5.02m. Ella qualified for the South West schools for her Hammer throw. Tilly had a disappointing result in the discus this time around, fingers crossed for her for next time. Freddy competed in a rapid 800m race in his age group and ran a personal best of 2m21s. Well done to everyone who competed it was a very high standard on the day.
Mrs Craven
National Prep School Athletic, 11th June 2023
On Sunday the athletics team travelled to Tavistock to take part in the yearly Mount Kelly Trophy- a qualifier for the National Prep School Athletic event in July, in Birmingham.
In the scorching sunshine the team represented the school exceptionally well. Starting out on the track with some great performances with all competitors qualifying for the 200m finals. Meanwhile out in the field the high jump and long jump events were getting underway for the Open boys and girls and the U12 girls and boys shot. Jago had a great round of throws and ended up 2nd in the shot and 3rd in the discus. Arabella was 3rd in the high jump and Joel was also 3rd with a jump of 1.35m.
We saw other success out in the field across the afternoon, Ed was 2nd in the javelin and Indi 3rd. Isabel gained 3rd in the high jump and Samson 2nd overall in the Open boys shot. Back on the track and Myles won his 800m with an impressive run. Joel was second in the tricky 300m event. In the sprints Adair had an amazing day, gaining 2nd in the 200m and 3rd in the final of the 100m. Sabelle also fared well and came 3rd in her 100m final, with Myles showing his versatility and gaining 3rd place in his 100m.
With a good final show in the relays we came away feeling very pleased with our results, if not a little weary from all the running and sunshine!
We wait to hear confirmation of those who have qualified for the Nationals, at the moment we know Year 6 pupil, Myles L, will be representing us and wish him good luck in Birmingham.
Mrs Craven
U9 boys cricket vs Exeter School, 12th June 2023
Great work from the U9 cricketers on Monday v Exeter School. Lots of progress made and lots of good cricket played. Bowler of the match Harley and Batter of the match James L with an impressive 6! Well done to all involved and thanks to Exeter School for the fixture and our parents for their support.
Mr Lloyd
U11B cricket vs Plymouth College
The U11B team had a lovely away game against Plymouth College. The pairs all worked incredibly well together. Aphra, Ava, and Ophelia all took wickets. Enrica found the boundary twice and Aphra once. A tight game with a slight 6 run lead to Stover. POM – Batter – Lottie, Bowler – Enrica. Mrs Coster’s POM – Flo and Enrica for Batter and Aphra for Bowler. Well done, girls.
U13B cricket vs Maynards
The U13 B played with increasing confidence against a strong Maynard team. Darcie, Kita, and Fran bowled well with Fran taking a wicket. Kita and Tilly batted well, making some boundaries. POM: Batter – Darcie, Bowler – Kita.
Mrs Coster
U8 cricket vs Mount Kelly
All of Year 3 travelled to Mount Kelly for a wonderful afternoon of mixed cricket. Well done, everyone! Definite improvements being made in concentration, bowling, and pick-ups in the field.
U8B: Jack made an awesome lofted drive for 4 run. Elsie bowled well. Harry captained the team well. Freddie worked hard. POM Batter – Jack. Bowler- Seth.
U8C: Elliott bowled incredibly well with conviction, taking two wickets. Jakob reacted well to stumping at the wicket end. Hattie batted well, gaining two 4s. POM- Batter – Hattie, Bowler – Elliott
U11A Girls Cricket v Plymouth College
On Wednesday we travelled to take on Plymouth College. Some of our year 5 girls had the opportunity to step up and play in the age group above.
Put into bat first and Katie and Indi got us off to a great start, running well and scoring 20 off the first two overs with Indi finding the boundary. We continued to tick the runs up and protected our stumps well, only losing one wicket. At the end of the first innings we had 255-1.
With ball in hand, Vicky, Tori, Katie and Indi all took wickets and Isabel and Belle bowled a couple of very tidy overs. Plymouth end of first innings 240-4.
The second innings saw improvement by both sides and it remained close until the end, with another couple of boundaries for us and a spectacular catch at mid wicket by Indi.
Final score:
Stover 285-2
Plymouth College 262-5
Well played girls!
Bowler of the match – Katie W
Batter of the match – Indigo H
Year 7 and 8 athletics
A superb afternoon out on the field today as Stover hosted the first of the athletics leagues for the Year 7 and 8 pupils. In contrast to much of this term we had a beautiful day of weather and the opportunity for some of our athletics to try out some different events. Having not really had the chance to practise extensively today was a little bit of an trial in some events however our teams did not disappoint. On the track the girls had some great successes, Ava and Lottie won both their races, with Rosie coming in 2nd in the 1500m. The boys also ran well, Freddie flew round the 800m to win his race. Will and George also coming a respectable 2nd in their races. More results are still to come from the field events but we shall look forward to seeing how everyone fared. Everyone represented Stover fantastically today, well done to all involved!
Tennis vs Mount Kelly
The U15 girls and boys played Mount Kelly today in a friendly tennis fixture. A good start to the afternoon with Ursula and Claudia winning their first game 4-3 and Lily and Aurane also winning 4-0. In the meantime Freddie and Remy started their singles in some very competitive games against their seeds no.1 and no.2. Freddie lost his game after some fierce rallies 4-3. Remy was victorious with some clever tactical shots 4-3. An exciting game was therefore on the cards with Freddie and Remy’s doubles game. It did not disappoint and Kelly went ahead 2-1 initially, with some real pace to the ball and some tremendous rallies our boys did come out winners 4-2. Ned and Aurane played really consistently across the afternoon winning all their games. Henry also had a good run out playing in his first tennis fixture. Overall matches won, the final score, 17-6 to Stover. An excellent afternoon of tennis and well done to all who played.
Tennis vs Ivybridge
The Stover tennis squad were back in action in a league fixture last Friday. Our U13 & U15 boys and U15 Girls played in a league fixture and our U13 girls had a friendly fixture all against Mount Kelly.
The U15 boys put on a very impressive performance winning all 6 matches finishing up 12-0 to Stover.
Remy W- 6-1
Freddie C- 6-0
Ned I – 6-0
Michael I- 6-1
Doubles – RW & FC – 6-1
Doubles – NI & MI – 6-0
U15 Girls played really well in a hard fought match losing overall 4-8
U13 Boys enjoyed their first fixture with plenty of positives to take away from their performance. A 2-10 loss, but competitive games throughout.
Toby W – 1-6 Loss
Gabriel P – 3-6 Loss
George E – 3-6 Loss
Joshua C – 1-6 Loss
Doubles – TW & GP – 7-6 Win
Doubles – George E & Joshua C- 3-6 Loss
The U13 girls played some doubles and singles friendly matches. Tilly C, Evie S, Kita D & Heidi F all played some lovely tennis and we look forward to more fixtures after half term.
U10/11B Girls cricket vs St Peters
The U10B and U11B teams did themselves proud today against St Peter’s playing in beautiful Stover grounds. They supported each other well, and the bowling improved during the matches. Aphra, Ruby, Daisy, and Enrica were awarded the batter and bowler players of the match. Well done, girls!
Mrs Coster
U9 Girls cricket vs Blundells
Today, the Year 4s travelled up to Blundells. Players of the match in the A team were: Hattie for Batter, Hetty for Bowler, and Molly for Fielder. In the B’s, Batter went to Lottie and Bowler went to Olivia. The B’s had a closely fought game with only 9 runs between the two teams. Mia and Olivia hit some lovely 4s. Ruby made an awesome catch. In the A’s, Monica, Hetty, and Hattie also found their boundary. The calling and running between the wickets was impressive.
U10 A Girls cricket vs St Peters
The girls went into bat and made a great start, with Indi finding the boundary twice and her and Tilly putting on 15 runs in the first two overs. From there we steadily kept the score creeping up and protected our wickets well. The girls ran well and were able to nick some excellent quick singles through decisive calling and good backing up.
Stover total 231.
With captain Molly taking a wicket in the first over from an outstanding piece of fielding by Indi, we put them under pressure early on. Sabelle, Louisa and Isabel put in very economical overs, and we kept the pressure on in the field. In the end it was a very close run thing, but the girls just pipped St Peters for the win by 4 runs.
Stover 231-3
St Peters 227-1
Batter of the match – Tilly
Bowler of the match – Indi
Well played girls!
Mrs Robinson
U11/10 vs Plymouth College, 17th May
This week, our U11/10 team faced Plymouth College on a gloriously sunny afternoon at Stover. Harry opened the bowling tidily and kept the initial run rate down, with Charles and Miles also bowling excellent overs. Topias bowled well, Dylan working with him as a wicket-keeper, managing an excellent over with a stumping from Dylan. Oliver, Jacques and Darragh worked hard in the field to slow the runs throughout, saving quite a few boundaries as the game progressed.
Bertie and Sennen both faced some great bowling and did well to protect their stumps, with Edward and Rafferty batting aggressively to rack up the runs. Both boys also bowled good overs and showed good leadership skills throughout. The team were supportive of each other and were welcoming hosts. Well done, Stover.
Player of the match – Rafferty
Today’s captain – Edward
Mr Harrison
U15 Girls Cricket vs Maynard, 16th May
On an afternoon that felt like summer is finally on its way, we faced Maynard in our first match of the season.
Put into bat first, Lily and Sophia weathered some excellent faced past and on the stumps bowling, taking some singles where they could and protecting their wickets well.
From there the bowling intensity stayed high and we found it difficult to get bat on ball. When we did make good contact, we seemed to hit straight to the fielders. Emily and Tilly put on some good runs, but the frustration showed, and we then gave away some easy wickets to run outs and tried to hit straight balls, losing several wickets.
So, we had work to do after our batting which saw us at 195 runs.
Our girls opened the bowling well, with Lily really setting the standard. Good overs too from Sienna, Emily, and Tilly who took two wickets (one a caught and bowled) in her over.
There were some stunning fielding moments- a great catch at mid-wicket by Lily and a brilliant run out by Lily and Tilly from Emily’s bowling, but the game ebbed away. Certainly, Maynard had the rub of the green on a few occasions and we were perhaps unlucky but lots to take out and focus on overt the next few weeks.
Final score Maynard 233, Stover 190.
Batter of the match: Tilly
Bowler of the match: Lily
Well played girls!
Mrs Robinson
U15 Boys Cricket Vs Plymouth College, 16th May
On Tuesday afternoon our Under 15’s welcomed Plymouth College to Stover for what is normally a tough encounter. Plymouth won the toss and elected to bat first on a bright sunny afternoon.
They started slowly but kept wickets in hand against some good early spells from Mikhail I and Dan P. Will R and Hudson CT then got stuck into the middle order with a couple of wickets each. We then closed out the innings with a good few overs from Tim H and Pure L who were unlucky not to pick up a couple of extra wickets. Plymouth finishing on 155-4 from their 20 overs.
In reply we started well, some lusty blows through Mikhail I, Dan P and Woody JB saw us move the score along nicely. However, regular wickets meant we were always struggling. At the halfway stage we were ahead of the rate but with 5 wickets down it was going to be tough and unfortunately the tail didn’t wag, and we ended up 90 all out.
A valiant effort against a strong Plymouth side. MOM went to Mikhail who bowled nicely with the new ball and followed it up with some lovely shots.
Well done to all who played.
Mr Halse
U13 Girls Cricket v Shebbear, 15th May
On the back of a near 100 run win at Exeter Cathedral last week, our U13’s made the journey to Shebbear on a sunny but windy afternoon.
Winning the toss, we sent them in to bat and started strong, with Rosa taking a wicket in the first over. A tidy spell of bowling followed where we kept the run rate down and frustrated the batters but failed to capitalise on a few decent catching chances in the field. Imogen was next to take a wicket with a ball that got wedged between middle and off stump, and then they came thick and fast with another from Lottie, and 2 from Lily in the next two overs. Rosie, whose bowling has improved impressively since our indoor winter training, bravely fronted out bowling the final over and took two wickets. This left Shebbear on 221 runs.
Into bat and we had highlighted this as an area to improve on after the Exeter game as we struggled to get much bat on ball on a difficult wicket. This week was a different story and all the time in the nets definitely paid off. We looked more confident playing shots and more comfortable at the crease.
Lottie hit the most action around the flags, timing her shots well with good power. It was a very slow outfield and a large boundary, but a few neared the line, and I was pleased to see the girls playing some offside shots and moving their feet more. We ran well, taking lots of singles, and capitalising on any fielding errors. At the end of our first innings, we stood on 276.
In the second it was much the same story all round, Lynsey took an amazing high catch in the outfield with the sun directly in her eyes and Rosie and Imogen worked an impressive run out off Dara’s over. Ava bowled with pace and beat the bat many a time.
Final score: Stover 304, Shebbear 208.
Another solid win, there will be harder tests to come but a good confidence boost and excellent improvement in batting!
Rosa and Dara were POM and mine goes to Rosie P
Well played girls!
Mrs Robinson
U13 cricket vs Plymouth College, 15th May
On Monday our U13’s travelled to Plymouth College for what is normally a tough fixture. Coming off of a loss to Cathedral the boys were keen to try and turn things around.
Plymouth won the toss and elected to bat. Some good hitting up top saw numbers 2 and 3 retire on 30 and number 1 falling just short on 28. Despite this the boys stuck to their task well and although the Plymouth batters looked in good touch, we made them work for every run. The only slight blemish on a good bowling innings was some of our fielding which allowed then to sneak a few extra runs, finishing on 147 from their 20 overs
Our innings couldn’t have started any worse With Joe G being bowled by the first ball of the match. We then proceeded to implode with 4 run outs on the next five wickets to fall all of which our own doing. This put an end to any chance of a turn around and we end up all out for 69. Special mention to Harry Y and Herbie G who put together a nice partnership at the end. Lots of work on running between the wickets in lessons this week!
Man of the match went to Teo T for a fantastic afternoon behind the stumps as wicketkeeper and a handy contribution with the bat.
Mr Halse
U13 cricket vs Exeter Cathedral School, 12th May
On Friday the 12th of May our U13’s had their first outing of the cricket season as we welcomed Exeter Cathedral.
Keeping up to date with the times we followed the Hundred format with each team facing 100 deliveries. Cathedral batted first and started well. Some miserly bowling from George E (2-19) and Jack D (2-10) however managed to peg them back. Cathedral finishing on 124-8.
In reply we didn’t start well losing wickets at regular intervals. Some excellent bowling from Cathedral saw us really struggle to get any momentum. Unfortunately we couldn’t recover and despite some rearguard action from Toby W (13*) and some excellent hitting from Charlie W (14) we finished short on 85-8.
A great first experience for the boys with lots of positives to take from the game. Mom goes to Charlie W for stepping up as Wicket Keeper and taking catch plus some good runs at the end of the innings.
Mr Halse
U13/12 cricket vs Exeter Cathedral School, 12th May
A good afternoon of cricket v Exeter Cathedral School today. U13/12B Captain Freddy Harding won the toss and opted to bowl first. Stover made a steady with our first pair Freddy H and Seb N opening the bowling. Seb N took the first wicket with a clean bowl. Ashton S, Albie A, Harry S-J, Alek S, Reuben C-M and Eric F also all contributed with taking wickets, but the outstanding bowler of the day was Will L who took 5 wickets in a row, an outstanding effort and he will be presented with the match ball next week. Exeter Cathedral total was 145 runs, with Stover taking 14 wickets.
Stover opened the batting with Captain Freddy H & Seb N. They both got off to a strong start scoring 39 runs without losing a wicket and also communicated really well. Ashton S & Albie A were next in and with three 4’s from Albie they took Stover’s total to 167, losing just 1 wicket. Harry S-J & Alex, Ned & Reuben and Will & Eric all notched up an average of 35 runs in their partnerships finishing with a total off 263 runs for 1 wicket. The shot of the day goes to Ned I for an impressive 6, the only one of the match.
Many thanks to Exeter Cathedral for an enjoyable game played with good sportsmanship.
Mr Lloyd
Tennis vs Shebbear
On Tuesday the 2nd of May 2023. The girls started off very well with Lily, Sophia, Tilly, Emily, Claudia, and Daisy playing singles and all winning comfortably. They played very well, challenging their opponents while staying consistent, making few errors. As we moved onto the doubles, we faced a challenging round as Shebbear stepped up with some effective partnerships. However, Stover held their own and managed to win all their doubles matches making it a clean sweep.
Match report by Lily H, Year 9
U13B Cricket vs Exeter Cathedral School
A wonderful atmosphere of cricket with Exeter Cathedral. The B team improved through the first innings, gaining in confidence. Katie and Milly even hit a couple of 6s. Both teams enjoyed the afternoon, getting chance to play in a friendly environment.
Mrs Coster
U9 Cricket vs St Peters Prep School
We had a wet but enjoyable afternoon of cricket at St Peters Prep School today. It was great to be able to play four mixed teams with over 80 pupils playing from both schools. The U9 game was an even contest with lots of good cricket being played. Every pupil bowled, batted, kept wicket and played their part in the field. Lots of progress made, certainly in bowling, where Matias, Hal and Harriet all got a wicket. Archie was our top scorer with the bat scoring 11 runs of facing 7 balls.
Well done to all involved and many thanks for St Peters for hosting and the support from our parents as always.
Mr Lloyd
U13 Cricket vs Exeter Cathedral School
On Wednesday Stover faced Exeter Cathedral School for our first outdoor cricket fixture of the year. It’s honest to say we had a tentative start after being put in to bat and didn’t quite find the contact that we would have liked in the early stages. We played safely though, not giving away wickets and ticking the scoreboard over. Arabella and Imogen found the boundary with a couple of leg side shots, and we started to pick up the pace and be more positive running between the wickets.
In to bowl and the girls gave a cracking account of themselves, barely giving away any wides in difficult windy conditions. In the first ball of the innings Roza clean bowled her opponent and we pushed on from there, troubling the batters and taking some decent catches in the field. Whilst we were not as dynamic in the field as we could have been, we did keep their run rate down and Ava and Arabella picked up 2 wickets each.
The second innings saw an improvement by both sides which was great to see. Our batting was stronger and more of our girls’ hit fours and started to nick a quick 2 runs instead of settling for a single. Our bowling stayed clean and, in some cases, unplayable – Ava’s figures for the day stood at 4 wickets for 8 runs and Imogen took at caught and bowled which she juggled with but held onto! Lynsey captained well and kept everyone focused throughout the game.
An awesome start: Exeter Cathedral – 221 Stover – 308
Bowler of the match – Ava Batter of the match – Lily
Well played girls!
Mrs Robinson
Spring Term 2023
U9 Netball vs Plymouth College, 30th March 2023
his afternoon our U9’s travelled down to Plymouth College for our last netball match of the season.
It was an action-packed afternoon, with each team playing 3 games of fast paced netball with excellent sporting spirit from both schools. The girls made improvements in their defensive marking and were able to make impressive interceptions by sticking with their player. They also continue to get to grips with switching from defence to attack and vice versa quickly in order to be effective. Some excellent patterns of attacking play and consistent shooting saw us score 38 goals over the course of the afternoon.
U9A – Won 2, lost 1 – POM – Esmae
U9B – Won 2, lost 1 – Ruby
U9C – Drew 2, lost 1 – Grace
Well done girls, a fantastic season!
Mrs Robinson and Miss Ettridge
U10, U11 Netball vs Blundells
U10A
The girls today showed tremendous skill and technique throughout a very close game- making impressive passes, interceptions and dodges into space. Each quarter was closely fought and their strong marking and consistency in staying ahead of the ball allowed them a lot of time in the attacking third even against strong opponents. A really close game that could have gone either way. Having had a nearly unbeaten season the girls will hopefully reflect on what has been a very successful term in the face of this tough match. Final score 3-5. POM Indi.
U10B
The B’s today played a closely fought match where they showed great movement and use of space thoughout. Each quarter was very close in score but out girls displayed excellent ability when shooting and getting the ball out of our defensive third and moving it up the court to our goal third. We were very pleased that the final score reflected this with a 5-4 win. POM Pixie and Sabelle.
U11A
The U11 A’s showed real resilience when playing today, defending hard and making strong tactical decisions in terms of their placement on court. Having had a nearly unbeaten season the girls will hopefully reflect on what has been a very successful term in the face of this tough match. A special shoutout to Katie Wood who came back on to play after a slight knock and a nosebleed and a thanks to Sabelle for stepping up in the interim. Final score 1-9. POM Belle
U11B
In the final match of the term today, the girls all took to the court. They showed good use of space and understanding of competitive marking, making it difficult for the Blundells players to move freely around the court. It was a well fought game, final score 2-8. POM Bessie.
Many thanks – an excellent season girls!
Mrs Robinson, Miss Ettridge and Miss Thorpe
U11B football vs Warminster
U11 B vs Warminster
The U11 B played a fantastic match against Warminster on Saturday 18th March. With the pitches wet and sticky, the players managed to play some excellent football; moving the ball into the wider channels allowing the speed of Charles W to cause the defence problems. They played effectively as a unit with each member of the team doing their jobs extremely well. The defence of William L, Edward P and Cameron W were solid, cleaning up any danger and finding the right pass to their forward players. Florry H worked tirelessly in midfield breaking up play and joining the attack. Tom H, playing as striker, occupied the Warminster defenders creating space for his team mates in midfield.
The first half was a tight affair, with Stover creating a number of chances but failing to capitalise on their opportunities. Tom H was a constant threat and eventually tucked away a tidy finish to make the score 1-0. Goalkeeper, Edward W, had very little to do but kept his concentration to make a great reactive save, tipping the ball over the bar, keeping Stover’s lead.
In the second half, Stover moved the ball much more effectively and created some great chances. Tom H bagged his second of the game with an excellent half volley swept into the bottom corner. Edward P, playing in a more advanced role, scored another with a thunderous strike. The final goal was a smart finish from Florry H to cap off a great performance. Well done to all involved. Final score 4-0 To Stover
POM – Charles W
Mr Lloyd
U11A football vs Warminster
On Saturday 18th March the U11A football team hosted Warminster school, who had travelled from Bath on tour. The weather was perfect, which was a relief to all as the days leading up to the match were incredibly wet.
In the 1st quarter Stover started excellently, using the ball well and creating chances. Within the first five minutes Stover found themselves 2-0 up, goals coming from Sam Joyce and Miles Langford. Jago Elphinstone was as reassuring as ever, often intercepting the ball at crucial times and playing forward immediately, allowing our forward players to counter at pace. After a great first quarter the score finished at 2-0.
In the 2nd quarter Warminster started to threaten, Harry Keates was forced into a number of superb saves but it wasn’t long before Warminster got the goal they needed. This followed a large spell of possession and chances for Warminster, Lucas Cox did all he can with some great last ditch tackles however, just before the end of the 2nd quarter, Warminster levelled the score at 2-2.
The 3rd quarter was the biggest one in the context of the game, with Warminster’s tails up it looked like they would go and finish the game off. However Marco Bargewell started to make Stover tick, winning the ball back high up the pitch and giving Stover a platform to express themselves on the ball. Sam Joyce then produced two finishes of real quality, both struck firmly in the bottom corner. This ruthless finishing meant Stover went into the last quarter 4-2 to the good.
The final quarter continued to impress the staff and the spectators, with both teams showcasing excellent football. Stover were made to work till the final whistle to keep Warminster at bay and they did so excellently. The final whistle blew and the score finished Stover 4-2 Warminster.
After the game both teams were treated to some sausage, chips and beans whilst socialising with one another and forming new friendships. All left having watched or played in a great game of football and with a full stomach!
My thanks go to the parents and players who gave up their Saturday morning to represent the school, I know it was hugely appreciated by Warminster School but also by Stover School. Well done to the U11A’s on another fantastic result.
Mr Steer
U11 and U9 House Netball
This afternoon saw our U9 & U11 girls take on the eagerly awaited House Netball challenge. It was an absolute joy to see all our 57 girls raring to go, with their house colours painted on their faces, and all up for giving their own 100% effort for their house and team.
The U9 tournament was fast paced with the girls making excellent attacking moves and maximising space, whilst defending with good strength and accuracy in interceptions. The shooting was impressive, and the girls really put their hard work in lessons into practice.
Players of the tournament for their hard work, excellent play, and good sportsmanship were:
Harriet Wilson – Mary Templer Monica Vinney – Lizzie Seymour Natalie – Vicky Courtney
Overall house results:
3rd : Lizzie Seymour 2nd: Vicky Courtney 1st Mary Templer
Congratulations to Mary A team who won the round robin, winning every game.
The U11 tournament was played with a competitive and friendly spirit and the standard of play was excellent to see. The girls passed with power and accuracy and the defensive interceptions were feisty, with the girls chasing down any loose ball. Really impressive play girls, well done!
Players of the tournament:
Bessie Tinnyunt – Mary Templer Darcy Henderson – Lizzie Seymour Tori Squires – Vicky Courtney
Overall house results:
3rd: Mary Templer 2nd Lizzie Seymour 1st Vicky Courtney
Congratulations to Mary A team who won the round robin tournament.
Many thanks to Miss Ettridge, Mrs Craven, and Mr Ryan for umpiring.
Mrs Robinson
U11 A&B vs Warminster School
On Saturday our U11’s took on a touring Warminster School side. It was great to see lots of the girls put in the effort to come in and represent their school on a weekend ad those that did were an absolute credit to the school.
In matches that saw the girls play in every position on court, demonstrating good versatility, the Stover spirit shone through, and our girls dominated in each match. In the A’s, Belle, Katie, Tori, Vicky and Bailey and in the B’s, Florrie, Flo, Tilly, Georgie, and Aphra all played with excellent spacing, putting our hard work in lessons to elevate their game into practise. They structured their play, fought hard in defence, passed and received balls sent with impressive power, and converted many of their attacking opportunities into goals.
Final scores: A Team: 24-5 to Stover POM: Katie B Team: 13-2 to Stover POM: Georgie
Well played girls!!
Mrs Robinson
The Stover Cup
This week we held the annual Stover Cup for the boys U13 Football squad. It was pleasing to be able to enter an A & B team into the tournament and the two teams met in the first round. It was a close encounter, with the A team having most of the possession and the B team being solid and well organised in defence. A late goal from Joel M, sucured the win for the Stover A.
Next up was Plymouth College and it was a lively start as Plymouth hit Stover on the break and scored an early goal. Stover rallied well and stayed in control of the game, but were a little shy letting their shots go. Freddie C went through and finished well to level the game and it finished 1-1.
St Peters were the opponents in the third round and as expected it was a tough game. St Peters defended deep and worked hard off the ball. Stover controlled possession and did have more shots on goal, but the St Peters goalkeeper made a series of excellent saves. Final score 0-0.
It all came down to the final game with Plymouth College needing a win against St Peters and Stover A needed to beat Trinity to battle it out for 1st place. Both teams won, with Stover A finishing the day with their best performance winning 5-0 against Trinity. Goals from Teo T, Freddie H, Freddie C, Captain George E and Joel M, secured the victory. With Plymouth College beating St Peters 1-0 it finished really close, but as they lost early on to Trinity and Stover A remaining unbeaten with 2 wins and 2 draws, Stover A won the tournament by 1 point.
Excellent effort from the boys all term. They have completed an unbeaten season and have played some really good football, a joy to watch and a pleasure to coach. Well done!
Mr Lloyd
U9 Bee Netball tournament
The U9 netball squads travelled to Exeter School for a Bee Netball Tournament. The weather was very up and down. The Stover Lions won 8-2 against one of the Maynard teams and 5-0 against Exeter. The Tigers won 2-0 against Exeter. There were 8 games each, with quick turnarounds between games. Well done to Harriet and Mia for getting Stover players of the tournament.
U12/13 netball vs Maynard
The U12/3 b team had an exciting game against Maynard this week. With some final changes to the team Arabella and Natasha made a real impact in defence this week. We shall look to develop their knowledge and tactical awareness more over the rest of the term as they were a great combination making interceptions throughout the game. We had a blistering start to the game with Eva’s shooting really on fire this week, at quarter time the score was 7-3 to Stover. With only a few changes to the squad in attack we held our own for the rest of the game scoring consistently even as Maynard settled into their game. The final score was 19-9 to Stover POM this week Belle L and Millie W-L. An unbeaten season for the team, well done ladies!
Swimming Gala vs Trinity and St Johns
Last Friday our swimming squad travelled to Trinity for a competitive gala against Trinity and St Johns school. The squad was a little depleted due to illness and other commitments on the day but all those that attended really stepped up to make the day a real success. Chloe H, the only Inter girl swam in all the individual events and demonstrating her training through her technique. The junior girls squad were again a team member short but all girls were up for competing in the individual events and the relays. In most of the races we came second in these age groups. The boys were well represented with a strong squad at Inter level. Micheal H and Dan P made a big splash in the water, winning 2 events. On the junior team Freddie C won his breaststroke. Mrs Craven thoroughly enjoyed taking the group out, they all performed well but also demonstrated great team spirit all cheering each other along and getting involved. Well done everyone!
Mrs Craven
U8/9 Netball, 2nd March
This afternoon we hosted Blundell’s for a great afternoon of netball in Spring-like sunshine. The U9s got chance to develop their 5-a-side knowledge and understanding, whilst rotating defensive and attacking positions with each period of play. Both teams played well with the A’s just losing by 5-3, and the B’s drawing 4-4. The U8s played 4-a-side with no positions, but they are learning principles of defence and attack. Their awareness improved with each game. The afternoon concluded with a lovely match tea in the dining hall. Well done, girls!
U10/U11 Bee Netball Festival, 1st March
This afternoon we hosted St Peter’s for a wonderful afternoon for a Bee Netball festival with our 3x U10 teams and 3 x U11 teams. Everyone was involved with many games against opposition and other Stover teams. The U10A team particularly played well, winning all of their games. St Peter’s and Stover children, staff, and parents all had a great afternoon of netball. Well done, everyone!
Mrs Coster
U16 football vs St Johns, 27th February
On Monday our under 16’s boys travelled to St Johns eager to add another win to their tally. We started well and dominated possession from the outset. Noah, Tristan and Claude in midfield took control and despite it being a small pitch managed to play some good football through the middle and final third. We were rewarded with the breakthrough as Kieran H found the back of the net. The football continued to flow, however against the run of play Sol B was caught at the back the St Johns equalised. Moments later again we were caught out with a high line and the St Johns striker ran through to take the lead. This didn’t stop us trying to play however and we were unfortunate not to be level at the break.
After half time we were shooting down the hill and continued applying pressure. Sol made up for his earlier error with a neat volley off a Noah corner. Claude then rifled home from the edge of the area to take the lead. St Johns fought back and again against the run of play won the ball high and equalised. With only moments to go we won a corner and had one last push. A well-rehearsed set piece saw Reuben D at the far post to nod home the winner.
A really fantastic performance on a tough pitch. MOM went to Claude M who second half was fantastic throughout.
St Johns- 3
Stover- 4 (Hale, Bloomfield, McKeown, Daniels)
U13 football vs Exeter Cathedral School, 24th February
On Friday our U13 football squad played against Exeter Cathedral School. The game was contested in the right spirit with both teams showing good sportsmanship throughout. Stover made a positive start with a goal from Teo T and a second soon followed from Freddy C. Both teams had good moments in the game but Stover proved to be more clinical with their opportunities. In the second half the boys continued to move the ball quickly, whilst making some intelligent runs in behind their defence. Further goals from Samson H, George E and a penalty from Jake T led to a final score – 10-0, MoM – George E.
Mr Lloyd
U16 netball vs Plymouth College, 27th February
A gritty and gutsy performance by our Stover team in an intense clash with Plymouth College. It was a physical contest and our girls resilience and fitness was tested over the course of the game. An accomplished team, Plymouth came out all guns blazing and barely missed a shot in the first 2 quarters. To our credit we stayed with them and by half time the score was 20-13 Plymouth.
The girls improved over the course of the match, found space consistently, made cracking interceptions and made Plymouth play right up until the final whistle.
Final score 36-20 – and whilst the team were inevitably disappointed, there was no shame in this particular defeat.
Player of the match – Cecily
Mrs Robinson
U13 netball vs Plymouth College, 27th February
Today our U13 netball team travelled to Plymouth college for what turned out to be an end-to-end thrilling 40 minutes match.
Plymouth shot out of the blocks scoring 3 goals within the first 5 minutes of the game, with Stover not able to get the ball down their end of the court. Although building in confidence we remained behind the entire first third, with the score Stover 3-6 Plymouth.
Rosa took charge of her team in the second third, keeping the girls composed and on task and we managed to claw the score back level. Some fantastic tactical understanding and game play in the centre court from Lottie, Lily and Imogen gave Katy numerous opportunities in the circle- to which she didn’t miss.
Dara was outstanding as GK, regularly intercepting, and winning back the ball for her team. At the end of the second third, Stover were up by 3 (Stover 12-9 Plymouth)
Stover were determined to stay on top in the final third and worked tirelessly to intercept the ball and get it to our shooters. Ava was excellent as GS and kept the team on top. The girls did not let up, with the match finishing Stover 18-14 Plymouth.
A fantastic game of netball, well done to all involved.
POM Katy.S
Miss Thorpe
U13 B netball vs Plymouth College, 27th February
The U13 B team were away at Plymouth College this week for a return match after a previous win. The team had a shaky start and seemed to have forgotten the work covered in the previous weeks lesson, however after a quick team talk at quarter time things did start to improve. Milly did make a fantastic impact however in the first quarter, moving into space and timing her runs well. Belle was a new addition to the team and she had a positive impact in a WA. Kita and Natasha made many interceptions in defence. Eva and Eliza eventually settled into their shooting in the circle and the score at half time was 6-2 to Stover. There were some really excellent passages of play in the the second half of the game. Everyone was much better at holding their position then driving for space and losing their partner. Rosie and Eliza linked up much better with Belle and Evie in the final quarter to finish the game 14-2 to Stover. Players of the match Kita D and Belle L
Mrs Craven
U8/9 netball vs The Maynard School, 23rd February
The U8s and U9s travelled to The Maynard School for a wonderful afternoon of Bee Netball. We had 3 x U9 teams and 2 x U8 teams. All the girls played well, showing some great development in key parts of the court. Well done, everyone.
Mrs Coster and Mrs Robinson.
U16 football tournament, 22nd February
On Wednesday afternoon our U16 girl’s football team travelled to Paignton Academy for their first tournament of the term.
Playing PCSA first, the team started well, keeping possession, and passing well up the pitch. An excellent run from Ursula on the left wing left her one on one with the keeper, where she convincingly slotted the ball in the bottom right corner. The game finished Stover 1-0 PCSA.
The next two games were against Dawlish and Brixham and ended 0-0 draws. Alex, Sienna and Ella were excellent in defence stopping the teams having any opportunities on goal.
The final and arguably the trickiest game our girls play Newton Abbot College. This match was extremely back and forth, and Stover had to work extremely hard to stop the opposition scoring. A great sequence of passing gave Emily an opportunity on goal, and she convincingly put it past the keeper.
A great afternoon for the team with lots to work on going forward.
Well done to all involved.
POM Alex.S
Miss Thorpe
U13 netball vs St Johns, 20th February
The U13 netball team travelled to St John’s on Monday afternoon with the hope of continuing their winning run.
The team started well with Lily and Imogen passing decisively up the court, Ava, and Katy shooting precisely and scoring all of their opportunities.
Dara, Rosa, and Lottie were excellent in defence, intercepting the oppositions passes and reading the game well.
Another fantastic win for the team who are starting to show excellent tactical thinking and decisive game play.
POM Dara.O
Miss Thorpe
Invitational Cross Country, Preparatory School, 21st February
For the first time in over three years, we hosted our cross-country event involving 5 schools – Stover; Mount Kelly; Exeter Cathedral School; Trinity; and Bovey Tracey Primary School. This was a wonderful afternoon with great spirit, support for team-mates, and endeavour, all within a friendly atmosphere. Well done to all the children from every school. Our Stover pupils ran their hearts out and we had some strong finishes, particularly from Belle L finishing 3rd , Indi H 4th, Myles L, 2nd , Esmae L 4th , and Tommy G-H 4th in their prospective races. Extra congratulations goes to James L and Archie Mc for stepping in at the last moment to compete for their teams due to illnesses. A great team effort to the Stover team. Well done!
Mrs Coster
U13 football vs St Peters, 20th February
The U13 boys Football squad travelled to St Peters this week and I’m pleased to say they continued their unbeaten run with a patient performance. St Peters were well organised in defence and proved difficult to breakdown. Stover were over playing at times, which meant we were missing opportunities to make the final pass to create goal scoring opportunities. However, with some good movement and a well-timed pass from Freddie C to Joel M who broke the deadlock with a well taken goal. Freddie H added a second goal, but St Peters kept pressing and got a goal back. Teo T scored just before half time to make it 3-1 to Stover at half time.
The second half was a more clinical performance from Stover, passing the ball quicker and creating more chances. Goals from Man of the Match George Green x 2, Joel M, Harry Y and a 25-yard screamer from Samson H capped off an 8-1 win.
Mr Lloyd
U13B Netball v St Johns, 20th February
Today the U13 B team travelled to St Johns to play some more netball. We continued to give some other players a game today and this enabled us to develop our skills and games play further. We were rather cautious in the first quarter, with some nervous energy and poor passing the score was 4-0 to Stover at the end of the first quarter. A quick team talk to settle our nerves didn’t seem to have much of an effect until the third quarter when the team finally started to communicate and work together. Our passing improved and we were able to have more opportunities to shoot, as the ball was not intercepted before getting it into the circle. A super last quarter with Arabella as WA and Evie as C really set our attack in a better formation. The final score was 20-0 to Stover. POM- Arabella A
Mrs Craven
U13A Netball v Exeter Cathedral, 10th February
To round off a great half-term of sport, our U13A netball team travelled to The University of Exeter to play Exeter Cathedral. After a shaky start to the season, the girls were on a high of back-to-back wins, and were keen to keep their good form going.
The team did not disappoint, showcasing their exceptional skills in the first third. Lottie.H, Lily.P, Ava.D and Imogen.D were clinical in the middle of the court, passing with precision into the shooting circle, where Ava.D and Katy.S converted all of their chances.
We decided to alternate the teams positions, to allow the girls the opportunity to experience playing elsewhere and to encourage versatility. This did not slow the team down, with Rosa.S and Dara.O intercepting at every opportunity and keeping the opposition score to a minimum.
The final third was much the same, with accurate passing and a clear intent to get the ball up the court into the shooting circle. A stand out performance from Katy.S, who had a 100% success rate in the circle.
Another great win, with clear improvements made throughout the team. POM Katy.S and Lottie.H
Miss Thorpe
Individual Table Tennis Championships, 9th February
Today we travelled to Eggbuckland CC with 14 pupils right across years 7 to 13 to take part in the individual Table Tennis Championships.
It was a fantastic event with well over 100 pupils taking part across all age ranges. The competition was incredible with several national ranked players involved. Our pupils were excellent throughout the day as a whole but a special mention to Jon C in year 13 and to Ned I in year 7 who both won their group stages but were unfortunately knockout out in the quarter finals.
Well done to all who took part, a fantastic experience
U10 and U11 Bee Netball Festival
This afternoon we played host to 85 girls from Stover, Plymouth College, and Exeter School with an U10 and U11 Bee Netball festival. The festival was set up with regular rotations, enabling all players to contribute on the court, playing a variety of positions. By the end of the afternoon, teams had rotated 6 times, playing 30 minutes each. All of the girls enjoyed the afternoon, showing all of the Bee Netball values – bee proud, bee fair, bee yourself, bee together, bee friendly, and bee strong. Each school had one player awarded player of the festival demonstrating these such values. Stover’s players of the festival were: B Lovell, F Wills, F Reynolds, and E Senanayake. A lovely afternoon of netball, well done to all the girls. Mrs Coster, Mrs Robinson, and Miss Thorpe.
U14 and U15 netball vs Plymouth College, 8th February
The U15s played Plymouth College at netball today. The girls got off to a good start and the game was end to end with some fierce competition especially from our defence, Georgia and Lizzie. Plymouth had an excellent GA who was leading their team but Stover managed to break through their defence too and the score at quarter time was 6-2. Stover settled into their own play much better in the second quarter and matched Plymouth goal for goal with the score at half time 5-11 to Plymouth. In the final quarter Plymouth just had the edge over us and broke through our defence to win the game 8-25. A positive game from the team the final score not really reflecting the game itself. POM Jaani B
Written by Georgia H
Today the U14s played Plymouth College at home in a tightly contested fixture. The game was end to end in the first quarter but a strong defence in the shape of Sienna, Anna and Kiera kept the oppositions shooting to a minimum. At the end of the first quarter the score was 5-2 to Stover. In the second quarter Emily and Lily took control of the middle of the court intercepting often and setting Sophia and Tilly up well. The third quarter was pivotal with Stover storming ahead 13-8. Plymouth managed to bring the score back to within 2, but Stover matched up with determination and managed to stay on top. The final score was 15-12 to Stover with POM Emily S and Anna G
Written by Lily H
U14 football vs Trinity, 7th February
Today our Under 14’s had their fourth outing of the season, hosting Trinity.
Trinity won the toss and elected to shoot up the hill to begin with, which proved a poor decision as Alfie M latched onto a through ball from Pedro V to open the scoring. Minutes later the lead was doubled through Will S after a nice move down the right-hand side. From then on things started to slow down and we lacked any intensity. Things became quite disjointed and both teams struggled to keep possession for any length of time. After a bit of a scramble Billy C found himself in a bit of space 6 yards out to hammer home.
Half time came and the plan was to try and replicate the first 10 minutes and we did just that, almost straight away Alfie M popping up with his second after another good through ball. Gaining confidence, we started to play again and created several more chances without any success. 10 minutes from time however Alfie completed his hattrick after finding himself 1 v 1 with the keeper. In the last 10 we brought about some personnel changes and looked at a few new positions for different players and ended up conceding 2 consolation goals to round off the scoring.
A better performance this week but still lots to work on. Mom went to Lewis L who was fantastic in the first ten minutes for us and then transferred to help Trinity out and was a regular thorn in our side. Well done to all that played
Stover- 5 (Minchington x3, Sutherland, Cockburn)
Trinity- 2
U13A netball vs Trinity, 6th February
Our U13A team continued their great start to the season, travelling to Trinity on Monday for an afternoon of netball.
Stover started extremely well and came out firing on all cylinders with Katy and Ava showing their skill and accuracy when shooting, not missing a single shot in the first third. Dara and Rosa were exceptional in defence, not letting Trinity get the ball into the D. At the end of the first third, the score stood at Stover 12-0 Trinity.
We decided to switch up the teams positions to encourage versatility and game understanding, this only fuelled the girls on, with Imogen showing precision when shooting, and Lottie intercepting everything in the middle of the court. Going into the final third, the score stood at Stover 24-0 Trinity.
The team didn’t let up in the and were ruthless in the final third, passing with purpose into the D. Lily was fantastic, making great runs and again, not missing a single shot. The final score Stover 35-0 Trinity.
POM Katy.S and Lily.P
Well done to all involved.
Miss Thorpe
U13 netball vs Trinity, 6th February
Today the U13B team went to Trinity for their first game of the season. A confident start by the girls some of whom who were playing in their first competitive game. The first quarter we took our time to settle down and get into a good rhythm but eventually your passing became more accurate and less mistakes with our footwork. At quarter time the score was 5-0 to Stover. The team played the same for the second quarter and we really stepped up our play. Rosie and Eliza were confident in the shooting circle and enabled us to pull ahead 15-0. After half time we had a swap around and the girls experienced playing in a variety of positions to extend their knowledge of the game. The final score was 19-0 to Stover and the POM was Evie C
U13 B football vs Trinity, football, 6th February
This afternoon our Under 13 B side travelled to Trinity for an afternoon of football. With a mixture of year 7’s and 8’s the boys were keen to start well.
Unfortunately, we were slow out of the blocks and conceded early after a bit of panic at the back. We fought back well however and after some sustained pressure Noah M popped up 8 yards from goal and smashed home to level the game.
After the break we then took the lead after a speculative shot from distance ricochet off a Trinity defender and into the bottom corner. More confusion then followed in defence as rather than clearing the ball, it was chipped into a dangerous area and Trinity equalised. We then found ourselves camped in our own half as Trinity pushed for the win, however a quick break down the left from Ned I, a pass inside to Robey K who finished brilliantly into the bottom corner. Unfortunately, though it was to be, and Trinity came back to level late on.
A great result for the boys on their first outing as a team. MOM was an easy one, Miles N was colossal at the back winning everything and making a number of huge tackles to keep Trinity at bay.
Trinity- 3
Stover- 3 (MacDowell, OG, Knight)
Preparatory School Tennis Fixture vs Trinity, 2nd February
A good afternoon of Preparatory Tennis against Trinity School today. We had eight of our year 4, 5 & 6 pupils playing across two formats. This included matches with the Orange ball in the dome on a reduced sized court and then Green ball matches on full courts outside. It was fantastic to see pupils from both schools playing, rallying for points and scoring their own games. To have 5 courts in use and busy with fixtures was great to see. Stover came out on top overall in the Orange ball format and Trinity proved to be too strong on the full court, although a number of matches were tightly contested, which was purposeful learning experience for the Stover squad.
A big thank you to Trinity for coming over, to the parents for your support, Kendell for all her had work in developing the pupils and of course the pupils themselves, excellent effort and well done too:
Darcy H, Belle L, Georgi E, Rafferty C-S, Florry H, Lucas C, Edward P and Archie Mac who was our player of the day!
U8 and U9 netball vs Mount Kelly, 2nd February
This afternoon we took most of the Year 3 and 4 girls to Mount Kelly. The girls worked on their tactical understanding of netball, improving from their festival last week. The games were fast paced and dynamic, allowing all three teams to have multiple games back-to-back. Most of the games that we played, we did win, with some fantastic shots being taken from different angles. They improved their understanding of having to step inside the circle to take the centre pass.
Hetty scored a plethora of goals in some great areas in the D. Grace made some string passed and demonstrated excellent footwork. Sofia and Natalie were good at finding space and dodging. Emily made some brilliant interceptions, regaining possession at key moments.
Well done, girls! A brilliant afternoon of netball.
Mrs Coster and Mrs Robinson.
Under 14 Football vs Shebbear, 1st February
On Tuesday the under 14 boys were keen to build on the previous weeks win with a long trip to Shebbear. On a fantastic surface the boys started well and took instant control after a pinpoint free kick from Pedro V landed at Will S’s feet to score in the corner. The boys continue to pile on the pressure and penned Shebbear in for long periods. Alfie M found himself 1 v 1 with goalie after another excellent pass from Pedro to slot in the corner. Henry E then popped up with his first of the season to make it 3-0 at the break.
The chat at half time was more of the same, however the boys started to get a little disjointed and with being 3-0 up started to play as individuals. This made for a real scrappy second half and both teams lacked any fluency. However, Will S and Henry both added to the scoring before the full-time whistle.
Although we walked away 5-0 winners our second half performance in particularly was far from our best. Lots to work on before next weeks visit of Trinity. Man on the match was Pedro V who was phenomenal throughout.
It was a cold windy afternoon here at Stover, despite this we played exceptionally well against Shebbear U14’s. In the first quarter Tilly’s shooting was as sharp as a knife with the team finishing 8-2 after the first 10. The second quarter was much the same thanks to Keira, Anna and Sienna in defence. At half time the score was 15-2. We decided to switch the team up completely in the third quarter, with Claudia as GK keeping the score to a minimum. We went into the final quarter with the score 18-4. Some fantastic game play from Sophia and Daisy B in attack, Emily and Lily in the centre and Daisy DB in defence resulted in the final score Stover 21-4 Shebbear.
POM- Tilly.M
Written by Kiera B
U15 netball vs Shebbear, 31sth January 2023
Our U15 team made a cracking start to the season in the lovely sunshine of Tuesday afternoon aginst old rivals, Shebbear.
Stover came out firing on all cylinders with Jaani, Elen and Kaitlin persistent and accurate in the shooting cirlce with good build up attacking play from Meg and Chloe. Despite the physicality of the game, the girls played to the whistle and held their own, with Jaani pulling off a feat of flexibility lunging at full stretch and splits, keeping her feet still and regaining her balance to score! The third quarter was to be the fork in the road with Shebbear trying to fight back, but our thorough and spirited defence from Georgia, Lizzie and Aurelia put a stop to any hopes of Shebbear coming back at us. Our converted netballer, Ursula was fast on her feet and found great space in the middle, and we continued to dominate until the final whistle
A commanding victory and enjoyable game. Well played girls!
Stover won 15-2 POM: Jaani
Miss Robinson
U12 football vs Shebbear, 30th January 2023
Stover U12’s made the long trip to Shebbear College to try and keep the good run of performances going. The game started well; Stover passed the ball brilliantly and an early chance fell to Oscar C who couldn’t quite capitalise but forcing the keeper into a good save. Moments later the ball fell to Jake R to poke home from two yards, following in from a shot from Freddie V. From here Stover controlled the first half and went into the break 3-1 up. The two other goals for Stover coming from Oscar C.
In the second half Stover continued attacking and Josh C produced a fine cross which fell to Gabriel P, his chance was well blocked, but the ball fell to Oscar C to complete his Hattrick just after the break. From kick off, Stover won the ball back and Sam Bruce found himself on the end of a through ball from Freddie V, showing great composure to slot the ball in the bottom corner. Freddie V continued to dictate play from the middle of the pitch and create chances throughout the half. At the back, Max F and Tom S pressed high and made life very difficult for Shebbear, allowing them very little time on the ball. Just before the full-time whistle, Josh C produced a fine shot from distance, watching it sail into the top left-hand corner of the goal.
A great afternoon for the U12’s who continued to play some excellent football. Well done to all.
POM Oscar C.
U10/11 Netball vs Maynard, 1st February 2023
This afternoon we travelled with most of the girls to The Maynard School for our very first match of the season. This was a wonderful afternoon greeted by friendly staff and children. The level of netball showed potential for focus points in future lessons and fixtures. The girls worked well together in their four teams, showing great support, teamwork, and determination. With each quarter, the girls rotated, following the Bee Netball guidelines, enabling everyone to play attacking, mid-court, and defensive positions.
The results were: U11A: 7-1 Win – player of the match: B Lovell U10A: 6-4 loss, although it was 4-4 at the end of the third quarter. Players of the match I Wood and L Wood. U11B: 17-1 loss – player of the match: A Green U10B: 7-4 loss – player of the match: F Reynolds
A good starting point for the term ahead. The girls enjoyed their matches and demonstrated some positive moments in all parts of the court.
Well done, Mrs Coster, Mrs Robinson, and Miss Thorpe.
U9 netball festival, 26th January
This afternoon we were excited to welcome Exeter Cathedral School and St Johns School to Stover for a thrilling tournament of Bee Netball. The courts were a hive of activity with 45 girls busily warming up and preparing for their 7 games.
Once the festival was under way, some buzzing netball ensued, with balls flying around the court with developing accuracy and power, shots going in from both short and long range, and some stinging interceptions. Our girls demonstrated excellent footwork and ability to put attacking plays together moving down the court.
All in all, a Bee-autiful afternoon of netball, and despite the cold weather, a lovely hot tea helped to warm all the girls back up post-tournament.
Out of 8 teams playing, the Stover teams placed 2nd, 4th and 5th overall. A great result!
Olivia C and Esmae L received player of the tournament awards and left with a Stover goody bag full of exciting treats.
Please excuse the ‘Bee’ puns, I couldn’t help myself!
Well played girls!
Mrs Robinson
U12 football vs St Johns, 25th January
On Wednesday afternoon our year 7’s enjoyed their 2nd fixture of the term against a tough St Johns team. Playing against some from the year above, the boys were also asked to play a full 11 a side game rather than their normal 9 a side set up.
It didn’t start all too well as St Johns big, tall striker made in roads straight away with a brace inside the first 10 minutes. The boys were a little shell shocked but then proceeded to play some really fantastic football in some tough conditions. Oscar C and Freddie V were everywhere and despite being a year younger enjoyed some real success against the physical St Johns midfield dominating the ball. We fought back with a goal of our own through an excellent Jake R strike. Some very direct football from St Johns saw them restore their 2-goal lead against the run of play. We then ticked back into gear and some of the football was really fantastic to watch, particular for a team only put together a matter of weeks earlier. We snuck a second through a 30 yd own goal and then Jake popped up and cooly slotted home his 2nd to tie up the match.
The second third continued like the first ended with us very much on top. A delightful move through Sam B on the right ended with a fantastic Oscar C finish, much to the delight of the onlooking crowd. The pressure continued and Man of the match Freddie V stretched our lead to 2 goals with another fantastic finish. The 2nd third finished with Stover 5-3 up.
The final third came and for long periods we stayed on top and could’ve had two or three more goals had it not been for some good last ditch defending and some poor finishing. Unfortunately things then started to unfold, with 10 minutes to go three defensive mix ups led to St Johns catching us cold to take the lead 6-5. Lots of sustained pressure at the end saw us come close but unfortunately fell short and the game finished 6-5 to St Johns
A really fantastic performance by all involved and against some huge boys from the year above, losing by a goal is nothing to be ashamed of. Despite so many good performances MoM was an easy one, Freddie V was everywhere, physical in the tackle, calm on the ball and clinical with his goal, not to mention he spent most of the game up against their best player.
Well done to all that played
Final Score Stover- 5 (Jake R x2, OG, Oscar C, Freddie V) St Johns- 6
Mr Halse
U12 netball vs Plymouth College, 25th January
This week the U12s had their first netball match of the season. Having prepared well from our lessons we were optimistic about our chances in the game today. From the outset however we were very rushed with our decision making and made lots of silly errors with passes easily intercepted. At quarter time Mrs Craven told the team to slow down and breathe and after that we did start to settle into a better phase of play. Arabella was working better in the centre court to get into a space and ELiza was creating lots of attacking opportunities as GA. We stepped up our scoring in this quarter too and at half time the score was 4-2 to Stover. The defence, Kita and Tilly, in the meantime were doing a super job at intercepting passes into the circle from the Plymouth attack. Milly came on at half time and linked in well with the shooters, holding her space to time her move beautifully to get the ball. At the end of the game the score was 10-2 to Stover. POM Arabella A and Kita D
U16 netball vs Shebbear, 25th January
Today saw our U16 girls stepping out for their first match of the season vs a competitive and physical Shebbear side.
The game flowed in the first quarter, with Stover impressing their dominance – setting the pace of the game and capitalising on shooting opportunities clinically. In the last couple of minutes, a few frustrating turnovers by Shebbear saw them back in the game. 6-6.
In the second, we held our own in the early stages but let the game get away from us and Shebbear built up a lead of 14-11.
The third quarter was to be the pivot point. The girls really committed here, both physically and mentally to get themselves back in it. It was a fizzing quarter with end to end, pacey play but crucially, in this quarter, we reduced our mistakes and looked after the ball better. Some shots went loose, but even so the girls played brilliantly to level the score back at 18-18
All to play for in the last quarter and both sides were fighting against exhaustion and pressure. Shebbear put in 2 early on after some testing passes resulted in foot errors by us. In an impressive demonstration of grit and resilience the girls held their nerve and maintained focus to stay with Shebbear, goal for goal and with 30 seconds to play were level pegging. An immaculate centre pass and forward play saw the team get the ball to Ella in a tricky shooting position. With a shot that swooshed in not even touching the ring, we were ahead with 10 seconds to play on a Shebbear centre. Great pressure forced an error from their GS and the ball went loose over the back line, as the final whistle blew.
A tense, bravely fought and good spirited game and cracking first win from our girls. Well played Stover.
Player of the match – Eleanor A
Final score, 25-24 to Stover.
Miss Robinson’s player of the match – Ella T (who got back to her feet quickly after a few nasty clashes with her opponent, and the post!).
U14 Football vs Plymouth College, 17th January
On Tuesday are U14’s started off their season with a home fixture against what we knew would be a strong Plymouth side. After three close encounters last year and ending up on the wrong side twice the boys were keen to start well.
This is just what we did, starting up the hill, we looked to press Plymouth high and force them into mistakes. Some excellent work in the middle of midfield from Max P and Henry E followed by some excellent through balls saw Alfie M come close on a couple of occasions. The good work continued, and we were finally rewarded when Pedro found himself 1 on 1 with the keeper and cooly slotted home. After a really high tempo in the first 15 minutes, we then started to drop off and Plymouth started to find more space. Goalkeeper Will P then took out the Plymouth Striker giving away a penalty which they subsequently scored. 5 minutes later a rather tame cross found its way across our 6-yard box only for Lewis L to accidentally slice it into the back of our own goal. Right before half time Plymouth got a third after a lapse in concentration at right back led to their striker being left 1 on 1 again.
It was all positive at half time and shooting down the hill in the 2nd half meant it was all to play for. We started brightly and began to push Plymouth back. A goal mouth scramble after a misstruck free kick saw Max P pop up and poke home to bring the score back to 3-2. Our tails were up, and we were looking to go on and get an equalizer. We pressed and pressed but unfortunately were unable to find a 3rd goal, what made things worse was an almost carbon copy of Plymouth’s 2nd goal, only this time it was Oli R who scored in the wrong goal.
A great game to kick off the year with lots of positives to take away. Men of the match went to Max P in the middle of midfield for his fantastic work rate and Jonah P at centre half who must’ve made in excess of 20 tackles, some of which very crucial.
Stover- 2 (Pedro, Max)
Plymouth College- 4
Devon Schools Cross Country
On Saturday 7 of our pupils were representing the school after qualifying for the Devon Schools X-Country competition held at Exeter Arena. Pupils from all across Devon were pitched against each other with over 300 runners across all age groups on the day. A huge well done to all 7 of our pupils who made it to the day. In the Junior girls’ event we had Ava D, Lottie H and Meg S, in the senior girls we had Grace W, in the Junior boys we had Jonah P and in the senior boy’s race, Kieran H and Mikhail I.
The standard was exceptionally high with a large majority of runners at either club or county level. Our pupils were fantastic and made a really good account of themselves on what was a very soft and muddy course. Special mention to Meg S who finished 13th out of 51 in the Junior girls race
Race Results
Junior Girls
Meg S- 13th
Ava D- 39th
Lottie H- 46th
Junior Boys
Jonah P- 40th
Senior Girls
Grace W- 24th
Senior Boys
Mikhail I- 35th
Kieran H- DNF
Autumn Term 2022
U14 Rugby vs Mount Kelly, 8th December
The under 14’s made their final trip of the rugby season over to Mount Kelly for what proved to be a very tough afternoon. The boys were a little short of practice as a team and throughout the first half Mount Kelly managed to punch some big holes in our defence. A few boys stepping up in their first game for the school, worked hard to try and hold off the Kelly attack but to no avail. We found ourselves 6 tries to none at half time and the talk was very much about making our tackles and restoring some pride in the shirt.
The second half stated in the worst possible way conceding a 7th almost immediately. However, from then on, the boys rallied and although the game might’ve been long gone by this point, the boys showed some real fight to try and claw back some points. We camped on their 22 for long periods and threatened the try line on occasions but we lacked the killer instinct to finish off some great work. Will P came closest as he broke through the Kelly defence and touched down in the corner only to have accidentally put a foot in touch. Kelly snuck another try late on to round off a tough day for the lads.
Although the score line doesn’t look good there was a 20-minute period in the second half where we really showed what we were capable of. Well done to all involved, particularly to Hector P, Max P, Billy C and Alfie M for stepping up
Mount Kelly- 52
Stover- 0
U12 South Devon Schools Rugby, 6th December
The U12 boys Rugby squad signed off their season last Friday at the South Devon Schools Tournament. The boys had five group games to play, starting with the host school Churston Grammar. Stover came out of the blocks quickly and through good vision and accurate handling Max F went through to score. With some quick feet and agile running Max went through for another two tries to complete his hat trick, which was very impressive. What was really pleasing was our defensive work in the tackle and around the ruck. Captain Jack Luckes was dominating this area and allowed us to keep a clean sheet, Stover 35- 0 Churston Grammar.
Next up were St Cuthbert Mayne and I’m pleased to say the boys continued their good form. They played with structure and moved the ball well which created a number of opportunities. Tries from Henry P and Finley L amongst others, together with another solid defensive display led to a 30-5 victory.
Next up were Torquay Boys Grammer and we were expecting a tough test as we both won our opening too games. Stover played really well and created a number of try scoring opportunities, unfortunately the final pass was just a little inaccurate at times and we allowed chances to go begging. TBG also played well and moved the to the wide areas, where they had a very strong and athletic winger who managed to score three tries. Final score Stover 0-TBG 15.
Our fourth game was against Torquay Academy and this was a very tight game, with both teams competing hard. Again, we had our chances as did they. Defensively we were strong, but just lacked a little composure in the key moments. Torquay Academy did take one of their opportunities to win by one try to nil.
Our final group game was against Paignton Academy and I’m pleased to say Stover go back to winning ways. Another tight game, with both teams playing well. However, it was Stover who broke the deadlock this time, with a couple of good carries from Henry P and Robey K, good vision from fly half Tom S to pass the ball into space to Max F, who scored in the corner. Stover 5- 0- PA
Our final game was the 3rd place play off and we were up against Spires. As most of the other games, it was hard fought against a very physical side. Spires were very direct in their play, where we were more expansive, so a real clash of styles. Stover created some good chances, but I think fatigue was setting in at this stage, which clouded some of our decision making in the vital moments. Unfortunately despite our best efforts in defence, Spires did get through once which proved to be the decisive try. Spires 5- 0 Stover. A great effort from the boys and after winning all their fixtures this season bar one, it has been a great season, lots of development and a real pleasure to coach you all!
Mr Lloyd
U12 Hockey, 5th December
On Monday 5th December the U12 hockey team travelled to Torquay Girls Grammar School to play in their final fixture of the term. From the first whistle Stover worked tirelessly both in attack and defence, passing well and setting up numerous goal scoring opportunities. At half time, Stover led 0-2, thanks to a brace from Katie S.
In the 3rd quarter Torquay came back strong, levelling the score at 2-2. In the final attack of the game Amber B scored a wonderful goal to make the final result Torquay Girls 2-3 Stover.
A victory which means the U12 Hockey team go undefeated this season. Congratulations to all those involved in a fantastic term!
Miss Thorpe
Preparatory School House Hockey and Rugby, 2nd December
On Friday 2nd December we held our Preparatory School House Hockey and Rugby matches with Years 3-6 competing on the fields in a lovely December morning. The children played really well, showing great support for their teammates and well as getting stuck in on the fields. A wonderful morning. Well done to everyone involved.
The overall results were added together and concluded as follows:
Girls
Mary 10 points, Victoria and Elizabeth 7 points.
Boys
Courtenay 10 points, Seymour 9 points, and Templer 5 points.
After morning break, it was the turn for our Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children to put their skills to the test in our rugby and hockey multi-skills event. The children came together to work with their fellow house teammates showcasing their skill development. Well done for a fantastic morning.
Mrs Coster
U12 vs Queens, 5th December
This week the U12 rugby squad travelled to Queens Taunton and played the best they have played all season. They worked through the phases and moved the ball really well, stretching the Queens defence time and time again. The final score was 50-5 to Stover with Max F scoring a hat trick, Will C, Freddie V, Henry P, Will C, Fin L Robey K and Ned I all getting on the score sheet. This was the final fixture for the boys who have enjoyed a successful season. They have won all of their games bar one, which was a narrow 2 try defeat to Plymouth College. An outstanding effort and lots of progress made. Many congratulations to the whole squad and thank out to the parents and grandparents for their support throughout the term.
Mr Lloyd
Stover Rugby Cup 2022
The U13 Rugby Team continued to impress with their level of skill and team cohesion at the annual Stover Rugby Cup.
Stover were joined by six other schools, who were all competitive and each offered a different challenge to our boys. Stover started the first game vs Plymouth College with a fantastic try from William Leigh, a couple of strong carries from the forwards and slick handling from the backs allowed him to use his pace to score. This set the tone for the first half as Stover scored another two tries before half time. Plymouth grew into the game in the second half but some resilient defence kept them out for a 3-2 victory.
Next up were familiar foes Mount Kelly, who travelled with a strong team and possibly haunted by the memories of the epic comeback by Stover a few weeks earlier. This was a physical game, with some great tackles from both teams as well as some great displays of handling skills. MK eventually ran out narrow winners, but it was a enthralling game with both teams playing excellent rugby.
The 3rd game, and another physical contest, saw Stover take on a much-improved Exeter Cathedral School. Stover took an early 2-0 lead, with tries from Ralph and Joel. Stover had to defend with intensity in order to see the result go their way in this game.
Stover’s continued their afternoon with another tough fixture against a talented and athletic Churston Grammar School. Again, Stover had to defend with intensity to keep out CGS. Some efficient handling from the back line allowed George E and Joel to score some excellently worked tries. However, CGS ferociousness at the break down and Stover’s tiring legs meant that Stover were often turned over. A couple of break away tries saw Stover end up on the losing side 3-2 to CGS.
The penultimate game of the day saw Stover take on Shebbear. Stover seemed to click in this game and were able to go through the systems they had been practicing in lessons. Some excellent carries from Seb and the rest of the forward pack opened up some space for the elusive backs to showcase their skills. Tries from Will L, George E and Harry Y ensured a comfortable win.
After a long day, Stover’s final match saw them compete with a big and physical St Peter’s. Stover needed to be on their game defensively and some ill discipline with their high tackles gave St Peter’s some good field position. The game two and throwed and eventually finished with a draw.
Overall, the boys can feel extremely positive with their display not only at the Stover Cup but also throughout the season. Next up, a final festival on Wednesday 7th December at Mount Kelly where Stover U13s will be looking to finish their great season on a high.
Player of the day – William Leigh
Swimming Gala, Trinity School
27 Prep children from Year 3-6 travelled to Trinity School for a swimming gala. This was a great opportunity for the children to compete in a friendly environment whilst putting our skills to the test. The children did brilliantly cheering each other on from poolside as well as swimming their hearts outs. Some of our girls swam in the boys’ teams to field a second team. They did this fantastically well, particularly Darcy, beating the boys from Trinity. Well done to all involved and special thanks to Anna and Miss Gunner for supporting and assisting with our teams.
Mrs Coster
U10 Rugby, Mount Kelly
Stover were delighted to host Mount Kelly’s U10 team for a tightly contested rugby match this week. It was great to see Sam, Ned, Archie and Benji take up positions on the wing and use their pace to score some excellent tries and make ground for the team. Archie’s effort and pace were markedly impressive, and Benji settled into the game well to make some great tackles. Florry and Harry dug in well in the middle of the pitch and made some game-changing challenges; Harry made one amazing try-saving tackle which drew applause from the spectators. Tom, Ed and particularly Lucas carried the ball wonderfully throughout and consistently showed aggression and determination in the tackle. Mr Harrison’s player of the match: Lucas, Player’s player of the match: Archie. Well done to everyone for a lovely afternoon’s rugby.
Mr Harrison
U16 Rugby vs Plymouth College, Friday 25th November
On Friday 25th November our first team travelled to Plymouth College for a thrilling game of rugby.
Stover attacked downhill first half; they knew they needed to make this count as the more the game got stretched the harder it would be defending the hill second half. It was a good start to the game from both sides, Stover defending aggressively, and Plymouth using the ball well to try and exploit the wide areas. In the 15th minute of the game, Stover displayed some real quality in attack. Henry Gascoyne picked the ball up on the halfway line and broke the line, he drifted wide and played a beautiful ‘out the back’ pass to Tean Cross on the switch. Due to some excellent ball retention from Ryan Hunt and Luke Notman Stover were able to play with quick ball. Joe Knight punched a miss pass to Tom Wilson on the wing who fell just short of the line. It didn’t stop Henry Gascoyne from bundling the ball over from two yards, however. Tom Wilson converted well, and Stover had the upper hands they were looking for.
Plymouth fought back well, a few minutes later the outside centre found himself in too much room. Due to a succession of penalties Stover were always working backwards and couldn’t get on the front foot. This allowed Plymouth to play on the front foot and score with a converted try.
The next ten minutes were crucial and Stover knew this. A quick motivational team talk under the post, led by the team, was followed by some superb rugby. Noah Sutton received the ball on the 10 meter line and decided to kick, spotting the opposing winger hadn’t dropped. He found touch 5 meters out and from this Stover piled on the pressure. Cosmo De Burton jumped and challenged the lineout, causing a bad pass to the scrum half and in turn the fly half. Ben Rusden spotted this and applied immense pressure, chasing the ball and charging it down as Plymouth attempted to clear. The ball fell on the try line and Ben Rusden was first to pounce, leaving Tom Wilson a simple conversion.
Stover were keen to get the restart going, concerned of defending up the hill second half. It was Ryan Hunt who went blind and started off the next attack. Some excellent handling allowed Tom Wilson to break the line and fall short in the corner. Two quick pick and goes sucked in the Plymouth defence. Tristan Peatt recognised this and shipped the ball to Noah Sutton. From here some excellent handling led to a try in the corner for Claude McKeown.
Just before half time, Henry Gascoyne produced what was for me, the moment of the game. Plymouth broke a tackle and a fine offload allowed their outside centre to cross the line. However, Henry Gascoyne, produced a last gasp tackling, a yard over the try line, meaning the Plymouth College player spilled the ball. The team come together and celebrated each other’s hard work, recognising that it was just as important as a try.
The half time whistle blew and the score was 21-7 to Stover.
The second half was going to be difficult, with Plymouth playing with a point to prove and down the hill. The older members of the team, Luke Notman and Aaron Osbourne stepped up and led by example. The aggression in our defence to get off the line, the bravery, not only brave in the tackle but being brave enough to back every member of the team in a 1 vs 1 tackle was brilliant. With 8 minutes to go however, Plymouth levelled the score at 21-21. I asked the boys for 8 more minutes of hard work and to leave everything on the field, which they certainly did. Some clever game management and kicks by Noah Sutton and Joe Knight meant we kept them away from our half and we had to show a great level of discipline. I reminded the boys that penalties will win or lose the game, so we were not to give Plymouth an easy exit from their half. It is easy to ask this if you are not playing but I appreciate the level of desire and hard work this took to execute. With the game going into the red zone Stover were in possession, ten meters in from the touch line and about 35 meters from the try line. It appeared the game was going to finish in a draw. However three quick phases meant Stover were playing with quick ball and a tired retreating Plymouth player was penalised for offside. In the last play of the game Tom Wilson stepped up to have a shot at the posts, the field fell silent as he set himself. He had been striking the ball well all game and this continued, the ball sailed through the posts as Stover snatched it in the last play of the game.
In all honesty, neither team deserved to lose, both teams played excellently and produced an unbelievable advertisement for school boy rugby. I was so impressed with our boys, the grit, resilience, skill level and team spirit was as good as I have ever seen in my time here. It was a proud day for the boys, staff and parents watching.
Plymouth College 21-24 Stover School
Tries
Claude Mc
Henry G
Ben R
Conversions x3
Tom W
Penalty x1
Tom W
Well done to the boys once more, Mr Steer
U13 vs Shebbear, Monday 28th November
A great finish to the season today from the U13 girls at Shebbear. An exciting end to end game with plenty of chances created by our attack in the shape of Ava, Lottie and Katie. Shebbear took the lead disappointingly as we had plenty of chances to take the lead from the outset. However with some great work in the midfield from Imogen our attack finally converted a goal from our short corner to equalise. The final score 1-1. POM Deservedly Imogen
U18 Volleyball Fixture Vs St Johns, Friday 18th November
On Friday our Under 18 volleyball team had their first fixture of the year. Having started as a bit of interest as an activity pupils have been incredibly keen in learning the rules and developing their skills on the court. On Friday they travelled to St Johns to face an experienced team of mainly Chilean boarders in their first competitive fixture.
We started on the front foot and raced into an early lead however we struggled to use our touches consistently and never really looked in control. Fortunately for us St johns were the same and although rallies were clocking up passed 10 regularly, neither team were using their 3 touches well. We did manage to close out the first set 25-18.
A bit of personnel change for the second set but much of the same and we struggled to string together many decent attacks. We were however mobile enough to keep the ball alive and were benefitting from some unforced errors from the opposition. The second set also fell our way taking a 2 game lead 25-19.
The third set was a different story as we struggled to keep the ball alive and with a big St Johns front line, we lacked any bite, and some heavy blocks gave them confidence. A few misplaced sets also gave their front men some free hits and they snuck the third set 25-23.
With a bit of time left we decided to play a fourth set up to 15 and all of a sudden we were like a different team. Our setting was on point, and we manage to set up some big attacks through Ben B and Anton S. Blowing St Johns away 15-5.
A bit of a slow burner but by the end we really started to play to our potential which will stand us in good stead for a rematch later in the term. POM went to Ben B for some strong defence and a few big attacks, including a huuuuuge spike from the back court which brought about the cheer of the day from all in attendance.
Well done all that played, team: James D, Sam W, Elena G, Anton, S, Julian B, Ben B, Jon C, Freddie P and Aaron O
Photos to follow
Games
St Johns 18 – 25 Stover
St Johns 19 – 25 Stover
St Johns 25 – 23 Stover
St Johns 5 – 15 Stover
Aquathon
On Friday I took 16 keen athletes to Trinity School for a gruelling Aquathon. The U12 teams had to complete 6 lengths of the pool and 2 laps of the X-Country, the U14’s had to do 9 lengths and 2 ½ laps and the U16’s had to do 12 lengths and 3 laps of the course.
All our athletes did fantastically well, recording some excellent times, special mention to Tom S, Teo T and Ursula R who were the fastest in their age groups
Well done to all those who took part.
M Halse
U12 Rugby Vs St Peters
Another positive performance from our U12 rugby squad against St Peters this week. In the first half the boys played the best they have played all season with all their hard work clicking into place. The forwards carried well in their pods and provided a great platform for our backs to attack from. Stover scored early through Adair C, after an impressive run, showing good physicality and footwork. After three strong carries the ball was then passed wide to Fin L who finished well in the corner to make it 10-0. Further tries from Max F, Robey K and a second from Adair C, meant Stover went in 25-15 up at half time.
In the second half Stover started strongly again. Jack L was impressive at the breakdown all game and jackalled for a turnover. The ball was passed to Fly Half Tom S who finished under the posts. Another try from Adair C to complete his hat trick made the score 35-15. In the closing stages of the game Robey K went over for his second try to make the final score 40-25.
MoM – Robey K
U13 Rugby Vs St Peters- Wednesday 9th November
On Wednesday our under 13’s travelled to St Peters for a tough encounter in some breezy conditions.
Working up the hill to begin with, the boys struggled to keep possession. However, our work rate off the ball was excellent and tackle after tackle meant we managed to keep St Peters out. Against the run of play some nice hands from the backs saw an excellent finish from William L in the corner. St Peters fought back with a similar try of their own after a couple of missed tackles in the midfield. After a few good carries from the forwards Teo T found a nice little gap to sneak through and score. Right before the break a mistake in possession saw one of the St Peters forwards crash through 3 or 4 tackles to score and level things up.
The second half was a very different scenario as all of a sudden, things started to click. Some excellent pod work by the forwards drew in a number of defenders and then some lovely hands out wide saw Harry Y go over for his first. Ralph S then found himself playing as a 9 with no defenders on the blind side to sneak round the corner and give us a two try lead. Our confidence grew again as some more excellent work at the break down, in particular Seb who stole a number of ball throughout the game then handed over to the backs and another lovely finish from Will L in the corner. A small purple patch then saw St Peters come back with two tries, as we looked like we were beginning to tire. However, the final 5 minutes saw some of the best rugby this year with the forwards winning the ball, drawing in defenders and then handing it over to the backs to finish off. Harry Y, finishing off the game with his 2nd and then a cheeky intercept and a 60 metre dash to finish off his hattrick.
A fantastic afternoon of rugby with every player making a positive contribution. Special mention to William A who made his debut for the school after some excellent work in lessons. MoM was a really tough one and it was incredibly harsh not to give it to Harry Y, however, George E was singled out by the opposition teacher for having a fantastic game. Well done all and thankyou to St Peters for hosting a fantastic afternoon.
St Peters- 20
Stover- 35 (Will L x2, Teo T, Harry Y x3, Ralph S)
Year 5 and 6 Bee Netball Tournament
18 girls from Year 5 and 6 travelled to Newton Abbot College to play in a Sports Partnership Bee Netball Tournament. We played in a round robin tournament with 6 teams in total – two Stover teams, two Bradley Barton teams, one Hazeldown team, and one Rydon team. A brilliant afternoon of Netball, dusting off our netball bibs and getting stuck in from the first whistle. The girls are inspired to work hard following from these matches, carrying us forward into some pre-season training, ready for Netball in January. Great team work and progress as the afternoon went on.
Mrs Coster and Miss Robinson.
Here are the points from the matches, as written by the Year 5 and Year 6 teams themselves:
Year 5
Everyone did well when we all had chance to be the captain for the match.
Flo did really well when she hurt herself.
The passing got better and it was great practise.
We stuck to the Bee Netball rotations, so everyone got to play different positions.
The games were physical, but we did have fun.
Awards were given by the umpires for children demonstrating some of the Sports Partnership’s key values – Flo was awarded an award for Respect, and Indi was awarded for determination.
Year 6
Everyone had a go – rotations of positions with Bee Netball.
Footwork was really good for the Stover girls.
Everyone played their part for the team.
There were some great passes from Belle.
We all spaced out well on the court.
We won 3 games, lost one, and drew one – finishing 3rd, but only by a slight goal-difference from 2nd place.
Awards were given by the umpires for children demonstrating some of the Sports Partnership’s key values – Belle was awarded for self-belief.
U16 South Devon Schools Rugby Tournament
The U16 boys rugby squad were in action today in the South Devon Schools 10 aside tournament. With six games played in a round robin format, it was certainly a physical test with some high-octane rugby being played. Stover started the tournament against Newton Abbot College in what was a competitive game, but i’m pleased to say with tries from Henry G and Joe K, Stover came out 12-0 winners. The feedback from the first game was focused around moving the ball away from contact and trying to play with more width and speed.
In the next round against Teignmouth School, the boys took this on board and played some really good 10 aside rugby. Tom W benefiting from playing with the extra width and scoring two tries, Henry G also crossing for a brace and Captain Noah S scoring and adding the extras with conversations. Stover 34-0 winners.
Next up were South Dartmoor College and Stover continued with their expansive brand of rugby coming out on top 19-0. Tries from Tom W (2) and Henry G.
The fourth round saw Stover face a tougher test against an impressive KEVICCS team. We spoke about mindset, being confident and trusting how we play. The boys played a great game and showed real resilience throughout. Tries from Noah S, an interception from Joe K and Tom W completed a 21-7 victory to go 4 games out of 4.
A quick turn around and Stover were up against the other unbeaten team in the tournament Torquay Boys Grammer. This was a tough test against a talented year group. The boys made a slow start, making a few errors which led to tries for Torquay Grammer and despite their best efforts we struggled to get into the game. Final result 0-27 loss.
The final game was against Churston Grammer School. Unfortunately, with injuries to Henry G, Sol B and Cosmo B, we were down to a bare team with no subs. This really took its toll on the boys and despite playing the better rugby we just lacked a clinical edge with the final pass. Final result was a 0-10 loss.
Overall, a great afternoon of rugby and we were super proud of the boy’s efforts. We came 3rd place overall, which was pleasing for all involved. I’d like to thank the staff, students and parents for giving up a day of their half term, their support is much appreciated.
U9 Rugby vs Plymouth College, 20th October
On Thursday, all of the boys from Year 4 were involved in a fabulous fixture vs Plymouth College Preparatory School. The match was divided into quarters which allowed all the players the opportunity for a good amount of game time.Stover started brightly with some ferocious defence, putting into practice the line speed they had been working on in lessons. There were some great tackles from Jude S, Archie M, Perry F, Harley H and player of the day Issa N. Plymouth also defended well, and Stover struggled to make any progress with the ball. They did then begin to move the ball through the hands with some accurate passing from James L, Matias H and Hal O, this allowed them to find space in the wider areas and score some excellent tries. A great afternoon was had by all involved!
Mr Ryan
U14, National Schools Netball Tournament, 19th October
The U14s travelled to Paignton to take part in their National Schools Netball tournament. The girls had a tough group, the standard of netball across the afternoon was very high with lots of club and county players in attendance. Strong performances from TA and CFGS saw us rather in awe of the level being played. We fared better against TGGS and won our games against Paignton and Coombeshead. A big learning curve but a positive experience on how we can improve our own performance for next term.
U11 Rugby vs Exeter Junior School, 14th October
On Friday, all of the boys in Year 5 and 6 were involved in fixtures versus Exeter Junior School. The group was split into two groups with one playing contact and the other playing tag.
The contact group had a great game, passing the ball well and looking to create width in attack. This allowed wingers, Charles W, Archie S and Benji M to score some great team tries. The were some impressive performances from Myles L with his elusive running and William L and Lucas C put in some crunching tackles.
In the tag match, the team similarly moved the ball well. Sam J and Harry K were impressive when running with the ball scoring a number of tries. There were also some notable performances from Bertie B and Miles D. Well done all involved on a great afternoon of rugby.
Mr Ryan
U12 Rugby Vs Trinity, 18th October
This week the U12 rugby squad hosted Trinity School in what was a tough and entertaining game. Stover started the game well, keeping possession of the ball through three phases, which led to a line break from Adair, who had the pace to finish off under the posts. This week in training we had been working on varying our attacking options and it was nice to see this come to fruition in the second try. Fly Half Freddie spotted Trinity’s full back out of position, so opted to kick over the top, Max F ran through to gather the ball to put Stover 10-0 up. Two further tries from Oscar C, who made a number of maizey runs through the game and Freddie V put Stover 20-0 ahead at half time.
In the second half Trinity came back stronger with some impressive ball carrying, which led to two tries. Stover rallied well and showed great character to come back with two tries of their own. Trinity responded again with a try, but with two further tries from Adair C to complete his hat trick, Stover came out on top with a 35-25 victory.
Player of the match was Jack L, who was impressive jackling over the ball, winning four turnovers. He also tackled and carried the ball tirelessly all game.
I’d also like to congratulate Oli Gand Charlie D on making their Stover debuts, well done to all involved.
Mr Lloyd
Swimming Gala Vs Trinity and St Johns Friday 14th October
Our U13 and U16 boys and girls travelled to Trinity for a swimming gala on Friday. In teams of four it was a fantastic afternoon with so many tight finishes. The teams themselves were left to work out their best combinations for swimming each stroke in an attempt to win their respective age groups. Each race win was worth 3 points, 2nd was worth two points and 3rd only one point.
The results were as follows:
U13 girls- 1st place
U13 boys- 2nd place
U16 girls- 2nd place
U16 boys 1st place
A fantastic afternoon, and a big thank you to Trinity for hosting. Special mention to Kita D who swam up at least one age group in every race.
Mr Halse
U12 Netball, 13th October 2022
This week the u12s travelled to Paignton to play in the first round of matches for their age group in the CV league. We were placed in a pool with TA, Teignmouth and NAC B team. With only one game having been played already everyone was a little apprehensive about what the standard of play would be like. Our first game was against Teignmouth and the girls started in fine form. Eliza and Eva were great in the circle shooting and Fran and Arabella linked up well in the centre court. After some very good shooting we won this game 8-0. In the second game Mrs Craven changed the positions around again and the team adapted well. Millie and Eva this time shooting, with Natasha and Dottie having much more to do in defence, another win to Stover 5-0. In the final game again after making some positional changes we started out strong again, but NAC were more skillful, and we had to play and much more physical game. The girls passing stood up to the job, moving the ball quickly down the court and we narrowly won the final game 2-1. Some work to do now for the season, and hopefully we can get some more of the girls to netball club to enable us to put out a full U12 team.
Mrs Coster
U12 Hockey Tournament, 13th October 2022
After being placed in a pool with TGGS and Newton Abbot College A teams the girls played some great hockey. They fought well and came away with a win against NAC 3-0. They narrowly lost to TGGS A team 1-0. On another day I am sure the result could easily have gone the other way. In the game against TGGS, Fran Walder was voted player of the match; however, every member of the team worked well together and fought hard to the end.
Special mention goes to Dotty W in Year 7 who stepped in at the last minute to play in goal.
U9 Hockey Tournament
On Thursday 13th October five Year 4s and two Year 3s travelled down to Plymouth to play in a tournament organised by Plymouth College involving Plymouth, Mount Kelly, and Truro. Emily and Lily did so well to compete with Year 4s and gel into the team. Our defence stood strong, showing good concentration and powerful clearances from Molly to get the ball moving up again. Hettie, Sofia, and Harriet worked well in midfield to start working better together to spread the ball wide and not get too close to each other. Grace stayed sharp as sweeper and when coming up into defence. Emily and Lily took turns to push up as our centre forward. Emily ran everywhere, never giving up, working tirelessly to win the ball back or follow in after a shot. Emily’s robust attitude paid off with 3 goals against Truro. In our other games, we drew 0-0.
A fantastic afternoon of hockey, well done!
Mrs Coster’s players of the match: Molly and Emily
Mrs Coster
Years 5 & 6 mini hockey tournament
This Wednesday 12th October we organised a Year 5&6 mini tournament with St John’s involving 6 teams in total. The teams for St John’s were named the Tigers and Hawks, and Stover teams involved the Phoenix, Panthers, Lions, and Eagles. The spirit of the afternoon was mass participation, teamwork, fun, and development of our individual skills and team play. These were all visible throughout the entire afternoon. Everyone played so well for their prospective teams in a competitive, yet friendly atmosphere – it was wonderful for everyone to be involved.
Well done to all 6 teams!
Mrs Coster
U15 netball vs Trinity
In a courageous effort against a mostly U16 team from Trinity, our girls enjoyed a lovely afternoon of netball in the sunshine on Tuesday 11th October. Admittedly slightly rusty they put their best foot forward and held their own in the first quarter until Georgia suffered a nurse worthy patch up of an injury just before quarter time.
The second quarter saw Trinity expose our player down position, and we were left with much work to do on her return in the 3rd.
This was all Stover and the girls dominated here, with the shooting by Elen and Ursula on point. Lizzy and Molly were steady and found space well in the centre third, and Aurelia and Livvy zipped around, covering a lot of the court.
After a great comeback, and the score level, the final quarter was all to play for. It was nip and tuck, but the final score ended up 9-7 to Trinity. Player of the match ( and most impressive leg graze injury!) goes to Georgia – well played girls!
Mrs Robinson
Dartmoor School Sport Partnership Cyclocross Event
On Tuesday 11th October after school a group of Year 3-6 children headed down to Forches Cross to take part in our Sports Partnership Cyclo-cross event from 4-6pm. The grounds were packed with over 150 children taking part in both competitive and fun rides around the pitches. The children all had a wonderful time, finishing strongly with some fantastic results. Some of our top finishers were:
Jack S – 4th, Tori – 7th, Marco – 2nd, Lucas – 4th, Sennen – 10th, Emily – 9th
Well done to all the children for their energy, enthusiasm, perseverance and sporting attitude.
Mrs Coster
Stover U9 Rugby Festival
On Thursday, Stover hosted their U9 Festival. It had been a number of years since we last hosted this event and it was great to be able to show off the fantastic grounds we have here at Stover and welcome so many guests.
We were joined by 5 local Preparatory Schools with games played across 5 pitches. There was a mixture of tag and contact and the afternoon was thoroughly enjoyed by all involved.
The Stover Saxons had an epic afternoon playing in front of a number of parents and family members. They grew with each game and were competitive in all of their matches. Their best game came against Mount Kelly, where they hunted in packs in defence, often forcing the opposition into making mistakes. Throughout the day there were some great individual performances. J Laity was a constant threat when running with the ball and P Fisher was a tackling machine, dragging anyone in his path to the floor. B Wharmby and M Henry were ever present with their work rate, tackles and passing of the ball and there were some great contributions from H O’Dwyer, H Hayes, W Smith and J Smith.
The Stover Braves, similarly grew in confidence with every game with many experiencing their first fixture for Stover. They were able to demonstrate the skills they had been learning in lessons and it was clear to see that they were comfortable when making tackles; all showing an understanding of head position and the wrapping of the arms in the tackle. H Holmes and A Churchward ran with the ball with purpose and there were some great tackles from T Gunn-Hawking, H Linton and A MacLauchlan.
All the players should be proud of their efforts and a deserved match tea of sausage roll and doughnut was appreciated by all following the games. Well done to everyone involved!
1XV Rugby vs Shebbear College
The 1st XV travelled to Shebbear College for their opening game of the season on Wednesday 5th October. With two games scheduled in the afternoon proved to be a worthwhile exercise for all involved.
The 1st XV travelled to Shebbear College for their opening game of the season on Wednesday 5th October. With two games scheduled in the afternoon proved to be a worthwhile exercise for all involved.
Up first they faced Kingsley School. Stover were far superior in all aspects of the game. They were much more physical and so found soft shoulders often when carrying the ball in midfield, thus allowing the backs to move the ball quickly through the hands. Some nice tries were scored and the game finished with an easy 41-0 score line.
The second match proved a tougher contest against Shebbear. Again, Stover were physical but this time their physicality was matched by Shebbear. As a result, this meant that Stover had to manipulate the ball to in order to find gaps in defence. They did so well and created some great scoring opportunities only for the final pass to go to floor and the opportunities wasted. They did, however, score some good tries, going through the phases nicely; with the forward pack carrying hard and the backs moving the ball with speed. Ryan Hunt did a good job at organising the forward pods and Tristan Peat’s delivery of the ball from scrum half was exceptional all afternoon. James Darcy impressed with his sharp running lines and use of the dummy, scoring a fantastic try from a set move off a scrum. Player of the day was Felix Housego who did all the hard jobs, getting to the breakdowns when necessary, clearing out rucks and carrying the ball with intelligence. The final score was 19-0 to Stover.
Over all a great afternoon, some real positives with the shape beginning to develop in attack but still plenty to improve, particularly being more clinical in taking their chances.
POM – Felix Housego
U8 Girls Hockey, 6.10.22
In what felt like a total change of season to yesterday, in balmy Tiverton sunshine, our U8’s took on the challenge of a mini tournament vs Mount Kelly and Blundells.
Our A team were superb and continue their dominant season and unbeaten run with a 1-1 draw against Mount Kelly, and 2 wins against Blundells, 4-0 and 1-0! A fantastic effort from all the girls playing on a fast surface. Cracking goals from Emily and Lily, hard tackling and clearing from Holly and gritty determination from Elsie and Natalie ensured an afternoon of success (and secured their promise of winning donuts from Miss Robinson!).
Our B team had a great afternoon, playing 3 matches and scoring 3 goals and grew to believe in themselves more and more as the fixture went on. Juno was fearless in getting stuck in and Harriet moved the ball well. Izzy led the team impeccably and Hatty and Charlotte both made good contact and cleared well in defence.
All in all, an excellent and very pleasing account of ourselves – well played girls!
Miss Robinson’s POM
A Team – Emily & Lily
B Team – Juno and Izzy
U9 Girls Hockey Festival, 6.10.22
All of the Year 4 girls travelled up the Exeter University to play in a mini festival with Blundell’s and Exeter Cathedral School. Each school had two teams, meaning that we were able to rotate around three pitches playing one another (except Stover vs Stover). The pace was fast from the off on the wonderful water astro. The girls were organised into a team of 5 and team of 6.
Team 5 were assertive and physical in all of their games, showing good pace on the ball, strong tackling, and a good array of meaningful runs into the attacking D. Team 5 won all of their matches, with a fantastic array of goals, showing strength and direction of their shooting abilities. Score lines were showing promise with 3-0 and 2-0 wins over both ECS teams and a 1-1 draw and 2-0 win over both Blundell’s teams. Molly made some great defensive clearances and Hetty and Sofia were running well into attack, showing good a skill level to beat opponents one-on-one.
Team 6 grew in self-confidence as the festival went on. We began to understand how to best support the team by spreading out and showing better shape in wide areas. Tackling got better as the afternoon went on, and we did start to make some great attacking runs. We managed a draw in one of the Blundell’s matches, and marginally lost 2-0 in some of the other games. Olivia made some fantastic goal-line clearances and Sophie grew in confidence, showing an improving tackling technique and taking the ball forwards.
Mrs Coster’s players of the match: Team 5: Harriet and Sofia Team 6: Olivia and Sophie
A brilliant afternoon with some positives to take away (as well as a chocolate cookie!). Well done, girls! Mrs Coster
U10 and U11, Hockey vs Blundells, 5.10.22
This afternoon, all the girls in Year 5 and 6 travelled up to Blundell’s to play three matches: U11, U10, and a mixed team. The weather was a mixture of sunshine and showers, however, thus did not deter our enthusiasm and effort on each pitch. The games were strong and competitive, enabling the girls to show their grit and determination to show resilience and hard work all over the pitch. We showed good endurance, covering a lot of ground in both defence and attack. The three teams showed some excellent phases of play, showing their improvement and confidence on and off the ball. We will continue to develop our overall knowledge and understanding of the game.
Well done, girls.
Mrs Coster and Miss Robinson
U12 and U12 Rugby vs Blundells, 5.10.22
This afternoon a mix of Under 13 and Under 12 boys travelled to Blundell’s for what was expected to be their biggest test so far.
On a wet cold afternoon skipper for the day George E elected to receive the first kick of the match. We started in the worst possible fashion conceding almost straight away after a bit of indecision left Blundell’s key man free to score. Almost straight from the next restart the same player ploughed his way through our defence to score his second. The boys picked themselves up for a period and we started to string some tackles together, however the opposition were relentless, and they managed another 3 tries in quick succession. Right before the break we started to show what we know we are capable of and managed to get through a number of phases as the forwards started to gain a bit of control. We were rewarded with a good line break and offload from Joel M to William L who ran in to score our first. This was backed up quickly after more good work from the forward pack and finished off by Seb Norton.
After the break we started well and were again stringing together a number of phases in attack, however too many mistakes meant we were always up against it and Blundell’s capitalised on several occasions. There was one more bright spark before the end as some fantastic counter rucking by year 7 pairing Jack Land Henry P helped us steal possession before working across the field. The move was finished off by Seb crashing over for his second of the match.
A tough but really useful afternoon for the boys, lots of positives to take away. Thank you to Blundell’s for hosting. Man of the match went to William L for a fantastic try and an even more fantastic tackle count, Incredible performance from him in his first season of rugby!
Blundell’s- 50
Stover- 15 (Leigh, Norton x2)
Mr Halse
U12 Hockey vs ECS, 5.10.22
Today the U12 hockey team travelled to Lord’s Meadow to play Exeter Cathedral in what would be a tough, fast paced fixture. Stover started slowly, allowing Cathedral to score within the first two minutes of the game, but clawed it back at the end of the first quarter to level the score. From then on Stover were clinical with their passing and advanced up the pitch with pace and determination. Kita, Dara and Eva were solid once again in defence, and played the ball well to Fran and Millie on the wings. Both Arabella and Amber were clinical in their finishing, with the final score: Exeter Cathedral 1-5 Stover.
Goals: Fran X1, Amber X1, Arabella X2, Millie X1
Well done to everyone involved. POM Fran
Miss Thorpe
U13 Rugby vs Shebbear, 3.10.22
The U13 boys travelled to Shebbear College for a fantastic fixture on Monday. They are beginning to show developments in their manipulation of the ball; using the spaces out wide and calling on the pace of wingers George E and William L. Their contact skills were excellent in the game with very few missed tackles and an increasing amount of dominant tackles.
Stover started the game brightly storming into an early lead with tries from Joe G, George, Seb and Harry SJ. Shebbear Stover proving too dominant in the contact side of the game with strong carries from the forwards. Shebbear did manage to ease the Stover dominance slightly in the second quarter, however this part of the game still saw tries from Toby Ralph and Freddie. Stover had clearly improved on their rucking skills from the previous fixture with Plymouth, and as a result, were able to supply Scrum Half, Toby with some good quick ball. This allowed the backline to demonstrate their skill and gain endless amounts of metres. The try of the day saw Stover move the ball back and forth across the pitch before George E finished in the corner.
Overall a dominant display and emphatic score line 14-3 to Stover
POM – Ralph S
Mr Ryan
U13 Hockey vs Trinity, 4.10.22
The U13s played a fantastic game against Trinity yesterday. From the outset we were strong all round. Lily was excellent in the centre court and set the pace for the whole game. With Ava and Katie on form with their shooting the goals came thick and fast. Meanwhile in defence Dara and Rosa were able to make many interceptions and feed the ball back to the attack for another shooting opportunity. The final score was 34-4 to Stover POM Lottie and Katie.
Mrs Craven
U12 boys Rugby vs Shebbear College, 4.10.22
This week our under 12’s travelled to Shebbear. In beautiful sunshine the boys were keen to bounce back from their defeat last time out.
Playing over 4 quarters the boys were out of the blocks like a rocket and piled the pressure on the home side. Early tries from Freddie V, Adair C and Max F put Shebbear on the back foot. Right before the break, one of the Shebbear forwards powered through after we surrendered a couple of easy penalties. The second quarter started like the first with Robey K dancing through the Shebbear defence to score. We then went through a period of poor decision making and ill-discipline at the break down and Shebbear scored two tries of their own. At the halfway break we were leading 4-3 and all to play for. However, the boys rallied well and started to manage the game much better controlling the ball and going through the phases. We scored three more through Miles N, a second for Adair and a second for Max before the moment of the season so far. Some fantastic work from the forwards drew in defender after defender and then some beautiful hands out wide saw Miles score his second in the corner- a try of the year contender! The scoring was then rounded off when Robey again slipped through the Shebbear defence to score in the corner.
A fantastic afternoon of rugby and some exceptional skills on display, none more so than from Max Fearon who claimed Man of the Match, although it could have been any number of players
Well done all who played!
Shebbear- 15 Stover- 45 (Freddie, Adair x2, Max x2, Robey x2 Miles x2)
Mr Halse
rhdr
U14/15 Hockey vs Torquay Girls Grammar
This afternoon our U14/15 Hockey team travelled to Torquay Girls Grammar to face TGGS and Newton Abbot College. Some of us were new to 11-a-side, and this was certainly an eye opener to deal with the extra space and fitness required. The girls learned quickly how to think and play smart, staying in their positions. As the games went on, we gained in confidence and increased with physicality and commitment getting into the D. Tilly, Molly, Lily, and Jaani had some fantastic sweeps of the ball, showing great technique.
In our first game against TGGS, we won 1-0 with a determined run into the D from Tilly, showing strength on the ball. In our second game against NAC, we played a much smarter game, showing that we could move the ball much better, and we attacked as a group in the D. We won this game 3-0 with goals from Tilly, Lex, and Sophia.
Players of the match: Meg and Jaani.
Well done, girls! A well-deserved win in both games.
Mrs Coster
U15 Rugby vs Plymouth College, 26th September
Our U15’s travelled to Plymouth College for their first outing of the season. Conditions were tough with some constant rain and blustery wind, it made for a tough afternoon of rugby.
Playing over four quarters, the first started well as a quick burst from Billy Daldry saw him punch a hole in the Plymouth defence and put down under the posts. Archie Clarke converted to put us 7 ahead. Soon after, some really quick thinking from Archie saw Jamie Allen in space out wide, a cross field kick perfectly weighted for Jamie to dive over. The remainder of the first and the second quarter remainder rather uneventful with both teams demonstrating some excellent defence. The third quarter saw Plymouth put out their strongest team and it showed quite quickly as they came back with their first try make the score 12-5 after a missed kick. We fought back again with some excellent hands out wide seeing Woody Johansen-Berg push down in the corner. Archie handed kicking duties to Jonah Prince who brilliantly converted from the touch line taking the score to 19-5. The final quarter started, and we were up against it from the off, we started to tire but remained resolute in defence until 5 minutes from the end when the Plymouth winger found himself in a huge gap to put down, to make things worse they score their conversion to make it 19-12. In the dying moments another lapse in concentration on the opposite wing saw Plymouth move within 2 points before their kick. The wind played its part as the conversion was missed seeing us win the match 19-17.
A fantastic afternoon of rugby in some really difficult conditions. Hudson Cooper-Thompson was a standout as player of the match
Stover 30- 45 Plymouth College The U12 boys enjoyed a real arm wrestle of a game against Plymouth College this week. Both teams looked to move the ball and play expansive rugby, which made for an exciting game. Plymouth College started well scoring two tries fairly early on, taking a 10-0 lead. Stover responded well with a good line break from Adair C, who showed great pace to finish the try. Moments later the forwards worked through three phases, which created space out wide for Captain Tom S to exploit with good footwork and pace to score under the posts to bring the game level. Plymouth College scored another two tries from some unforced errors, but Stover came back again with another try to go into half time a try down.
The second half was equally as competitive and Stover this time made the better start with tries from Finlay L and Jack L, which put Stover in the lead. A well worked period of play from Plymouth College and a clever kick over the top of our defensive line, led to a try which brought the game level. Plymouth College went on to enjoy a good period in the game scoring another couple of tries through some strong running, however Stover showed great character throughout and came back into the game through some powerful carries and tries from Henry P and another from Player of the match Adair C.
Mr Lloyd
U13 Hockey vs Plymouth College, 26th September 2022
The U13s set out on their first fixture of the season this week to Plymouth College. With only limited practice so far there were a few nerves before we arrived. Dara bravely stepped into the role of GK and from the outset had a lot to do, making some great saves. Plymouth started well and had scored the first goal within the first five minutes. Stover were lacking shape and missed some easy interceptions. At quarter time a quick team talk cemented the team and clear roles were established back on the pitch. The backs began to clear the ball successfully and the midfield realised that they had to up their work rate. All this effort paid off with plenty of shots on the goal from Ava and Lottie, but we just couldn’t get our aim on target! The second half saw us fare much better and we were chasing Plymouth to equalise. The final score was 4-3 to Plymouth in a highly competitive game. POM Ava and Imogen.
U12 Hockey vs Plymouth College, 26th September 2022
Today our U12 hockey team travelled to Marjons to compete against Plymouth College in their first fixture of the term. Stover were outstanding from the first whistle, keeping possession of the ball, with accurate and sharp passing. Kita, Eva, and Lynsey were solid in defence, winning the ball back at every opportunity. Arabella, Millie, and Evie ran the midfield, switching up play and progressing up the pitch at pace. Amber was excellent upfront, scoring two fantastic goals. The final score Plymouth 1-5 Stover.
A great effort from all involved, and a fantastic start to the hockey season.
POM Arabella
Goals:
Amber X2
Arabella X2
Millie x1
Miss Thorpe
U8A vs Plymouth College, 22nd September 2022
The U8 girls had an absolute dream start to the season today down at the Marjons astro vs Plymouth College. From the very first whistle the girls chased down the ball and took the game to Plymouth. The strength and impetus of the team was palpable and it wasn’t long before Emily found the net for our first goal of the year! This was to be the first of a whopping 6 goals for Emily, (2 hattricks in 2 games) and 8 scored overall. The whole team listened very well, and we made good contact on the ball, showing improving understanding of grip and a low sweep technique. Strategically the girls made a real effort to stay true to their positions and only found themselves crowding the ball a few times! Olivia played well at the back, responsibly keeping behind the centre three and making some decent tackles. Natalie and Lily both gained in confidence as the match went on, driving onto the ball with more conviction. They were rewarded with a goal each for their efforts. Elsie, Harriet and Juno impressed with their strong semi-circles around the ball and keeping their sticks down.
All the girls did so well and can be very proud of their efforts! What a start to the season and promise of more great results to come!
Final Score:
Stover 4 Plymouth B 0
Stover 3 Plymouth A 0
Miss Robinson’s player of the match – Emily P
U8A vs Plymouth College, 22nd September 2022
The U9 Rugby squad had their first experience of contact rugby today against Blundells and Kings Hall School. I was so proud of the boys effort and determination throughout the three games. There were some technically strong tackles being made, which was pleasing to see and for their first game, I thought they played with bravery and resilience. In attack the boys looked to move the ball, which led to some really nice tries in all three games. The first game was a competitive game against Blundells, with both teams playing well. Try scorers were M. Henry, Benjamin W and Will S. The second game against the Blundell A team was a tough contest and the boys battled well in defence. There were some bumps and bruises along the way, but they gave 100% effort throughout. J. Laity scored our try in this game with a strong carry through the middle. The final game against Kings Hall was probably the pick as the boys were growing in confidence with their tackling and ball carrying. The try of the day came from Hal O’D with a quick dart down the blindside, leaving a trial of defenders in his wake. An awesome effort boys, well done and thank you for all the parents for their support. Mr Lloyd
U12 boys Vs Exeter Cathedral School, 22nd September 2022
A positive start to the term for the U12 Rugby squad, with a 50-15 victory over Exeter Cathedral School. The boys played some really nice rugby during the game, moving the ball well. Tries in the first third from Captain Henry P, Tom S and Max F earnt Stover a 15-0 lead at the break. With some squad rotation in the second third the boys adapted well and were intelligent in their attack. Tries from Finley L and Robey K, extended the lead, but to Exeter Cathedral’s credit they came back into the game with three tries of their own. In the final third the boys defended really well, Jack L leading the way and showed composure in attack, with Freddie Vinney orchestrating the play at Fly Half. This lead to Adair C, Miles N, Ned I, Oscar C and Player of the match Freddie V scoring the tries. Well done to all involved and many thanks to all the parents who came to support, much appreciated.
Mr Lloyd
U13 boys Vs Exeter Cathedral School, 22nd September 2022
This afternoon our Under 13 boys opened their rugby season against Exeter Cathedral. Coming off some excellent pre-season training and some high intensity games lessons the boys were keen to start the season well.
They did just that by piling on the pressure early and causing Exeter to make a number of mistakes. We manage to capitalise and run in two early tries through Harry Y and Seb N. We then struggled to gather any fluency as a number of errors in possession gave Exeter then impetus going forward. Our defence was resolute however and managed to keep them at bay before a quick turnover saw George E run in for a third. The second period was very disjointed and saw both teams make mistakes. We found ourselves stuck in our own 22 for long periods but several fantastic tackles saw us drive Exeter back. In the end Exeter ran out of steam as our defence then quickly turned into attack and finishing the game with a flurry of tries through Freddie C x2, another from George and another from Seb.
Final score:
Stover- 35 (Scorers- Harry Y, Seb N x2, George E x2, Freddie C x2)
Exeter Cathedral- 0
Players of the match went to Alfie S for his tireless work rate and aggressive tackling in the midfield, and to Joseph Grimes for his phenomenal work at the breakdown. Well done to all those who played. Next game for the Under 13’s is Plymouth College at home next Monday (26th).
U16 Hockey Match Report, 21st September 2022
The U16 girls went out on their first hockey fixture of the season after a busy start with the netball CVL last week.
Facing TGGS in the first match of the season was always going to be a difficult task but the team were up for a good game on arrival. After a few adjustments on the minibus to our team formation, thanks to player coach Cecily, we were all set to make our mark on the game. A fantastic start with good bursts of energy through the midfield the teams were closely matched and the end of the first half saw the score stay at 0-0. TGGS managed to scrape a goal at the end of second quarter after some very good saves under pressure from Ella in goal. From here on in the goals were thick and fast. We equalized thanks to Cecily from the halfway line following a great run and passing from Eleanor. Excellent play throughout the midfield from Grace and at the back in defence from Jules and Abbie. TGGS managed to get ahead again and we were able to equalize, even as both teams started to slow, after almost 40 minutes of play. The final score was 3-2 to TGGS. POM Cecily.
Mrs Craven
U10 and U11B Hockey Match Report, 21st September 2022
This afternoon all of the Year 5&6 girls had the opportunity to play in competitive fixtures against Plymouth College at Stover.
In the U10 and U11 B mixed teams, we played in a triangular competition. The games enabled both Plymouth and Stover girls the chance to learn through practise and understand first-hand how their positional play was so important. With each match, the girls grew in confidence and awareness of how they could impact their team’s performance.
Phoebe, Molly, and Tilly, who are all new to Stover, settled well into their two games, growing in self-confidence and assertiveness on the ball. Bessie got stuck in with a plethora of tackles throughout. Edith made a fantastic goal-line clearance to save a direct shot. All the girls played with great Stover spirit and support for one another.
Our results were:
Stover pink vs Plymouth: 0-0 draw
Stover pink vs Stover blue 1-0 win
Stover blue vs Plymouth 1-0 win
Players of the afternoon: Bessie, Josephine, and Phoebe.
Well done, girls!
Mrs Coster
U9 Hockey Match Report, 15th September 2022
This afternoon we travelled to Lymsptone to our very first fixture of the new term, and for some, it was their first fixture ever. We played three games against Mount Kelly, St Peter’s, and Blundell’s. Our fitness and positional understanding were tested from the first whistle with a lot of running to do and trying to remember where each player should go on the pitch. The girls all had a chance to have a go in a couple of different positions to enhance their learning and improve their self-confidence. We won against Mount Kelly 1-0, lost against St Peter’s 2-0, and narrowly lost against Blundell’s 2-1. A great afternoon with loads of learning and some clear targets to set for the term ahead. Well done, girls!
U11 Plymouth College Festival, 14th September 2022
The U11 Boy’s had a great first fixture of the rugby season at Plymouth College Prep School. In total, the boys played 5 games against: Trinity, Truro, St Peter’s, Plymouth and Mount Kelly. They were incredibly difficult to score against, showing great organisation in defence. In attack, they improved with every game adding width and attacking space. Well done to all involved!
Player of the day – L Cox
Summer Term 2022
Athletics
11th and 12th June 2022
A weekend of athletics was on the cards after the Blundells athletics event on Friday. On Saturday some of our Year 7 and 10 athletes went to Exeter arena for the Devon Schools competition. We have yet to hear who has qualified for the next round but there were some excellent performances on the day. Eleanor and George both made it to the finals of the 100m. Ellsa jumped a PB of 1.40m in the HJ and Freddie came third in the 800m. Ella was impressive out in the hammer circle and in the discus cage. We shall let everyone know when we do who has qualified for the SW Schools Competiton.
And Sunday saw us travelling with the Open and U12 teams to Mount Kelly in Tavistock for the Kelly trophy, the qualifier for the Nationals. Again Stover pulled out of the bag some memorable performances, particularly as some legs were beginning to tire! George, Lottie, Amelia and Star all made it to the finals of their respective races, George eventually coming second overall. Freddie and Meg were third in their 1500m races. Sophia third in the 300m and Tom 2nd in his 800m. Out in the field there were again a number of great performances, Fran in the long jump, Henry in the discus and Javelin alongside 3 fantastic 1st positions Tilly in the Discus and shot and Kita in the shot. Out of around 8 schools Stover came a healthy 4th in the team event with the Open girls achieving a 3rd overall. A great day of competition, well done everyone!
Year 3 Cricket
Thursday 26th May
All of Year 3 had an opportunity to travel to St John’s for a mixed cricket match. This was a great opportunity for the children to continue their development and game play of cricket. The bowling and fielding improved as the game went on. Grace, Hugo, Lottie, and Olivia all took wickets with either their bowling or stumping skills. Grace and Harley secured a 4 during their batting session. Harvey and Perry showed good promise with their bowling, Olivia took charge of communicating where to throw the ball to during a run. Both teams did well with their concentration, focus and effort in both bat and field. Progress was being made for everyone. Well done, everyone.
Mrs Coster’s players of the match: Perry and Harley
U15 Girls Cricket vs Shebbear
Tuesday 24th May 2022
On Tuesday afternoon we faced the prospect of an experienced Shebbear side for our first cricket fixture. Winning the toss we decided to put them into bat and applied pressure from the first over by Ella P who struck the stumps with her first ball! The Shebbear batters were stifled by a continued good spell of bowling and never really were comfortable enough to find their stride, with the Stover bowling generally at a good line and length. The fielding did not disappoint either and, although we certainly could have been more active at times, great chances were taken as Abigail charged to take a running catch and Eleanor at mid wicket reacted to claim Elen Stones 2nd wicket of her over. Harriet Robinson and Molly Hichens were stand out bowlers, both limiting runs and getting the ball consistently on the spot.
Into bat, and despite the loss of an early wicket, Stover rallied against a fast couple of overs from Shebbear. Some decent defence put us into a good position, and we were able to start hitting out. Elsa hit brilliantly and Cecily found the boundary with some nice straight drives. The girls ran well between the wickets, exploiting mistakes in the field and puting the fielding team under pressure.
Final score: Shebbear 207/8 Stover 256/6
Well played girls – next stop – hard ball fixtures!
U9 B Cricket vs Plymouth College
Thursday 19th May 2022 The U9 B travelled to Plymouth College on Thursday for a tightly contested cricket fixture. Having won the toss Stover selected to bowl first. Stover bowled extremely tightly, making difficult for Plymouth to score. Special mention to Oliver R who bowled superbly, taking two wickets in two balls. Stover restricted Plymouth to 254 – 3. With a solid total to chase Stover made an excellent start through Tom Hichens who scored several 4s in one over. Jacques C hit a wonderful 4 through mid-on to keep the score ticking over. In a nail-biting finish Miles D and Oliver R scored the runs needed to take the score level resulting in a draw. Well done on a great performance.
Mr Ryan
U9A boys Cricket vs Plymouth College
Thursday 19th May 2022
On Thursday afternoon, all of the Year 4 girls travelled up to Blundell’s to play in an U9A&B fixture. In the U9B match, the girls worked really well in their pairs, showing team work, focus and a desire to have a go and work to the best of their ability. The bowling significantly improved over the duration of the inning, with particular congratulations going to Amelia and Sofia doing so well with their bowling technique – Sofia bowling out a Blundell’s opponent outright. The girls’ self-confidence improved and all the girls encouraged one another brilliantly, and you could see that the girls’ knowledge of the game is improving. A wonderful afternoon and experience had by all.
The opponent’s players of the match: fielding: Josephine batting: Daisy
Mrs Coster’s players of the match Sofia and Amelia Well done, girls!
Mrs Coster
U9A boys Cricket vs Plymouth College
Thursday 19th May 2022
The U9A Cricket team had a wonderful afternoon in Plymouth, showing some particularly good fielding and bowling skills. Florry was the standout bowler with 3 wickets for 10 runs off only two overs. Lucas and Will had to work hard against some difficult bowling to finish as our highest scorers. Players of the match – Florry and Lucas.
Mr Harrison
U9 girls Cricket vs Blundells
Thursday 19th May 2022
On Thursday afternoon our U9 girls travelled to Blundells for what would be a tightly contested cricket match. The A team won the toss and elected to field first. The bowling was a good length and developed in accuracy as the game progressed. Emma’s overs stood out as she took wickets and minimised runs. In the field we were on our toes and stopped the moving ball well with good technique, throws into the stumps were direct, with a couple of direct hits! Indi’s final over was exceptional, only allowing the batting team 1 run. Batting was good once we gained confidence, we did well to hit the only offside shots of the match, and Indi played a great straight drive to a well-pitched up ball. Emma hit 3 4’s in a row and we scored the only 6 of the match. There was great progress made from the girls, and an excellent day out. Players player of the match- Florrie Miss Robbinson and Miss Thorpe’s players of the match- Indi and Emma
Year 4 mixed Cricket vs Mount Kelly
Wednesday 11th May 2022
This afternoon, after a soggy start to the day and with conditions more suited to hockey than cricket, the U11’s took on Plymouth College. In the U11 A match, we won the toss and elected to bat first, hoping to put on a big total and put Plymouth under pressure. We seemed a little rusty at the start and lost a few early wickets which gave Plymouth the advantage, but we kept our heads up, and throughout the innings displayed some good stroke making and evidence of effective calling and running between the wickets. Plymouth took their chances, taking catches well and our girls did well to fend off some very accurate bowling, blocking with courage. We ended with a decent score of 231.Out to the field and we found keeping the ball on the strip challenging this afternoon. Belle and Dotty took two good early wickets and we were sharp to create two run out opportunities. We played well to take 8 wickets, double the amount we lost, which is an excellent effort. Unfortunately, the runs given away through no-balls and wide’s were just a little too many to match, and we ended up losing out by 19 runs. This will give us a great focus for Friday’s lesson and practice and we will strive to improve upon this ready for the next game. Well played to all the girls! Batting Player of the Match – Amber
Fielding Player of the Match – Arabella
Miss Robinson’s player of the match – Fran
Year 4 mixed Cricket vs Mount Kelly
Wednesday 11th May 2022
Today the u15 girls and boys played a friendly tennis fixture with Mount Kelly. The purpose, to gain some match play in both doubles and singles against a variety of players, over the course of the afternoon. The Stover team provided an excellent account of themselves winning most of their matches. Some good competition on the top courts against Mount Kelly 1&2 seeds saw 2 good victories for Lily, playing up and Rosie (6-4 & 6-3).In the doubles again there were some excellent games in the first round. Sol and Joe winning 6-4, Cosmo and Tom 6-0 and Remy and Jago 6-1. Well done to all those involved a great afternoon. Mrs Craven is looking forward to the Year 7 games at Tavistock next week.
Year 4 mixed Cricket vs Mount Kelly
Thursday 12th May 2022
On Thursday afternoon ten children from Year 4 travelled over the Moor to Mount Kelly for a mixed cricket match. Each mixed pair team worked really together, showing leadership, teamwork and commitment when bowling, wicket keeping and whilst batting. The bowling improved as the afternoon went on, with 5 wickets being taken from either being bowled out or caught at slip. With our determination, focus and desire to work hard throughout the match, scoring great runs, making wonderful catches, and bowling with improving consistency, we won comprehensively with a score line of 270 to Stover and 238 to Mount Kelly. Our players of the match voted by our opposition go to Lucas for batting and Will for fielding. Mrs Coster’s player of the match: Millie for bowling and Lucas for batting.
U10 Cricket vs Plymouth
Wednesday 11th May 2022
In todays u10 fixture against Plymouth College the girls were all keen to get stuck into only their second cricket game. Choosing to filed first, the girls all took to their positions and took turns bowling and acting wicket keeper. Though all girls tried their hand at some overarm bowling some real shining stars were by Darcy, Enriqa and Tori! Having had all of the overs for Plymouth college, the Stover girls went into bat. Displaying some good technique stepping forward to meet the ball the first few pairs made some good runs, putting the pressure onto Plymouth whose bowling was very accurate. We ended with a close score of 240 runs to Plymouth’s 260 with their bowler getting two wickets in the final over! Great game played all round by the girls, giving us some definite teaching points to work on in out next cricket session!
POM: Batting: Enriqa, Bowler: Darcy
U11B Girls Cricket vs Trinity
Wednesday 4th May 2022
On Wednesday in the first cricket game of the term, Stover welcomed Trinity for what turned out to be a tightly contested match. Trinity won the toss and elected to bowl, sending Stover in to bat. The girls batted excellently and ran sensibly between the wickets. Georgie’s calling was fantastic, allowing for lots of quick singles. The stand out performance came from Nikita, whose bowling was straight and full, stopping Trinity scoring any runs in her maiden over. The progress and improvement from start to finish was excellent to see. Well done to all those involved! Final Score: Stover 275, Trinity 240 Miss Thorpe
U9A cricket – match report
Thursday 5th May 2022
We played at Exeter School on Thursday in bright sunshine, opting to bat first and immediately facing some excellent bowling. Ned and Tom did well to open the batting and make a steady start. The partnerships worked well together throughout, with Lucas hitting some lovely boundaries in the middle few overs to score what turned out to be the winning margin. Tom and Ned stood out again with some tidy bowling, only conceding four runs between them. Dylan and Harry managed a wicket each, with Will being close on several occasions. Stover finished the game 19 runs ahead, well done! The boys enjoyed their day afternoon in the sun and showed their usual spirit and sportsmanship. Players of the match – Ned and Lucas. Mr Harrison
U8/9 mixed cricket at Trinity – match report
Thursday 5th May 2022
This afternoon we were lucky enough to take three teams to Trinity to play some mixed cricket matches in beautiful sunshine overlooking Teignmouth.
A team: The team really stepped up facing some tough bowling and good quality fielding from our opponents. The team won the toss and decided to field first – the standard of bowling was excellent considering the early season and each girl bowled overarm, which was a superb achievement. A few wickets from Indi and Louisa, coupled with some focused fielding and stumping, meant that at the end of the first innings we were neck and neck on runs. In the second innings we tried so hard to maintain focus, but despite some glorious shots, we just lost a few more wickets than Trinity, who ended up narrowly winning. Well played, girls. Miss Robinson. B and C teams: The children worked really well together in their teams, gaining in confidence and showed a better awareness and understanding of what was needed to do with each ball faced. Their communication skills and problem solving improved with time, as the children began to make more decisive decisions when the time was right. The bowling also showed promise, as some children were able to bowl successfully overarm. In the B and C teams we trialled the Countdown Cricket scoring app to give things a go. This did make scoring a lot easier. The children rotated well around the boundary to keep their attention alerted to the job at hand, being on their toes and ready for action. Our fielding skills and desire to retrieve the ball quickly and throw it to the correct end was positive and grew in success. In the B team match, Stover beat Trinity 76 to 59 with Stover taking 4 wickets. In the C team match, Trinity beat Stover with a score line of 68 to 56. Well done to both teams! Mrs Coster Archie, Mia, Miles, Flo, and Isobel were recognised for their efforts by the opponents as being players of the match for fielding and batting.
Miss Robinson’s player of the match: Millie
Mrs Coster’s players of the match: Mia for batting, Miles for fielding, and Archie and Jacques for their bowling efforts.
Spring Term 2022
Thursday 31st March 2022 – Preparatory School House netball and football
Football U11 football report:
The Year 5 and 6 enjoyed their first competitive House Matches for the first time in a couple of years. Numbers allowed for each House to play 7-aside. The first match saw Courtney play Templer. The first half was closely fought with each team keeping each other arms length. However, the deadlock was broken late in the first half when Marco scored an unbelievable half volley from distance, leaving the keeper no chance. Templer dominated possession in the second half but were unable to take their chances. Tom S worked tirelessly in midfield covering every inch of the pitch. Eventually Templer pulled back an equaliser through Robey to draw the score level at 1-1. The second match was contested between Seymour and Courtenay, there was some fantastic play between Freddie V, Oscar and Myles, but they were unable to convert their chances. Eventually, Oscar opened the scoring for Seymour with a neat back heel finish. Oscar added another two completing his hat-trick and Freddie V added to the scoring with the match finishing 4-0. The final match was a fiercely contested match between Templer and Seymour. Templer defended well and limited Seymour to limited chances. Templer were solid in defence and kept Seymour out for long periods of the game. In the second half, Seymour were much more clinical and, as a result, created more clear cut chances. Myles capatalised in a lapse in concentration and scored the opener for Seymour with a fine finish, early in the second half. Templer persisted to push for an equaliser however this left them more open at the back. As a result Seymour score another two through Myles and Oscar, with the match finishing 3-0 to Seymour. The afternoon was played in good spirits and it was great for all the boys in Year 5 and 6 to showcase the skills that they had been working on over the course of the term. Well done, to all involved. Player of the day – Oscar Clarke Mr Ryan
U9 football report:
Spectators were treated to a wonderful afternoon of football with some excellent teamwork and individual skill throughout. Archie and Benji’s link-up play and finishing was excellent in both their matches; Benji’s running and aggression an effective partner for Archie’s eye for goal and range of passing. A rocket from near the touchline from Benji as well as three curling efforts from Archie helped carry their team to victory. Harry was a calm yet inspiring captain, leading his team and achieving some strong saves in goal. Florry led from goal as well, showing bravery between the posts and enjoying a cameo in midfield. They both displayed good strength between the posts and helped their respective teams with encouragement and instruction as they moved into the outfield. As a flourishing centre-back, Will L focused his aggression well, firing in some wonderful last-ditch tackles and safe clearances. Ned and Will S had good afternoons, too, with Ned beating the first opponent at every opportunity and Will saving his team at the back as well as driving forward with the ball. After celebrating his hat-trick in the most polite fashion in history, Ed enjoyed a fourth goal with an outrageous chip which went in off the crossbar. As we expected, the most enjoyable moments of the day involved excellent teamwork and good sportsmanship from all three teams. Well done to all for showing how much you have improved over the past term!
Mr Harrison
Netball
U11 netball report:
In the U11 matches, what a fitting finish to a great season! The play on the most senior court was certainly physical, Fast and Furious. there were some outstanding displays of passing into space and taking the ball on the move. The beautiful sunshine made scoring at one end particularly challenging, but the girls persevered and put their best foot forward. There were some remarkable interceptions in the centre court and all the girls played in feisty and good spirits. Playing in attack, Fran stood out as having progressed brilliantly over the course of the season, and Milly and Kita proved hard to beat in defence. Well done girls, a lovely afternoon of quality netball! Miss Robinson.
U9 netball reports: On this chilly but sunny afternoon we saw the U9A girls playing their house matches. From the very first whistle, the games were feisty and all on court were trying hard to gain possession of the ball. All the games showed the girls using excellent movement around the court, much improved passing, and fantastic marking. Continuing our Bee netball rules, the girls all tried a variety of positions and worked hard to remember their boundaries and their marking partners. We saw some excellent goals scored, but even more fantastic were the passes made into the ‘D’ that set the shooters up. A special shout out to Flo Reynolds who determinedly played on to the final whistle of the game despite being injured! A fantastic afternoon of netball and a wonderful atmosphere, also a huge thanks to all the parents that came to support us today in our final games of the term! Miss Ettridge.
Today the U9B girls’ netball teams took to the court to play in what would be a fiercely contested house tournament. Some fantastic movement on and off the ball created a few lovely scoring opportunities. The girls played to the best of their ability, giving all for their house. There was significant and noticeable improvement from start to finish. It was lovely to see all the girls on the court having fun and enjoying their final game of the netball season. A special mention to Molly Cutmore, who had her time to shine, yet took the opportunity to help her team-mates at every opportunity. Miss Thorpe.
RESULTS:
Netball House fixtures 2022
U11
U9A
U9B
Mary vs Victoria 4-0
Mary vs Elizabeth 6-0
Victoria vs Elizabeth 1-6
Elizabeth vs Victoria 1-0
Victoria vs Elizabeth 4-0
Mary vs Elizabeth 0-7
Mary vs Elizabeth 4-3
Mary vs Victoria 2-1
Mary vs Victoria 0-3
Mary: 6 Elizabeth: 4 Victoria: 2
Mary: 6 Elizabeth: 2 Victoria: 4
Mary: 2 Elizabeth: 6 Victoria: 4
GRAND TOTALS 1stMary: 14 2ndElizabeth: 123rdVictoria: 10
Football House fixtures 2022
U11
U9
Courtenay vs Seymour 0-4
Courtenay vs Seymour 1-0
Templer vs Courtenay 1-1
Templer vs Courtenay 1-6
Templer vs Seymour 0-3
Templer vs Seymour 1-5
Templer: 3 Seymour: 6 Courtenay: 3
Templer: 2 Seymour: 4Courtenay: 6
GRAND TOTALS1st Seymour: 102nd Courtenay: 93rd Templer: 5
Tuesday 29th March 2022
Today we travelled to Plymouth college for the U15’s final game of the season. With a full-strength side and the sun shining the boys were keen to finish the season on a high.
We started well and on a firm pitch looked threatening with the ball over the top, Jack V and Henry G getting a shot away early but missing the target. Our midfield two of Henry and Noah started to get a real foothold in the game and we started to really threaten the Plymouth College goal.
The deadlock was broken on 18 minutes when Jack V latched on to a through ball to slot cooly passed the keeper. Almost an exact repeat 5 minutes later when Joe K sliced a clearance which fortunately found Jack again 1 v1 and he slotted home. 2-0 at the break and fully deserved, however 5 minutes into the second half it was 2-1 as a defensive mix up allowed the Plymouth striker to smash it past Tean in goal. The game got very cagey then as both teams struggled to find any fluency. However, 5 minutes from the end Jack again found himself clean through only this time the Plymouth keeper pulled off a fantastic save to deny him his hattrick.
The game finished 2-1 to Stover. A fantastic effort by the boys, particular mention to Man of the Match Jack V who has become a real handful with his pace up front and a nightmare for any defender. Plymouth College- 1Stover- 2 (Vernon x2)
Wednesday 30th March 2022
Today the last match of the year was played with a friendly game against Trinity and the opportunity for those on the fringe of the team to play in a game. The U14 team made a good start in the first quarter getting us ahead 4-0 once they had settled into their positions. Georgia was excellent in defence and Lizzie made some dynamic moves in attack. Trinity came back at us in the second quarter after a team change from Stover with the scores ending 6-3 at half time. Abbie moved into the shooting circle and this was our best quarter bringing us ahead 12-7. In the final quarter with another change around from Stover we managed to maintain the lead and won the game 14-11. Well done to all those involved.
Mrs Craven
Wednesday 23rd March 2022
This afternoon in glorious sunshine, we hosted Plymouth to a wonderful afternoon of Bee Netball. All the girls joined in with rotations, enabling the girls to sample both defensive and attacking positions on the court. We had a great turn out of parental and family support on the side lines, which was fantastic to see, having an energic crowd cheering on court side. The atmosphere presented itself to what it was some two years ago. The girls all supported each other brilliantly and worked hard to win the ball and compose a sequence of passes, gaining ground in attack. There was a plethora of goals scored across the entire court with all three teams showing how competitive they were in all areas. Sit down teas were presented after the match, allowing parents, staff, and pupils to socialise indoors over a lovely meal with chatter and energy.
The overall results were: A team: 10-4 win; players of the match – Arabella and Fran B team: 6-6 draw; players of the match – Star and Harriet C team: 9-1 win; players of the match – Sienna and Tori In summary, an enthusiastic, competitive, but welcoming atmosphere and experience had by all. Fantastic effort, girls! Well done.
Mrs Coster, Miss Robinson, and Miss Ettridge.
Wednesday 23rd March 2022
Today the Stover U14 girls football team travelled to Paignton Academy for their last tournament of the term. Playing Teignmouth first, Stover got off to an excellent start scoring in the first few minutes of the game. Two more goals and some superb defending saw the match finish Stover 3-0 Teignmouth. Goals from Ursula, Emily and Georgia.
Stover played Teign School next in a very tightly contested match. Some excellent goal keeping denied Stover, and a last minute goal saw the match finish Teign 1-0 Stover.
Our penultimate game saw Stover play Spires, in what was again a very tight game. Excellent defending and some great link up play in midfield stopped any and all counter attacks. The match finished Stover 0-0 Spires.
In the final game Stover played Brixham A. An early goal from Brixham left Stover with much to do in the remaining 5 minutes of the game. Ursula was exceptional in midfield and in a last ditch effort shot and scored, seeing the game finish Stover 1-1 Brixham A
Player of the tournament went to Emily S. Well done to everyone involved.
Miss Thorpe
Monday 14th March 2022
I would like to praise the under 13 football team for the performance they put in against Plymouth College today, it was quite possibly the best team performance I have seen here.
Having previously lost to Plymouth on a couple of occasions the team were playing with a point to prove. Having fallen behind to a wonder goal from Plymouth College, Stover kept their cool. They needed a bit of quality to get back into the game and Max Pillar provided it, latching onto a pass from Jack Bellotti and calmly slotting it past the rushing goalkeeper.
With the momentum Stover continued to create opportunities. Oliver Rylance broke the offside trap and saw his shot saved by the keeper, Max Pillar followed in bravely and got wiped out in the process, winning a penalty for his team. Jack Bellotti stepped up and slotted the ball into the bottom left corner. Going into the last 15 minutes Stover tried to keep Plymouth from the goal, however another brilliant strike saw Plymouth level the scores with 10 minutes left.
Jack Bellotti the produced something spectacular. He already had a goal and an assist but wasn’t finished. He received the ball on the half way line, drove past three players and cut onto his left (weaker) foot, driving the ball into the far top corner and putting Stover 3-2 up with four minutes to play.
Jonah Prince produced some excellent last ditch tackles and Stover found themselves deserved 3-2 winners.
Special mentions to Max Pillar for showing some quality on the ball. Henry Endacott for working his socks off all game. Jonah Prince for producing some superb tackles. Finally Jack Bellotti, who led the team excellently and produced some quite magnificent moments.
Well done to all of the under 13’s on a superb team performance.
Mr Steer
Thursday 10th March 2022
Yesterday in the warmth of the first throes of spring sunshine, we travelled to Exeter School to take part in the yearly invitational U9 tournament. The B team were first out the blocks with a good win over Plymouth College. Pixie received her first of what would be 4 player of the match votes and the team rallied in both attack and defence, with Emma scoring an incredible goal from the edge of the circle! During the afternoon Hattie really came into her own defensively and threw herself with gusto into the firing line of many a pass, intercepting effectively to break down Exeter school and Blundells attacks. Emma consistently used speed to find space and Sofia passed with power. Flo and Aphra grew in confidence and stayed calm under pressure, looking after the ball to maintain possession.
The A team were largely unbeaten through the whole afternoon, only narrowly losing one game and winning a total of 8 straight games! Their marking got progressively better, and Millie was chosen as player of the tournament by Miss Ettridge because of her excellent display of sportsmanship when a player from the other team was injured. Louisa and Indi both excelled at shooting and Isabelle, Sabelle, and Florrie moved nicely into space, executing some square passes which we have been practising in lessons.
I was very impressed by the way all the girls applied themselves through a very full-on afternoon of back-to-back games. They conducted themselves well on and off the courts and especially enjoyed the Stover A vs Stover B game – which did get a little loud!
Player of the Tournament – A Team – Millie Player of the Tournament – B Team – Pixie
Well played to all involved.
Wednesday 9th March 2022
Today our U12 girls football team travelled to Paignton Academy for what was a wet and challenging tournament.
Playing the hosts first, Stover got off to a blistering start with two goals in quick succession from Ava and Gracie. Some excellent defending and precise passing kept the opposition out of our half for the entirety of the game. The match finished Paignton 0-2 Stover.
Stover faced Torquay Girls next in a tightly contested match. There were some great goal scoring opportunities for both teams, but excellent goal keeping denied Stover and the match finished Stover 0-0 Torquay Girls.
In our third game Stover played Churston. Some fantastic passing and excellent tactical awareness from Tilly and Summer helped Stover push up the pitch on numerous occasions, but the oppositions defence once again denied any goals. The match finished Stover 0-0 Churston.
Our penultimate match saw Stover play Spires. Imogen and Lynsey were solid in defence and the girls demonstrated some excellent passing. Once again the match finished Spires 0-0 Stover.
Our final game was played against Teign. Stover once again played some fantastic football, passing the ball well and having numerous goal scoring opportunities. Some excellent goal keeping denied the girls the win. The match finished Stover 0-0 Teign.
Player of the tournament went to Sophia for her superb play on and off the ball. Well done to all those involved.
Wednesday 9th March 2022
U13 played Maynard U12 A this week at home. The match started with a close first quarter. Our passing was sloppy and we hadn’t really considered the wet and windy conditions. In the second quarter we did tighten our passing and managed to sustain the score at half time 6-5 to us. Frustratingly it was hard to get the ball into our shooters, the only avenue being a high ball into Sophia, however this seemed to be a good tactic over the head of Maynards GK. The defence were excellent throughout the game, Tilly particularly, being voted the POM, deservedly. The girls dug deep in the final quarter, made less mistakes and finally came away winners 10-9.
Monday 7th March 2022
Match report for the David James Cup
The final standings were 1st Place- Plymouth College (15 points)2nd Place- Stover A (12 points)3rd Place- St Peters (9 points)4th Place- Stover B (6 points)5th Place- Trinity (3 points)6th Place- Shebbear College (0 points)
Well done to all those involved, a fantastic afternoon of football and really great to see so many pupils enjoying competitive fixtures again. Congratulations to Plymouth College who were deserved winners.
From a Stover perspective, well done to everybody involved but a special mention to Joel McDowell who was exceptional throughout the day for the Stover B side, and to Jonah Prince from the A side who was colossal at centre half all day!
A special thank you to the parents who braved the cold to cheer on the boys, it is greatly appreciated and nice to have you back!
Mr Halse
Monday 7th March 2022
The U12 & U13s travelled to Trinity today for another round of games. We decided to take our U13b team to hopefully have a competitive game. Claudia, Gracie were excellent in attack today and Mabel and Heidi were able to defend our circle really well throughout the whole game. The match wasn’t the most high scoring, probably due to the cold fingers, but final result was 3-1 to Stover. The U12s then came on to play their half of the game. A strong start from the U12s, with some slick passing in attack from Katie, Imogen and Lily. Rosa was very perceptive in attack making numerous interceptions. The final score was 7-0 to Stover.
Wednesday 2nd March 2022
Today the U14 girls travelled to Paignton academy for what turned out to be a very tightly contested tournament. Playing Newton Abbot College first, Stover started well and had some clean and precise link up play in the middle of the pitch. Our defensive trio of Tilly, Jaani, and Georgia stopped some very attacking play and allowed Emily to push up the pitch. The second match saw Stover play Brixham and once again Stover had a fantastic start. Ursula’s fast feet and tactical thinking saw her outwit her opponents on numerous occasions, allowing Meghan to score twice and put Stover in front. Our final match saw Stover face Dawlish in what was our closest match of the tournament. All the girls played very well and there were significant improvements made.
A special mention to Rosa who played up two-year groups very last minute. In a position which many would find extremely daunting, Rosa commanded her box and made some excellent saves.
Well done to all those involved, Miss Thorpe.
Monday 28th February 2022
Today the U13s had a re-match against Plymouth College. We started strongly, excellent considering we hadn’t picked up a ball for a week. Our passing was good and we were intercepting just about everything in the end third. We were however struggling to get the ball into our shooters. This continued into the second quarter and at half time the score was only 5-1 to Stover. Plymouth made some tactical changes to their team at half time and the pace quickened, leaving us a little startled! Plymouth drew back the score to 11-5 to them. With our heads down a little a good team talk was needed and the final quarter saw a more equal end to the game the final score 13-7 to Plymouth.
Player of the match: Lilly H
Wednesday 16th February 2022
The U15s Netball team travelled to Kingsbridge to play the last game before half term. Having started the season so well this would be a good test for the team. Mrs Payne had not seen the team play before so was pleased to see the great start they made instantly jumping ahead into the lead. Eleanor was once again all over the court controlling the play and having an impact in the circle too. Ella’s shooting was also spot on from the outset. Back in defence Ellsa and Abbie continued to keep the ball away from the Kingsbridge shooters. We did tire a little in the 3rd quarter, some loose passes were thrown in attack, but we were able to keep Kingsbridge at bay, the final score 30-11 to Stover.
Wednesday 16th February 2022
The under 11A and B team made the trip to Sidmouth today to play St Johns in two great games. Both games were played in great spirit in very challenging conditions.
The A team played some brilliant football, moving the ball well and trying to play quick, passing football on a very wet and muddy pitch. Stover’s start was rewarded with an early goal, coming from Myles L. Two very unfortunate goals meant that Stover went into the last ten minutes 2-1 down. Freddie V and Oscar C worked relentlessly, pressing St Johns, and trying to create opportunities. In goal, Eli N had very little to do, however when called upon was reliable as ever. Unfortunately, Stover couldn’t find the equaliser that they very much deserved. The attitude and sportsmanship throughout the game and after was excellent and the U11A’s walked away with their heads held high. Well done boys! Full time. St Johns 2-1 Stover Man of the match, Freddie V.
The B team found themselves on the right side of the score line with some cracking goals scored! Marco B with the pick of the bunch, a shot from inside his own half finding the top corner. Gabriel P, Noah Mac and Charlie D also found themselves getting on the score sheet with some excellent finishes. Nathan S was defensively solid, often winning possession back and showing great composure on the ball. Well done to all seven players, their hard work was rewarded with a 14-1 win! Full time. St Johns 1-14 Stover Man of the match, Marco B
Both teams enjoyed sausage and chips after with the opposition and represented the school excellently throughout the afternoon. Well done to the under 11’s!
Tuesday 15th February 2022
On Tuesday, the Under 15’s travelled to St Johns in Sidmouth. On a very wet and muddy pitch the boys won the toss and elected to kick down the slope to begin. This proved a good decision as after 5 minutes Jack V found himself 1v1 with their keeper and nicely finished in the corner. 2 minutes later Jack again found himself 1v1 only to be brought down in the area and awarded a penalty. Noah S calmly stepped up…and missed, then failed to follow in the rebound. However, it wasn’t too costly as Claude McK struck a brace before the half time break.
Second half and up the hill actually saw us dominate even more possession and despite the mud under foot we played some nice football at times. Henry G’s exceptional work rate was rewarded as he found himself on the score sheet twice in quick succession. After some very lackluster defending St Johns pinched one back to make it 5-1 before two fantastic own goals by St Johns rounded off the scoring 7-1. Tough conditions but a great result.
Man of the match went to Sol B for his defensive masterclass, special mention to Joe K who had a point to prove when he came off the bench and had a fantastic game. St Johns- 1 Stover- 7 (Jack V, Claude McK x2, Henry G x2, OG x2)
Wednesday 9th February 2022
On Wednesday the under 11’s played Trinity school in what was a great afternoon of football. The A team, led by Mr Williams, played some brilliant football in front of a rather large crowd of parents! Oscar C was the standout performer, getting himself a Hat-Trick on the way to a 5-1 win to Stover. Special mentions must go to Charles W who played in goal for the first time for the A team, making some great stops in crucial parts of the game. I had the pleasure of taking the B/C team and a pleasure it was. With a very large squad, every member played at least half of the match, 7 of which playing their first fixture for the school. The game was played in fantastic spirit and Stover ended up comfortable 8-0 winners. The pick of the goals coming from Josh M with a screamer of a first-time volley. Henry P was also excellent, helping players who were playing in their first fixture, offering encouragement and help when needed.
The afternoon was finished off with some sausage rolls and muffins which were enjoyed by all! Both teams represented Stover impeccably, showing great sportsmanship, skills, attitude, and manners throughout.
A personal thank you to Miss Robinson who organised for the sixth form boys to come out and help. They provided teas and coffees for parents throughout the day, which was hugely appreciated by all. Also, to Mr Appleby who ran a small training session for the players who were subs, making sure they were still active throughout the day.
Stove A team 5-1 Trinity Man of the match- Oscar C Stover B/C team 8-0 Trinity Many thanks, Ben Steer
Wednesday 9th February 2022
U15 Netball
The U15s travelled to Maynard on Tuesday. The U15s are undefeated so far this season and have played some close games. Maynard had fielded their B team against us and from the outset it was clear we were stronger as a team. However, the game was fast paced and we certainly didn’t have all the play. Once our shooters had settled into the pace the goals started to come. Eleanor played as GA this game and linked in well with Ella. Eleanor was very dynamic throughout the game and was awarded a well deserved player of the match. At half time the score was 13-1 to Stover.
Playing a weaker team did enable us to focus on our tactics and positioning so the game was still a valuable experience. Once again Abi and Ellsa were excellent in defence. Jules and Abi C were very versatile throughout the game and the team contributed to the overall score, a win to Stover 22-3.
Wednesday 9th February 2022
U14 Girls Football
Yesterday the U14 girls football team travelled to St Johns for their first football match of the season. Having not played very much football, the girls were slightly apprehensive at kick off, but their nerves soon disappeared after two goals in quick succession from Ursula. Some great link up play at the back from Tilly and Emily helped Stover to push up the pitch, allowing both Meg and Molly to score. At half time, the score was 6-0 to Stover.
Having not had to do much in the first half, Mabel very kindly offered to go in goal for St Johns, allowing all their players the opportunity to play out. She managed to keep the score down significantly, making some fantastic saves. Stover continued their good form and managed to get all those involved a goal. The final score was 12-0 to Stover. Player of the match went to Mabel, who played extremely well and showed outstanding sportsmanship.
This afternoon we hosted Trinity to a wonderful, relaxed and competitive round of netball matches. We fielded three teams to play Trinity’s two, enabling all the girls an opportunity to play in a netball fixture. The A and B teams were particularly competitive and assertive in all areas of the court. We played Bee Netball rules, which encourages the children to rotate positions on court, having a go at furthering their knowledge and understanding of both defensive and attacking positions. The C team enjoyed the drills practice before having a go themselves on court against the Trinity girls. We all then had outdoor takeaway teas with the boys after their games had also finished.
The results finished as follows:
A team: 13-2 win with Fran being awarded player of the match.
B team: 16-0 win with Georgie being awarded player of the match.
C team: 1-0 win with Rosie and Dotty being awarded players of the match.
Well done, girls! A lovely afternoon had by all.
Mrs Coster
Monday 7th February 2022
U12 Netball
Yesterday the U12’s had their last netball game before the half-term, facing Kingsbridge at home. Stover started very well with good link up play from Lottie, Lily, and Imogen in the middle, consistently getting the ball down the court to Katy. Ava was the shooter on form however, scoring almost every time. At the end of the first quarter, Stover lead 9-0. Kingsbridge were much better in the following quarter, only allowing Stover to score once. Going into half time the score was 10-2. Kingsbridge continued to grow as the match went on, reducing the score deficit significantly in the final quarter to 10-8, however great defending and good interceptions from Rosa and Sophia stopped a few dangerous attacks. The match finished 12-8 to Stover, with Katy being awarded player of the match. Well done to all of those involved.
Tuesday 1st February 2022
U16 Football
Tuesday afternoon saw a first for the U16’s as they made the 2 hour journey to Dorset to play in their first ever National cup match. The opposition were Milton Abbey, a school known for its football and with an academy set up, we were expecting an incredibly tough afternoon.
Match Report written by Year 11 Pupil Oliver B
“We started off the game poorly and quickly conceded an early goal through a low cross from the right-hand side. Growing into the game slowly we started to take control of the game. Although surrendering a lot of possession we looked sharp and had a number of chances on the counter. Aaron D found himself free on the left, 40 yards from goal and brilliantly lobbed the keeper to make it 1-1. We continued to pile on the pressure and again threatened the Milton Abbey goal. Year 10 Jack V ran onto a fantastic ball from Jack C only to be brought down in the box and awarded a penalty. Oliver B stepped up and cooled slotted into the bottom right corner. 2-1 up and a deserved lead was then taken away when a misjudgement from keeper Pip J saw him slice into his own net to go in at the break 2-2.
Unfortunately, the second half started dreadfully, and we managed to ship three goals in quick succession. A flurry of chances in the last 20 minutes saw us only managing to hit the Milton Abbey goalkeeper (who had a fantastic game) and unfortunately the game finished 5-3″.
A really frustrating afternoon as for long periods we dominated the game and felt we could’ve snuck a win. A massive thank you to the four-year 10’s who stepped in at the last minute to help out; William W, Jack V, Sol B and Noah S.
Men of the match were Aaron D for a very dominant midfield performance and Oliver B for organising and controlling the back three.
Milton Abbey- 5
Stover School- 2 (Aaron D, Oliver B)
Tuesday 1st February 2022
The U14 & U15s travelled to Shebbear today. After a long journey and a brisk warm up in the cold North Devon wind, we were raring to go.
The U14s had a bit of a shaky start in the first quarter the wind was a big factor in the game, and we needed time to settle our passing and get in a good rhythm. Cyrna was key in settling the team down and Georgia and Mollie had an excellent start in defence which enabled us to get the ball back down into the circle. Jani found her form in the second half as did Ellen and the goals were more forthcoming. Pheobe gained in confidence and the ball was flowing well in attack. At half time the score was 7-1 to Stover. A similar second half ensued and the final score was 13-1 to Stover.
Meanwhile the U15s were playing their game on the opposite court. Mrs Craven joined them for the second half the score already 10-5 to Stover. After a few changes in attack the team were shaping up really nicely. The ball was moving quickly on a turnaround and through the centre court, Eleanor and Cecily were exceptional. Once Jules gained her confidence she was also a calming force through the middle third. Some tricky shooting senarios for Ella and Abbie in the D but they really accelerated the scoreline in the second half and whilst Abbie C and Ellsa were not under too much pressure in defence they were very difficult to get the ball past. The final score was 25-9 to Stover.
Mrs Coster.
Monday 31st January 2022
U12s
The U12s braved the elements against Shebbear at home in very cold and blustery conditions. This did not deter their enthusiasm and energy on court at all. Every quarter saw purpose and physicality to work hard as a team and try to win every ball whilst setting up sequences of passing on court. Everyone played their part brilliantly and never stopped pushing for more.
Katie and Ava were sublime as our shooters, working well together, setting up a plethora of goals throughout. Imogen, Lily and Lottie covered an amazing amount of ground on court, with countless supporting runs into space. Sophia and Rosa kept their focus throughout, and when they needed to step things up in defence, they did so with effort and determination to get the second ball. Katie’s accuracy and range of shooting angles was fantastic.
With each end of quarter team talk, we re-grouped, focused on minute details for the next quarter and set off with our intentions made for the next 10 minutes of play.
The overall result was 34-4 to Stover! A very strong and competitive match from the Stover girls, who won with grate and maturity. Well done, girls!
Mrs Coster.
U13s
Today the U13s played Shebbear. We have done some real prep for this match over the past week, working on our dodging and accuracy of passing. We were keen to see if we could implement our changes today. The first quarter did not start well, we were still struggling to get the ball into the circle to our shooters.
After a quick turnaround and team chat we were back on to try and make things work in the circle, with a little bit of encouragement from Mrs Craven, we finally realised we needed to wait for the dodge and make some smaller quick passes in the D to get into a good shooting position. Everything seemed to finally click into place and we had a much more successful quarter at half time the score was 7-2 to Stover.
Building on this we really established a much better play down the court in the second half. Our defence was excellent throughout and the centre court was dominated by Emily. Lily had a strong game this week and Meg had her first game. The final score was 17-4 to Stover.
Player of the match: Emily
Mrs Craven
Thursday 27th January 2022
U9A
The U9 had a great first football fixture of the new year away at Exeter School. With a squad of 6 the boys all performed very well. They started brightly, winning the ball back high up the pitch and stormed into a 1-0 lead from a well struck finish from Archie S. A lack of shape and indecisiveness in defence, gifted Exeter some easy goals and at the end of the 1st 10 minutes play the score was 5-1 to Exeter. A change of shape and tactics saw Stover completely dominate the two remaining thirds of the game. Edward P and Matias H were solid when defending, clearing any threat from the opposition. Goalkeeper, Harry K, made some great saves. The front three of Samuel J, Benji M and Archie S were a real danger and linked up well all game. Exeter failed to score for the final 20 minutes of the game, and amazingly Stover scored 4 to level the score 5-5. Stover even hit the woodwork on 3 occasions. A great first game and fantastic attitude from all involved.
Goals: Archie S x 2, Benji M x1, Samuel J x 2 Player of the match: Archie S
U9B The U9 football teams had a wonderful time at Exeter school this afternoon. After a shaky start, losing two goals in scrappy goalmouth scrambles, the B team improved our play across the pitch. Our Captain, Florry, led by example by driving forwards with the ball at every opportunity. James B was excellent at the back and made some important tackles and was awarded player of the match. Tom, in goal, had a relatively easy afternoon in a match where Stover dominated possession; he had to keep his concentration to make some important saves when the ball came his way. Tom and James L worked extremely hard on the wings, tackling back and supporting the attack well. Our hat-trick hero, Benjamin W, was voted players’ player of the match with some excellent dribbling and finishing on show throughout. After those two early goals against us, Stover managed to show amazing resilience to end the match as 3-2 winners.
Goals: Benjamin W x 3 Player of the match: James B
Tuesday 25th January 2022
Yesterday the U14 boys travelled to Shebbear College for their first football match of the season. Stover had a shaky start and unfortunately conceded two early goals, leaving the boys with much to do in the first half. The boys then started to find their rhythm and great link-up play by Gonzalo, Lucas, and Archie saw Jorge through on goal where he calmly slotted the ball in the back of the net. Shebbear’s goalkeeper made some excellent saves, denying Stover on numerous occasions. Half time came and we trailed 4-1. In the second half, confident defending by Frazer and Pure kept the score down and gave Stover the chance to even things up. Unfortunately, a few missed chances and some great goalkeeping saw Shebbear come out on top. Player of the match went to Henry Widnell for his excellent attitude and sportsmanship. Well done to everyone involved
Miss Thorpe
Tuesday 25th January 2022
Today the U14 and U15s had their first matches of the new netball season against Plymouth College. The U15s had a terrific start to the game which was end to end. Strong passing and clever movement down the court was evident but we struggled to convert our shooting opportunities. With a quick team talk at quarter time, Ella and Liv stepped up their play and worked hard to get the ball past the Plymouth defence, this time delivering the shots. At half time the score was 7-5 to Stover. A tight match continued to play out. Stover drew ahead thanks to Cecily and Eleanor’s great attacking and the final score ended 17-13 to Stover. Player of the match was Abbie. Special mention also to the dynamic Ellsa who stepped into our defence- a tremendous game from her too.
Tuesday 25th January 2022
The U13s played Plymouth College today in their second game of the season. We were optimistic that we would perform well but Plymouth was strong from the outset and we were struggling to gain possession in attack in the first quarter. After the initial shock we revisited our attacking tactics but still found it hard to penetrate the court to get the ball to our shooters. Anna and Daisy, we really tested in the defensive circle but made numerous tips and interceptions. Claudia and Amelia came on in this game and had a good impact slotting into their positions very well. Emily worked tirelessly in both attack and defence but Plymouth just had the better of us throughout. Final score 27-4. Player of the match was undoubtedly Anna. Accuracy of passing and dodging are key areas to focus on in our next session.
Mrs Craven
Monday 24th January 2022
On Monday Plymouth College travelled to Stover to play in a U12 Netball match. Stover started extremely well in the first quarter, scoring off all but one centre. Great positioning and accurate passing from Dara, Rosa, Lilly, and Lottie allowed the attack to get down the court and gave Katy and Ava numerous opportunities to shoot (which they did not miss!). At half time Stover was still on top with a score at 20-1. Heidi then made her debut and did not disappoint; she had a fantastic impact on the game and improved significantly in the final quarter. Imogen positioned herself well and seemed to intercept everything. Her ability to read the game and her tactical understanding were terrific. Stover was victorious in the end, with the match finishing 31-13. A fantastic afternoon of netball with lots of valuable experience gained by all the girls. Player of the match went to Imogen. Well done to all those involved.
Wednesday 19th January 2022
Yesterday the U12 and U13s played their first game of the new netball season. St Johns fielded one mixed team of U12s and U13s so we played our U12s for one half of the game and the U13s for the other half. After a shaky start, the U12s started to get into a better rhythm and were able to link their passes together and find space on the court to enable our shooters to have a scoring opportunity. Katie missed the first few opportunities but then settled and was able to convert most of her shots for the rest of the game. Ava also shot well and once she adjusted her positioning in the circle was able to receive the ball well too. Rosa worked hard in defence at the other end of the court and Lily’s accurate passing made her a good link between attack and defence. Imogen’s intelligent positioning enabled her to help push our score from 6-3 at halftime to 13-8 at the final whistle. A great first game yr7, already a significant improvement from the beginning of term. POM- Katy
In the second half, the U13s really came out with a point to make. Much work has been done over the past term in Netball Club on positioning and timing to get the ball down the court. The team opened really well with crisp and accurate passing. Daisy (caught every ball!) and Sophie were awesome in the circle, shooting and scoring from every angle. Daisy DB and Anna were solid in defence, turning over the ball on numerous occasions but also marking well. Emily had a terrific impact on the team formation and her timing and tactical awareness were superb. Lily linked into this centre court play brilliantly. Lottie had her debut in the yr8 team and was also able to play her part in the game. After a terrific score of 14-0 in the first half, Miss Thorpe mixed the team up in the second half with a final score of 18-1 to Stover. POM- Sophia
Mrs Craven
Thursday 17th January 2022
U12 Football v Trinity School
This afternoon the Under 12 football team opened their season with a home match against rivals Trinity School.
Having not had much chance to see the boys play yet I picked a large squad with the plan to rotate the boys around. We kicked off up the hill and straight from the off controlled possession well and created several chances. The Trinity goalkeeper was having an excellent game and kept our strikers at bay. However, the breakthrough came just before half time when Herbie G popped up in the 6-yard box to poke home. Thats how it finished at half time.
Second half and we were now attacking down the hill. We again kept control of the ball nicely and began to again put pressure on the Trinity defence. Aleks Shirt, popped up at the far post to squeeze the ball home, followed by a great finish from captain George E and a second from Herbie. Man of the match Freddie C got a well-deserved goal after a fantastic afternoon in the middle of midfield. Herbie then rounded of his hat-trick with a neat finish before moment of the match fell to Joel McDowell who picked up the ball on the edge of the 18-yard box, drove past 2 players before smashing home into the top corner.
The game finished 7-0 and an excellent first run out for the boys. Special mention must go to Teo who whilst on his taster week stepped in and had a fantastic game. Well done to all the boys who took part.
This afternoon, the U11 travelled over to the Moor to Mount Kelly to play four 10-minute quarters in a fiery and competitive round of mini matches.
In our first game against one of their teams, we started as we meant to go on with Eva being strong and aggressive in the very first tackle, winning us the ball and pushing up with a flourish. This enabled all of the girls to get stuck in and play their part and we all worked tirelessly in attack. We won this game 2-0.
In our second game against a different team, we played 3 quarters. Building on our positivity from the first game, we started from the first whistle with energy and assertiveness. We had most of the possession throughout the game. Our movement off the ball was fantastic and our supportive runs into the ball were formidable with a plethora or goal-scoring opportunities, with half a dozen shots narrowly going just past the post. We should have won this game and definitely deserved to with us having most of possession and the most shots in the game. But Mount Kelly caught us out from quick free hits and us being a little slow defending the ball, resulting in them scoring two relatively easy goals.
Our wide players, Amber and Eva are getting used to running in at either post. Fran and Arabella are learning to support one another in midfield, covering a lot of ground. Millie fitting into the team as an extra centre midfielder, supporting her team mates well. Dotty and Kitty were a strong defensive pair, having to pay attention and put pressure on our opponents, making some strong tackles. Kita made some good saves and clearances in goal.
This was our best round of matches this season so far and there is so much positivity to take away from our team performance. I am very proud of the girls.
Mrs Coster
Thursday 4th November 2021
U13 Netball Triangular
Today, the U13s had a triangular against Teign and Trinity school. Our first game was against Trinity and we made a great start. Katy and Daisy make a good pair in the D and created some great chances to shoot. The final score was 11-0 to Stover, Daisy B the player of the match. In our second game we were up against Teign’s U13 team. They were quick in attack and caught us out at the start of the game. We did find our rhythm but lost this game 9-2. POM- Tilly. Our final game was against Teign’s U12 team. We made a few changes again for this game and ended up with a pleasing result winning 6-1.
POM- Anna G
Mrs Craven
Thursday 4th November 2021
YEAR 3&4 HOCKEY
This afternoon, we were fortunate enough to take all of the Year 3 and 4 girls to St Peter’s to play in a triangular with St Peter’s and Maynard. For some of the girls, this was their first fixture, which they showed maturity, stepping up and getting stuck into the games really well.
In the B and C teams, we are all learning the importance of staying in our position and how we can win the ball, taking the ball out wide, utilising the space. This is work in progress but we are making inroads. The girls made some great tackles including Bessie, Sophie, Grace and Ruby B, all showing increasing confidence as the fixtures went on.
All of the girls had two games each and the girls were rotated into different positions, allowing some time for on-field experience. Standout players were Lottie, Harriet, Bessie, Florry H. Harriet, Lottie and Esme all had a handful of goal-scoring opportunities in both matches, which shows real promise. All of the girls did really well and I very proud of them all.
Mrs Coster
Wednesday 3rd November 2021
The U11s, on a bitterly cold day, had a fantastic match at Exeter School. Despite not playing any rugby for two weeks, Stover started the game well and stormed into a two try lead from tries from Thomas S. The game levelled off with Stover scoring another and Exeter scoring two. Stover moved the ball in attack but failed to be efficient at the breakdown often losing the ball. The second half saw Stover much more effective at the ruck; getting there quicker and demonstrating a better body position. Josh M carried the ball with physicality as did Lewis H and Robey K. Marco B was fierce in defence, often leading the defensive line. Stover scored five tries in the second half which capped off a great performance.
Player of the match – Thomas Smith
Mr Ryan
Thursday 14th October 2021
The U11s faced Plymouth College in their second match on a big pitch at the Marjon University Campus. The Plymouth College girls started strongly, scoring in the first few minutes. But Stover rallied and responded with an equaliser towards then end of the first quarter.
The girls listened well in the coaches’ talk and the plan for the second half was to close the opposition down quickly. This tactic proved fruitful and individual pressure resulted in Stover taking the lead 2 -1. Plymouth however, responded instantly with a quick goal, an important lesson in keeping focused and not conceding.
During half-time we able to focus on playing with width in attack and Stover moved the ball quickly out wide to relieve pressure with good effect. The Plymouth side had some experienced players and our Stover girls had to deal with repeated attacks and when we were able to get into the attacking third we always looked like we might score.
Following a well worked move Stover took the lead and kept the lead to finish 3 – 2 winners. Special mention to Kita who was voted player of the match by the opposition and Belle who effort levels were a reflection of how hard the whole team worked. After the game the girls celebrated with a chocolate cookie, crisps and orange juice and spent the return journey signing in the school mini bus. Bring on the next challenge.
Mr Mooney
Wednesday 13th October 2021
This afternoon, 12 children from Year 3&4 were invited to come along to the Sport Partnership’s Netball Festival. In total, there were 4 schools taking part in a carousel of netball activities, these being Stover, Bovey Tracey, Ashburton and Moretonhampstead. Our children thoroughly enjoyed themselves, learning new netball skills and tactics. South Dartmoor Community College ran the event with their 6th form sports leaders taking charge of the activities. Well done to our Year 3&4 pupils and the 6th form sports leaders.
Mrs Coster
Wednesday 13th October 2021
This afternoon we were lucky enough to at a tournament at Exeter School in a 4 game Round Robin against Exeter School, Plymouth, Mount Kelly and Exeter Cathedral School.
We were a little shaky to begin with as were getting into the tournament but we started to show confidence on the ball and creating some goal scoring opportunities. We had to get back to basics with our positioning, tackling techniques, and beating an opponent.
In our last two matches we showed a little bit more fire and determination to move the ball into the attacking D, creating some lovely runs and shots at goal.
Our highlight games were against Plymouth College, finishing with a 0-0 draw and Mount Kelly with a 1-1 draw. In these games we showed more dominance and supporting play, keeping better shape. Our player of the tournament, as voted by the other teachers, went to Belle. Mrs Coster’s player of the tournament went to Dotty for countless saves.
We have some Good points to take away from this tournament that will move us forwards. Belle and Harriet stepped up in Year 5 to support our Year 6 players. Well done.
Mrs Coster
Thursday 14th October 2021
This afternoon we went away to Marjon’s University to play in a U9 Hockey Tournament. We had a Round Robin against Truro, Maynard, Plymouth College, Mount Kelly and Exeter School.
The girls did well. Gaining in confidence as the tournament went on, focusing on little pointers to improve on our overall game. We backed each other up well, increasing our awareness of positioning and where we needed to hold our shape.
At the top of our attack, Millie, Isabel, Sabelle and Louisa were formidable on the ball and getting into the D. Indi in centre midfield was awesome, showing strength and resilience to get the ball back and play it into the D for the next attack.
At the back, Aphra, Florrie and Emma showed concentration, alertness and determination to clear the ball away as quickly as possible.
Out of the 5 games, we managed to score a plethora of delightful finishes in 3 matches against Mount Kelly, Plymouth College and Truro. This was a team effort, with everyone doing their best for each other and the team as a whole. Miss Thorpe and Mrs Coster are so proud of what the girls achieved today and we’ve taken away a tonne of positive points moving forward.
Players of the tournament: Millie and Indi
Wednesday 13th October 2021
On Tuesday, the U15 Boy’s rugby team made the familiar trip over the moor to take on a strong Mount Kelly team. The game was intense as both teams matched each other in defence with some bone-shuddering tackles. The game played at a fantastic pace, this, combined with the great skill level on display from both teams meant that there were long passages of play with no breaks. Stover moved the ball well in attack, often finding space in the wider channels where wingers Tom W and Jack V were unfortunate not to score. The result could have gone either way and on a different day Stover could have come out victorious. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be on this occasion. There were some great performances from Henry G who continually threatened the MK defensive line and often bullied the opposition at the breakdown. Joe K orchestrated attacks well from fly-half. Claude Mc was a constant frustration with his immense and ferocious tackles from full-back. Sol B carried the ball hard and was a nuisance in attack and defence all game. Finally, Felix H showed great strength to score a try at the end of the game. Final score was 42-29 to MK – Stover can be extremely proud of their efforts. MK – 6 Tries 4 Conversions Stover 5 Tries 2 Conversions
Thursday 7th October 2021
The U13s travelled to TGGS today to play in the first round of the league. This week they were representing the U14s who were unable to attend because of the residential, so the U13s were under pressure to raise their game. A round robin was played against TGGS and NAC, who both had A and B teams.
The results were; Stover v NAC B- 7-0 WINStover v TGGS B- 1-1 DRAWStover v NAC A- 1-0 WINStover v TGGS A- 0-1 LOSS
Miss Payne said that the girls were fierce out in attack. Some lovely play from Meg in midfield, creating lots of the scoring opportunities. Emily and Tilly played well positionally, working hard to bring the ball into the circle. Our backs defended well and made some great decisions. More work next week to develop the teams tactical awareness in their various roles, as the team return to play again, in their own tournament- everything bodes well!
Mrs Craven
Wednesday 6th October 2021
On Wednesday the Under 13’s travelled to St John’s. Coming off a fantastic but frustrating match at St Peters the boys were keen to get back to winning ways.
Match Report by Henry E
At the start of the game it was all a bit slow and we struggle to get any momentum like we had been in previous games. However we were still good enough to open the scoring after two minutes through Henry who scored under the posts. This woke us up a bit but the rugby still wasn’t flowing as several missed tackles from St John’s meant several players were trying to ‘go it alone’ and not pass when options were available. This still proved successful however and we were four further tries to the good via Will P, 2 from Ashton and Will S. Knowing the result was already pretty comfortable we then started to move the ball much quicker and only got stronger as the game progressed. Some of the rugby was fantastic and orchestrated brilliantly By Jonah, Oli and Jack in the midfield. We ended up comfortable winners 16 tries to 0. A huge thank you to St John’s for hosting and persevering throughout the game despite the scoring going against them. Man of the match went to Jonah for stepping in at 10 to allow Jack to recover from a slight knock. Special mention to Tom R for securing his first try for the school! Well done to all involved!
St Johns- 0Stover- 80 (Henry E, Will P x2, Ashton x3 Will S x2, Oli R x4, Jonah x2, Max P and Tom R)
Wednesday 6th October 2021
Our U10 and U11 Hockey teams were delighted to have an away fixture at St Peter’s, playing on the Marine Camp’s astro in fine sunshine.
The U11s set off with high tempo and spirit to win every ball and work it up the pitch. Stover made a lot of physical and determined tackles throughout the match. Fran dominated midfield with her commitment both on and off the ball, covering so much ground. Amber and Arabella linked up well in attack, creating some excellent goal-scoring opportunities in and around the D. Milly played exceptionally well in defence, closing down attacking balls into the D and feeding the ball out wide to our midfielders. Rosie showed resilience and hard work when she played left midfield, showing great agility to get around an opponent. Dotty, Kitty and Kita backed each other well in defence, showing concentration and commitment to come forward and tackle strongly. Amber, Fran, and Arabella pushed hard in attack and almost capitalised in a goal in their own right on many occasions. Their perseverance paid off as late in the game, they hounded the opposition and forced a defensive error, resulting in a goal for Stover, finishing the match 1-0 to Stover.
Mrs Coster’s players of the match: Fran and Milly
Mrs Coster
Wednesday 6th October 2021
Tuesday 5th October 2021At the start of the game, it was all a bit slow and we struggle to get any momentum as we had been in previous games. However, we were still good enough to open the scoring after two minutes through Henry who scored under the posts. This woke us up a bit but the rugby still wasn’t flowing as several missed tackles from St Johns meant several players were trying to ‘go it alone’ and not pass when options were available. This still proved successful however and we were four further tries to the good via Will P, 2 from Ashton and Will S. Knowing the result was already pretty comfortable we then started to move the ball much quicker and only got stronger as the game progressed. Some of the rugby was fantastic and orchestrated brilliantly By Jonah, Oli and Jack in the midfield. We ended up comfortable winners 16 tries to 0. A huge thank you to St John’s for hosting and persevering throughout the game despite the scoring going against them. Man of the match went to Jonah for stepping in at 10 to allow Jack to recover from a slight knock. Special mention to Tom R for securing his first try for the school! Well done to all involved!
Mr Halse
Tuesday 5th October 2021
The U11s had a greatly competitive and even match against St Peter’s U11.
In perfect conditions, Stover started the game brightly with Jack Luckes and Henry Patt carrying the ball hard. However, Stover gave the ball away too easily and, as a result, found themselves defending for long periods of time. Despite defending well, the pressure was too much and allowed St Peter’s to take a 2-0 lead. A powerful run from Henry saw Stover pull one back. This seemed to wake team up and from that moment they were the dominant team in the match. Freddie Vinney, player of the match, had a great game throughout. He controlled things in attack with some fantastic passes, as well as making some great recovery tackles. The first half finished 3-2 to St Peter’s. The second half saw Stover much more on the front foot and dominant in the rucks. Robey Knight got in some good positions when rucking and Eli Noble was fierce in defence. Tom Smith and Gabriel Patterson stuck to their positions well and came off their wings looking for the ball. The final score was 5-5 a thoroughly deserved and entertaining draw.
Try scorers
Henry P x2
Freddie V x2
Tom S
Mr Ryan
Tuesday 5th October 2021
U14 CVL Netball Tournament
The U14s travelled to the hub for their first netball central venue fixtures this week. We were looking forward to playing four teams in the league. Our first game was against St Cubert Mayne and we made a good start. Ellen led the shooting and scored two great goals in the first half eventually voted POM. Georgia made her mark as well in this game with some great positional play and accurate passing. We won this game 5-2. Our next game was against a well-drilled NAC- who we had already eyed up in the warm-up, so we knew they were going to be tough opponents. Unfortunately, we struggled in attack in this game and lost 14-0. With a slightly better second half, we defended so well, Molly POM, but were outclassed. Looking at things positively we dusted ourselves off and went into our next game against Teign. Our passing had settled but in this game again we were struggling to get the ball out in attack, we did win this game 3-0. Georgia switched position, out of her comfort zone and stepped up to play GA, making a real difference in attack. Another win for Stover 3-0, Ella was voted POM. In our final game, we played TCC. The girls were starting to show their skills in this game. Lizzie made some great interceptions and Georgia scored her first goal! In a shortened game we had our final win 2-0. POM Ella.
Mrs Craven
Thursday 30th September 2021
Prep Mixed Tag Rugby v Trinity School
This afternoon, we managed to organise a mixed tag fixture at Trinity School involving 23 children. This was a fantastic opportunity to have a competitive fixture but within a friendly and nurturing environment. The children and parents had a brilliant afternoon of sport.
In Mrs Coster’s team, the children moved the ball really well, zig-zagging into space along the touchline, sidestepping our opponents. Harriet, Will and Matias were formidable in attack, reading the game well. Jacques, Sennen and Grace defended well keeping a strong backline. Florry and James picked up the game as it went on, gaining in self-confidence. We managed to score 7 tries and conceded 3. Player of the match: Harriet
In Mr Ryan’s team, it was an evenly matched game. Lucas and William were a threat with the ball in their hands, finding space in tight areas. Indi and Benji were fantastic and fearless when running with the ball. In the fourth quarter, the difference was clear to see with their tactical awareness and defensive skills improving greatly. Player of the match: Indi. In Miss Thorpe’s team, Stover got off to an excellent start, scoring 2 tries in the first quarter. Trinity came back strong in the second quarter, and Stover had to dig deep to stay on top. Each member of the team scored at least one try, with Sam scoring 3 and Edward scoring 6. Stover defended well for the remainder of the match, turning the ball over on numerous occasions.
Player of the match: Edward
Tuesday 28th September 2021
Prep School Cross Country at Stover School
Stover played host to our first Partnership event since before Covid, and it was so brilliant to see so many pupils taking part, despite the weather!!!! It certainly didn’t put off the pupils, with smiles all round. The afternoon consisted of competitive races for the U9s and U11s, followed by a massive fun run from pupils in Year 3-6 being all together. Costumes were amazing for the fun run, with 2 pupils from The Grove, receiving the fancy dress prizes. There were also sports leaders from Orchard Manor, Newton Abbot College and South Dartmoor all giving up their time to assist.
The top 4 results from each age category were as follows: U9 Girls: 1st: Indi 2nd: Isabel 3rd: Millie 4th: Louisa U9 Boys: 1st: Lucas 4th: Matias 6th: Benji 7th: Sennen U11 Boys: 3rd: Myles 16th: Marco 23rd: Charles 25th: Topi
The fantastic joint U9 scores, gave us the overall win at U9 level, winning the event trophy! Well done to our Year 5 boys too, with them having to run against Year 6 Boys at the U11 level.
In the fun run, we had children dressed up in a range of costumes, including a cat, Harry Potter, a Pink Panther, and children wearing PJs.
All of the children thoroughly enjoyed themselves, both with running and cheering their team mates on.
Well done from Mrs Coster.
Tuesday 28th September 2021
U15 Football v South Dartmoor Community College
This afternoon our U15 Girls Football team faced South Dartmoor Community College away in absolutely horrendous weather that persisted throughout the entire match. This did not deter our efforts and hard work on the pitch. We showed good shape, offering support and options on the wings and in the centre of midfield. We grew in confidence as the match went in with closing down the ball and making some strong tackles.
Harriet and Jules had to stay alert and focused throughout, with some tight goal-side marking to be made against their fiesty number 9 player. Alex in goal made a plethora of absolutely stunning saves in and around the box, both in the air and along the ground. Ella, Ellsa and Daisy J were strong-willed in midfield, making so many runs through defence and attack. Eleanor created a lot of space as our striker, looking to get on the end of our long passes up front.
During the first half, both teams were well balanced with good phases of possession and some lovely goal-scoring opportunities, which could not quite be finished, ending in 0-0. In the second half, despite being drenched to the bone, the girls continued with their high work rate, both on and off the ball. We went 0-1 down half way through the second half, but our perseverance paid off with Eleanor getting a toe on the end of a ball less than 3 yards in front of goal. The match ended with a 1-1 draw, but we did have half a dozen chances in front of goal, which were very close and encouraging for our efforts.
Well done, girls! Mrs Coster’s players of the match: Alex and Ella.
Friday 24th September 2021
U13 Rugby v Exeter Cathedral
On Friday afternoon, a very eager U13B side travelled to Exeter Cathedral for their first fixture of the year. For some it was their first competitive full contact match. The game couldn’t have started any worse however as the boys struggled to come to terms with the physicality of the opening few minutes and we found ourselves three tries down almost immediately. The boys then rallied and all of a sudden started making their tackles and were starting to be really competitive over the ball. Things stayed all square through out the rest of the quarter and they remained that way until the 3rd. Harry Y then broke free and sped down the touchline to score in the corner making it 15-5. We pressed and pressed but with no joy as our handling let us down under pressure. Into the final quarter and it couldn’t have started any better as Ashton C burst through the defence to score. 15-10 with 10 minutes to go, but unfortunately we couldn’t find the break through and the game ended that way. A fantastic effort from the boys and really good to be back playing competitive fixtures.
Man of the match was Year 7 Herbie G for some ferocious tackling in the midfield. Thanks to Exeter Cathedral for hosting a fantastic afternoon of rugby.
Mr Halse
Friday 24th September 2021
U10 Hockey Tournament at Exeter School
This week, the Year 5 girls faced their very first hockey fixture of the year at Exeter School for an U10 Hockey tournament. The afternoon played host to a physical and hard round of 6 matches against Exeter School, West Buckland, Maynard, Queen’s College, Blundell’s and Plymouth College. The weather was rather warm and some games were back to back, meaning that the girls had to recover quickly and re-focus on the next game in hand.
The girls showed fantastic composure and positional play that improved with each game. Katie having never played GK before really impressed with a plethora of saves throughout the tournament, which resulted in Katie being identified as most improved player of the tournament. Belle was the engine of the team, covering so much space in defence and attack, never giving up or sitting back and scoring a fantastic goal against Maynard. Darcy and Harriet played well on the wings, supporting Belle really well, keeping their shape in midfield. Sienna and Tori played well in defence, gaining in confidence as the tournament went on, making better tackles and clearances of the ball. Vicky and Lottie supported well when they came on the pitch in both defensive and attacking positions, showing strength in their tackles and understanding of where to clear the ball in set plays. Georgie enjoyed switching between centre forward and centre midfield positions to win the ball back and create a pass into the D.
The stand out performances were against Maynard, where we won 1-0 with a goal from Belle and our 0-0 draw against Blundell’s, being tough defending quite a few short corners. During each game within the tournament, we gained in confidence, showing strength in our tackling, by keeping good possession and setting up some attacking runs into the D, with some excellent chances going narrowly wide.
I am really proud of our girls for their hard work and determination.
My players of the tournament are Katie and Belle for their ‘never give up attitude’ and team spirit throughout.
Mrs Coster
Friday 24th September 2021
U13A Rugby v Exeter Cathedral
On Friday afternoon, the U13A team travelled to Exeter Cathedral for a great match of rugby. Stover took the lead through an excellent interception From Jonah P. He ran the length of the pitch to dive over the line. After some aggressive play from Exeter Cathedral, they found themselves drawing the scores level at the halfway point. After some excellent work by Oliver R, stepping inside and beating three defenders. He then played a great pass to William P, who scored our second try of the afternoon. Jonah then scored Stover’s third try after some excellent handling. Heading into the last ten minutes, Stover looked in control. However, Exeter Cathedral then scored with five minutes left and looked on top. Stover defended superbly and, Lewis L and Henry E led from the front, tackling low and often saving Stover from conceding. The full-time whistle blew and, Stover needed up 15-10 winners. All members involved were excellent and, it was a promising start to the season for our U13s.
Try scorers Jonah P x2 and William P MOTM – Henry E for his excellent defensive work.
Mr Steer
Wednesday 22nd September 2021
Stover Prep v Trinity School Aquathon
This afternoon, Stover Prep School had the fantastic opportunity to take part in our very first Aquathon event at Trinity School. This event involved a team relay, with each competitor swimming 50m and going straight into a 500m cross country run after learning how to make a smooth transition into their appropriate kit. Trinity and Stover both had two teams each, and all children were eagerly waiting in the pool area for each runner’s return for the next person to start their swim. This was a learning experience, and the children did so well, representing themselves and the school superbly. The teams were as follows:
Team 1: Fran, Arabella, Amber, Noah, Eli, Henry Team 2: Charles, Katie, Harriet, Tom, Belle, Darcy, Sienna
The results were Trinity first and fourth, Stover team 2 second, and Stover team 1 third. I am very proud of all the team for their effort and team spirit showed throughout. Hopefully, this is the start of future aquathons!
Mrs Coster
Tuesday 21st September 2021
Match Report U18 Rugby vs Mount Kelly 2nd Team
On Tuesday afternoon, our U18 team took on a strong Mount Kelly second team in our first rugby fixture of the season. The game was a great contest throughout, and physically Stover matched Mount Kelly all over the pitch. In the first half, Stover started brilliantly and created a few chances but couldn’t quite find the line. Mount Kelly defended well and created a few big chances of their own. Jack C produced some fine kicks off the boot to create great try-scoring opportunities but Stover went into halftime with the scores at 0-0. In the second half, Mount Kelly started on the front foot. They scored early under the sticks after some good work around the fringes of the breakdown. Stover reacted brilliantly, however. James G carried the ball superbly all game and finally bundled his way over the line. Jack C then executed a superb conversion to bring the score to 7-7. Stover had a chance to win it with two minutes left as Archie T ran through but spilled the ball over the line after an excellent last-ditch tackle. However, the game wasn’t quite finished as the last play went 2 minutes 40 seconds over. Aaron D produced some excellent footwork to beat three players and score in the corner. The final score finished Stover U18’s 12-7 Mount Kelly 2nds.
An excellent game throughout, played with real intensity and Stover were excellent in attack and defence. Well done to all involved.
Stover 12-7 Mount Kelly 2nds
Try scorers James Griffin, Aaron D – Conversion x1 Jack C MOTM – James G
Tuesday 21st September 2021
U16 CVL Netball v Paignton CC
On Tuesday, the U16s netball team travelled to Paignton to start the season in the Central Venue League (CVL).
Our first game was against a very strong Kingsbridge team who charged into the lead from the outset. The final score was 20-3. We were a little startled and after a quick team talk agreed to step up our game. We knew we had another tough set of opponents in Coombeshead but started out much better in this game. We made some positional changes to strengthen our midcourt and Rhianna had a huge impact in the second half. Amy and Evie worked really hard in the defensive end and made some super interceptions throughout. This game ended slightly better 19-7. Our final game was against Paignton. Slightly flagging we were slow to start again but picked up our pace and attack in the second half of the game. A close finish ended the game 7-9. A good performance from our girls with some good ideas for progress in the coming matches.
Mrs Craven
Wednesday 15th September 2021
Stover U11 at Plymouth College Festival
Stover U11 had their first competitive match of Rugby since the Autumn of 2019 when the boys were in Year 4.
Plymouth College Prep School hosted a great afternoon of rugby in which Stover School faced 3 other schools. Their first game, versus Mount Kelly, was a very evenly fought match with both teams tackling and defending well. Stover went behind twice but tries from Tom S and Jack L ensured Stover remained level at the end. The next game against a big Truro side was not quite as even. Despite this, Stover managed to display some fantastic rugby. There was a moment of the match where Stover must have recycled the ball 20 times in the same possession. The elusive Gabriel P scored the only try of the game ending 4-1 to Truro. The final game v Exeter Junior School was again evenly matched but Stover felt the effects of playing 3 games back to back. Stover again played some great rugby and were looking to get the ball into the wide channels. Freddie V produced some fantastic offloads out of the tackle, setting up Henry P to score. Final score 4-1. The boys can be extremely proud of their performance as they all contributed in a great team effort.
Player of the day was Henry P who worked tirelessly in defence and carried hard in attack.
