The day after Sports Day is usually a time to rest and recover, but not for the senior boys’ football teams of the Red and Blue houses. The stakes couldn’t have been any higher as the two faced off in a crucial match to determine the champion of the senior boys’ football league. With Red having lost out victory to Blue on Sports Day by only 26 points, everything was on the line–- this was a chance of redemption for Red and an opportunity for Blue to hold on to their crown.
Blue needed just a draw to secure the senior boys’ football title, while Red needed a win, stinging from their draw against Yellow early in December. The anticipation was heavy in the air as the teams took their positions, each shot and pass brimming with intent. From the opening whistle, nerves and skills echoed through the stilts area, and Red’s Aarez Zaidi wasted no time in seizing an early opportunity to put his team ahead: 1-0. Momentum in their favor, Red struck again, this time through a direct free kick by Aarez, leaving the Red house with hope and the score at 2-0.
However Blue wasn’t going to back down, and Veer Gondal was able to capitalize on a mistake, narrowing the gap to 2-1. Gaining confidence back, Blue pushed harder, applying pressure and marking intensely. When a crucial penalty was awarded to Blue, all eyes locked onto Veer as he stepped to the spot, with the tension high and the crowd silent, Veer delivered, levelling the match at 2-2.
Aarez provided Red the lead once again, with a thrilling shot, completing his hat-trick in the process. Not long after, he scored the fourth goal for Red, further extending their lead and bringing the game back to Red’s favour. With not much time left in the game, Red marked closely, going on the defense. However, Blue House captain Arjun Shah seemed determined to take home the title, scoring a thrilling seventh goal of the game, once again narrowing the score, at 4-3. With just minutes left in the game, Red could almost taste their redemption, but with a long shot taken by Veer in the bottom left corner of the goal, he completed his hat-trick and secured Blue the title, earning them back-to-back wins.
The senior boys’ football final was nothing short of extraordinary, providing a fitting ending to an intense season spanning four months. In the end Blue’s ability to equalise was enough for them to be crowned the winners of the league. While it was a valiant effort by the boys in Red, it set the stage for a rivalry which we will anticipate in all categories.