Introduction
If the Spring/Summer term at Bangor Grammar School could be summed up in one word - it would be 'busy'. Clubs and societies eagerly jumped at the chance to bring back all the extra-curricular activities and opportunities that BGS pupils hold so dear. Teachers redoubled their efforts, revivifying the school's extra-curricular lifeblood, whilst simultaneously preparing students for the first public exams in two years. It is an anxious time for these students, but we wish them every success and hope that their hard work will be reflected in their grades.
The wearing of masks is still evident in the school, but it has become so commonplace that it barely registers anymore. This relaxation of restrictions also means that whole school assemblies are now possible again. One of the highlights of this term was a special awards assembly held on 25th March, to acknowledge and reward the school's successes. Mrs Huddleson addressed the entire school, celebrating our boys' achievements in a range of activities, both sporting and otherwise.
The U14 Hockey team in particular were lauded for bringing home the Ferris Cup, the first time a BGS team has done this since the 90s.
A sense of the old BGS 'school spirit' was palpable at this assembly; it is hard to believe how far we have come in the space of an academic year.
We were able to give our outgoing Year 14 boys a proper farewell, as they departed for their Study Leave. After sitting for a formal group photograph, the boys gathered to listen to some inspiring words from Head of Year Mr Hinds. Following a moment of silent reflection led by the Head Boy, the boys went outside to sing a final, emotional rendition of Comgall Noster, before playing together one last time in a range of sporting activities.
As the Year 14 boys said farewell to BGS, the staff seized the opportunity to pose for a group photograph. Spirits were high as the unruly adults were coaxed and cajoled, by an unusually jolly Mr Robinson, into looking reasonably formal and dignified.
The school bade a fond farewell to Gwen Kerr, a much-valued member of our canteen staff, who has worked in Bangor Grammar School for 24 years. In honour of her leaving, Mr Watkins made a lovely lunch for Gwen and the canteen staff during a staff development day.
We wish Gwen a long and happy retirement, enjoying long walks with her dog and spending time with her grandchildren. Her dedication and expertise will be missed by all her colleagues in BeeGees.
Belfast Marathon 2022
Two Year 13 teams took part in this year's Belfast City Marathon Relay, to raise vital funds for the NI Children’s Hospice. The boys raised an incredible £1,577, which was presented in a cheque to a representative from the charity. This was a particularly poignant moment, as we remember Josh Martin, who would have celebrated his 21st birthday this year.
Teacher Spotlight
Name: Matthew Armstrong-Sanchez.
What is your favourite memory of being a student at BGS?
It's hard to pick a favourite moment from my time at BGS. I tried to throw myself into as much as possible while I was in school, whether that be hockey, drama, technology competitions, athletics or being deputy head boy. When I start thinking about my time in school, one memory jumps straight to mind, captaining the school to their first hockey silverware of the century, winning the Burney Plate. This memory lives so fondly with me as I was the one to break the 1-1 deadlock with minutes to go. by scoring not only one of the most nerve-wracking penalties of my life but the best penalty - which slotted into the top left corner.
Your most embarrassing moment?
Throughout my time at BGS, Drama was one of my favourite subjects, so much so that I picked it to accompany Maths, Physics, and Technology at A-Level while trying to get an Engineering Degree at Queens University. In Drama, there can be a lot of embarrassing moments when trying to pull something funny off, but the one that tops it all is standing up in front of 200 parents, competing for Crosby in the Junior Drama Competition - trying to belt out ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ by Bonnie Tyler and having a massive voice break. Safe to say my face went BRIGHT RED and I never attempted singing again.
What have you been doing since leaving BGS?
After school, I studied Structural Engineering with Architecture at Queens University Belfast and graduated with first-class honours. This year I have just completed my PGCE and graduated from University of Ulster. Throughout my time on both my undergraduate and postgraduate degrees I have been an ever-present feature of the hockey coaching staff within BGS coaching several junior school teams.
How did it feel to be back in BGS?
Initially, it was the strangest feeling ever, calling your old teachers by their real names. My mind just kept hesitating. However, after a few days, I settled in and began to see what schools are like from the other side of the desk.
Did you always want to be a teacher?
I always wanted to be a teacher. I had my mind set on it since junior school; which is why it is so great to know I will be teaching Technology and PE in BGS this coming year.
The best thing about your time this year?
I felt privileged to be able to come back to BGS for my placement during my PGCE, and even luckier I was allowed to continue coaching the U14 hockey team with the full support of everyone in the school.
Then, before we knew it, we were playing in the final. BGS in the Ferris Cup Final. Not a Plate or a Bowl - the first major Cup Final of the century for Hockey or Rugby. I could not have been any prouder of the boys for getting so far, regardless of any result. As a coach, I felt nerves I had never felt before, a gut-twisting sickness feeling, with the added pressure of making sure the players don’t see it. So what was the best thing about this about my time in BGS this year? Seeing 18 boys run towards each other with the biggest smiles on their faces, jump on top of each other and forget about all their little personal issues and differences. BGS were considered the underdogs - showing Friends, Wallace, Sullivan and Banbridge (all top ‘Hockey’ schools) the importance of teamwork and a close-knit friendship group.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Never worry about other people's opinions. Just be yourself.
Business Studies Masterclass
Year 14 Business Studies students showed their creative potential at the YENI Digital Masterclass in February 2022 at BGS.
The Digital Masterclass programme is designed to show local business students enterprise opportunities which use new technology. There were a number of examples from the tv and film industry which has been hugely successful in Northern Ireland. TV series such as Game of Thrones and Line of Duty were used to showcase some of the digital effects created by local companies. Everything from motion capture to virtual and augmented reality was illustrated and celebrated. This expertise is available and being expertly demonstrated, right here in NI.
The masterclass then switched focus from what is currently available to: what can you come up with? The boys had to pick a target market and consider the challenges and problems that the group faced. They had to brainstorm solutions to the problem and sketch out how it would work, how it could be promoted and distributed; even what the user interface would look like in an accompanying app.
The boys seemed to enjoy the experience and showed amazing creativity and teamwork, coming up with some innovative ideas.
The winning team was Traveller Access: a VR experience for disabled would-be tourists, immersing them in the experience of a trip to the Giant’s Causeway without having to physically travel. This concept was chosen by Young Enterprise’s Rebekah White, who remarked on the quality of its inclusivity; not only for disabled people but possibly for those who have anxiety problems before they travel to a new place.
Thanks so much to the boys for taking such a positive attitude and for Rebekah from Young Enterprise for staging the event.
Mr S Sinclair, Head of Business Studies
Duke of Edinburgh
Rotary Youth Leadership
On the 31st of March to the 1st of April, the final stage of the Rotary Youth Leadership Development Competition took place. I, alongside 13 others, participated in a visit to Europe House in Dublin and delivered a presentation on European Security to a panel of representatives from Rotary, Industry and the European Parliament. We were particularly pleased to hear feedback from Ciaran Cuffe MEP, who represents Dublin.
This two-day trip was the culmination of several months of preparation, beginning with a school interview in January. Upon passing this stage, I was chosen to represent Bangor Rotary Club in the regional final of the competition, which took place in the Royal Court Hotel, Portrush. Consisting of another interview, regarding European politics, economics and environmental policy, this was undoubtedly the most difficult element of the competition. In Portrush, I was accompanied by members of Bangor Rotary Club, including their current President and our former Principal, Mr Stephen Connolly.
At the end of my interview, the group of candidates and their Rotary sponsors were gathered for lunch to announce the three regional winners who would, in a normal year, form part of Ireland’s delegation to the European Youth Parliament. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic, this event was not possible, however, an equally interesting itinerary was drawn up in its place – involving visits to Dublin Castle and the Titanic Centre in Belfast. We also paid a visit to Leinster House and Stormont during the initial three-day trip at the start of March. This part of the trip gave us time to begin work on the presentations we went on to deliver at the end of the month. Finally, we made our return to Dublin where we were hosted at Molesworth Street Masonic Hall, a very impressive building, which sits opposite Leinster House.
I feel privileged to have been part of such an enriching experience and have made some amazing friendships with people across Ireland through Rotary. Moreover, I enjoyed being given the opportunity to engage in debate on issues that are intrinsic to European Policy. I have also, undoubtedly, gained excellent interview experience which will be of great use to me when I apply to university at the end of the year. I would like to finish with a word of thanks to Mrs McDermott and everyone at Bangor Rotary Club for their support throughout the competition.
Patrick Davis, Year 13
Moving Image Arts
On March 9th, a number of Moving Image Arts students from Bangor Grammar were invited as special guests, to the Cinemagic Showcase in the Odeon Cinema, Victoria Square.
The boys had all been involved, last term, in the filming of one of the short films that made up the showcase. It was a wonderful experience for the boys to see the end result of their hard work, watching themselves on the silver screen for the first time.
We would like to thank Cinemagic for allowing our students to be part of their project - the quality of work on display was incredible and shows the strength of talent found in our young filmmakers.
One of our Year 13 students, Peter Allen, has since worked on a number of projects though his involvement with Cinemagic and was selected by the British Film Institute to take part in a prestigious filmmaking course over the Easter holidays. Peter's account of the event, in his own words, may be found below.
'Over the Easter break, I got the opportunity to take part in the British Film Institute’s Craft Skills Residential at the NFTS. It was a twelve-day trip to the sleepy village of Beaconsfield, where we got to prep and shoot a short film. I can admit to being something of a camera nut, and was beside myself with excitement at the prospect of getting to shoot on an Arri Alexa.
After a hectic week of shooting our footage, we went for a trip to the centre of London on the 7th day. After more than 2 years of COVID restrictions, it was definitely a much-needed change of scenery. During a trip to the Tate Modern, I began to realise how little I understand about modern art.
On the final day, we travelled into London to see our films screened at the National Film Theatre at the BFI Southbank, followed by a teary goodbye to the friends we had made. Looking back on the experience, I now see that the best bit of the trip was getting to spend twelve days with 65 other people who loved film and getting to share in their enthusiasm and passion.
I will finish by saying that it’s definitely worth applying to this course if you want to get into film-making as a career. The skills I learned during the course will be invaluable to me going forward.'
A link to the finished film, 'Sarah' can be found below.
http://screeningroom.nfts.co.uk/bfi-film-academy-2022/detail/videos/bfi-film-academy-channel/video/6304382019001/sarah?autoStart=true
Password: BFINFTS2022
Peter Allen, Year 13
Combined Cadet Force
In January the Year 11 recruits from both sections finally managed to get some training away from school, over the course of two weekends at Palace Barracks
The aim of the training was to learn basic military skills in camouflage and concealment and survival in the field by building a basic shelter (basher) and cooking a hot meal.
Resilience and leadership skills were also challenged through taking part in various command tasks, obstacle course and the field gun.
The cadets also had time for some archery and drill practice.
In February, Year 12 cadets participated over a weekend in the APCA event, honing their patrolling techniques in a series of exercises and war games.
SSgt D Watkins
Spring Concert
Although there are several annual school events that allow the Music department to contribute to the occasion’s formal proceedings, it is the annual Spring Concert that offers the best opportunity for pupils to showcase the wide range of creative music making occurring throughout the academic year. This year the young musicians delivered a veritable smorgasbord of tonal delicacies, fit for an audience starved of a Spring Concert since 2019.
As usual the Concert Band started and ended the evening. It was a fine sight to see the school’s wider community on their feet, supporting the pupils, while the ensemble gave the evening a stately opening with our school song followed by 'You Can’t Stop the Beat' from the Broadway musical, Hairspray. They followed this up later in the programme with two showstoppers, 'Critical Mass' by Todd Stadler and 'Into the Clouds' by Richard L Saucedo. The musical virtuosity resonated with an audience anticipating a rousing evening and the musicians were rewarded with a final standing ovation.
The exhilarating energy from the sixty-piece concert band provided a welcome foil to some of the event’s more intimate moments such as the Chamber Choir’s performance of 'An Irish Blessing' by our previous head of music, Jonathan Rea, who was on hand to offer support as a piano accompanist throughout the evening. It is worth mentioning that the current conductor of the Chamber Choir, Mrs Buchanan, was unable to participate in the concert due to illness. Her presence was missed by all and we would like to thank her for the work that she has put into the choir to date. We look forward to seeing her take the helm again in the next academic year.
Cameron Moody (Year 8) provided another memorable moment with 'Lágrima', a Romantic era prelude for solo guitar composed by the distinguished Spanish guitarist Francisco Terrága. Cameron was then joined on guitar by Mr O’Reilly with 'Echo for Two Lutes' by English Renaissance composer, Francis Pilkington. This contrasted with another English composer on the programme, Ivor Gurney, and his song, 'Sleep', from his song cycle, Five Elizabethan Songs. This was exquisitely interpreted by our own Year 14 student, Lucas Stanfield. Lucas’ experiences of performing as a singer with the Ulster Youth Choir and as an oboist with the City of Belfast Youth Orchestra have led to him developing his skills as a conductor. We thank him for the assistance that he has given to various ensembles over the years, culminating with him conducting the Orchestra for Young Men in their fiery rendition of 'In the Hall of the Mountain King' from Edvard Grieg’s perennially popular Peer Gynt Suite. We wish Lucas all the best in his future endeavours while reading Music at the University of Durham in September.
Another young musician planning to study music at university in September, Philip Acheson, gave an invigorating performance of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s 'Garota de Ipanema'. It is worth noting that Philip sang the original Portuguese lyrics whilst simultaneously playing the double bass. He was accompanied by Ben Watson, Mr O’Reilly and a wonderful flute solo by Christopher Anderson. Philip embodies the all-embracing spirit of the music department by singing in the various choirs, whilst playing tuba in the Concert Band, bass in the Jazz Band and an assortment of other ensembles. We are very grateful for all his contributions over the years and look forward to hearing of his musical adventures next year at QUB and with the Ulster Youth Jazz Orchestra.
The Jazz Band offered further highlights to note such as their quirky and swinging performance of Henry Mancini’s 'Moon River,' a funky Finesse and a Latin flavoured 'Sway (Quién Será)'. This highly stylised bolero-mambo song by Pablo Beltrán Ruiz was delivered with panache by our own Mrs Steele, who is to be thanked for her innate musicality and good humour throughout the rehearsals leading up to the concert.
It wouldn’t be a BGS concert without the senior boys’ own humour coming through with their samba band performance of Kazumi Totaka’s 'Nintendo Mii Theme', and a final Year 14 medley that included funky breakouts, shout choruses and rapping, all delivered with a casual, tongue-in-cheek technical brilliance.
As much as the evening belonged to the senior pupils who had been patiently waiting for so long to get back to what they do best, it was the junior pupils, making up the various choirs and ensembles, that gives hope and confidence that the future of music at BGS is in safe hands. This reached a pinnacle with a moment that those present will never forget. Calvin Cousins (Year 10) led a junior band and an audience determined to participate through singing, clapping and waving their lit phones through a rendition of Paul McCartney’s 'Hey Jude'.
An extra special word of thanks must go to the school’s leadership team; in particular Mr Robinson, who unwaveringly supported music-making throughout the school in recent years, when normal school life wasn’t always possible. The Music department is in a stronger position because of his support.
Mr P O'Reilly, Head of Music
Art Exhibition 2022
BGS Art department was delighted to once again welcome friends and family to the GCSE and A-Level Art and Moving Image Arts showcase following a two-year break. This year, the exhibition celebrated a diverse spectrum of art styles, disciplines and media - ranging from painting, printmaking and ceramics to photography, video and digital art and design.
It was wonderful to see so many people celebrating the hard work and determination of our talented young artists and film makers, all of whom have worked hard to overcome the challenges of remote teaching and completing coursework during lockdown.
The Next Generation Exhibition is an annual exhibition, organised by AND CULTURE, which celebrates the wealth of creativity from GCSE and A level artists in schools across the borough. The art is selected by an external committee and we were delighted that, yet again, BGS artists were chosen for this wonderful showcase.The exhibition is usually held in Ards Arts Centre but was only available online this year.
Follow the link below to enjoy the amazing talent represented from our students at BGS and others.
https://andculture.org.uk/bangor-grammar
Mrs C Steele, Head of Art
Junior Drama
Junior Drama club returned for the first time since restrictions were lifted, meeting once a week over a three month period. It is safe to safe that the boys fully embraced the opportunity to get together to create what can only be described as organised chaos. Each House produced a piece of original theatre based on the theme 'The Multiverse'. The four Houses performed for each other on Thursday 28th April, under the expert adjudication of Mr Moreland and Miss Harden. We are very proud of all who took part, and an especially big thank you is owed to the Year 13 directors. The entire process was a lot of fun and it was great to see everyone, particularly the younger boys, back on stage, continuing our long-standing tradition of dramatic excellence in BGS. The results were as follows:
Ward Best Actor: Ethan Rowan.
Crosby Best Actors: Isaac Johnston & Jack Andrews
Dufferin Best Actor: Matthew Reid
School Best Actor: Charlie Parker
Best Overall Actor: James McCrea
Mrs K Payne, Head of Drama
Food Technology
In the summer term, the Food Technology Department got the opportunity to engage in lots of baking activities to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Year 8 set themselves a challenge and began making a selection of sweet treats fit for a Queen’s tea party. First on the menu was a Victoria sponge. Pupils displayed an array of talent as they made sponges and decorated with berries and fresh cream. A lemon and amaretti trifle that included 20 ingredients and took five hours to prepare was announced as the official 'BGS Platinum Pudding'. As practical lessons are confined to one hour, an alternative chocolate trifle was created and well received by the pupils. The final component of the tea party allowed pupils the opportunity to make raspberry and white chocolate scones.
Attention then turned to staff and a House Bake-Off competition. Ten potential ‘Star Bakers’ descended to the ‘Bake-Off Tent’ - aka L5 - to showcase their talent. It was a fun afternoon and everyone produced their cake to a very high standard. In fact, this resulted in it being too close to call an outright winner. Transferring the cake into a box for home posed the greatest challenge for many, especially for poor Mr Holley.
We look forward to another fun-filled year In Food Technology.
Mrs L McDermott, Head of Food Technology
Sports Day
On June 24th, Sports Day returned. For the Junior school, it was their first ever Sports Day at Bangor Grammar. For the Senior school, it was a reassuring sign of things getting back to normal. The day was a total success, with boys competing ferociously for precious House points, hoping to secure a win for their House. Spirits were high and the boys returned home that evening, exhausted and happy.
Swimming
Ben Riddell, Austin Williams, Callum Slagter and Alex Newman achieved success this term at the Ulster School’s Cup, winning gold as a relay team. Alex Newman also won an individual gold medal.
Special mention must go to Ben Riddell who captained the school team throughout the season and demonstrated leadership qualities while in charge of the Bath Cup Team. Ben's account of the Swim Ulster event can be read below.
Swim Ulster Schools Cup 2022
Saturday the 5th of February saw 13 of our classmates compete in the annual regional secondary school’s championship to compete for the school’s cup. In the morning it was the juniors time to shine - swimmers had the option of competing in either the 100 metre butterfly, 100m backstroke, 100m breaststroke, 100 metre front crawl or the 200 IM. I was down on poolside eagerly watching them race. Oscar Broad, who competed in the 100m front crawl achieved a time of 2:12:55, Jake Lynas who swam in the 100m backstroke achieved a personal best of 1:29:63, 10.37 seconds off his entry time!. He also swam in the 100m free where he got a time of 1:17:45, another personal best.
Rory Mooney swam in what is considerably one of the toughest events in swimming: the dreaded 200IM. This event consists of all four strokes. In his race he dropped a whopping 55 seconds off his entry time, achieving a time of 3:14:35. We also had Charlie Parker who entered the 100m front crawl and achieved a time 1:30:70. One of our newest swimmers, Harry Stewart, in his first time competing for BGS, had an incredible race in his 100m front crawl.
Josh Newman swam in the 100 metre breast and the 100 metre free, achieving impressive times in both, and represented BGS in the 200 metre medley relay along with his teammates. His brother Alex also had a few impressive swims where he won silver in the 100 metre front crawl with a final time of 58 seconds. Alex also won gold in the 100 metre backstroke with a final time of 1:04, and qualified for the interprovincial championship, where he represented Ulster and BGS. Ulster came out on top, winning the event overall. This was an amazing performance from all the junior swimmers, proving that they have great potential and future in swimming at BGS.
The afternoon was the senior swimmers turn to represent BGS. Callum Slagter, Austin Williams and I were all competing. Both Austin and Callum swam in the 100 breast and 100 free, where Austin achieved 1:11:6 and Callum 1:11:2 in the breaststroke. In the freestyle, Austin touched at 58 seconds and Callum achieved an impressive 56:9.
I swam in the 4x50 medley relay along with Callum, Austin and Alex. I had to swim in the final leg and with a strong start already I had to bring it home for the team. After a gruelling 50m I finished and was delighted to see we had come out on top. This managed to score us enough points to win the school’s cup. I am incredibly proud, to have the honour of being captain of this team, and to see how well everyone performed at the competition.
Ben Riddell, Year 13
Table-Tennis
The Ulster Table Tennis Championships were held in Hilden this year and BGS entered a strong U19 team who had already won this in previous years, and in different age categories.
The six-man team of James and Max Skelton, Owen Stranaghan, Joel Smith, Ross Fulton and Jamie Lyall breezed through their group stage matches, beating RBAI and Monaghan B 6-0 in both matches.
The semi-finals against the Monaghan A team was not so easy; with the match tied at 3 games each, our double pairs brushed them aside, winning with a 5-3 victory.
A strong Portadown team met us in the final, but we came away with a comfortable 5-2 victory, to take the tournament and qualify for the All-Ireland later in April.
Tennis
On June 23rd, BGS tennis players demonstrated their prowess, with the Junior Tennis team defeating Wallace High School to win the Ulster Schools Tennis Junior Plate; whilst the Minor Boys Tennis team were runners up in the Ulster Schools Tennis Plate.
District Athletics
A massive congratulations to the Inters and Seniors boys who competed in this year's event. Daniel Constable took Bronze in Long Jump; Jamie Moffat took Silver in the 100m; Andrew Brown took Silver in the triple jump; Callum Campbell took Gold in the Long Jump; Calum Butler took Bronze in the Shot; Rory Christie took Gold in the 400m Hurdles; Ben Goldthorpe took Gold in the Javelin. The Inters boys relay team took Silver. The Seniors boys relay team also took Silver.
Mr D Holley, Teacher in Charge
Hockey
This season has delivered many successes for Bangor Grammar. The 1st XI squad have been very ably led by Jack Irwin and won the Burnley Cup Plate, defeating Methody on run-ins after a 1-1 draw in the final. The 2nd XI also had a successful run in the Dowall Cup reaching the semi-final. Congratulations to Jamie Lyall who played for the Ulster 21 squad this year in the Inter-Pro tournament.
At U18 level, Nathan Belshaw, Callum Duncan and Daniel Irvine have all been playing on the Ulster U18 Development squad. At U16 level, Robbie Brown, JJ Holley and Sam McMillan have represented Ulster in the Inter- pros.
Finally, the U14’s won the Ferris Cup, beating Banbridge 1-0 to lift the trophy for the 1st time since 1995.
The future looks bright for BGS hockey.
U14 Ferris Cup Run
September 2021 saw Year 10's first season at 11 a side hockey due to COVID restrictions over the past two years. The boys started the season strong, with a large cohort of 32 boys regularly attending games and after-school training, which of course made the selection for Saturday matches tricky. By the end of September however, a squad of 15 boys were pushing through and showing why they should be selected for the cup. By Christmas, the U14 squad had defeated most teams they came up against, and schools across Ulster had started to talk about BGS as a force to be reckoned with.
The boys came back after Christmas eager to get started in the quest for the Ferris cup. Two Year 9 boys, Sam O’Hara and Daniel Toogood, as well as Year 8 boy Josh McMillan, all broke into the squad because their hard work and talent shone through.
Our first game was against Wallace at Home. It felt like this was to be a very tough game; Wallace are historically a great hockey school. The BGS coaches and team were nervous to start their first game of the cup. A strong and focused warm up, and what felt like 100+ home supporters however, gave BGS the confidence to go and dominate the early stages of the game by scoring the first goal of the match. A shaky, perhaps overly-confident Wallace side reacted poorly to this and BGS slotted in a second. A few fresh legs off the bench allowed BGS to double the score line to 4-0 and ultimately cruise through the first round of the cup.
Our second game saw BGS up against the local rivals, Sullivan Upper School. What was always going to be a super tough game against Sullivan really lived up to its name. The team travelled to Comber Leisure Centre early one Saturday morning, this time without the blue and gold army of supporters cheering the boys on. Nothing throughout the match could split either team, causing the match to end in a gridlock of 0-0. The amazing Luke Irvine finally produced a stunning performance in the penalty run-ins shoot out, where he didn’t concede a single shot, allowing BGS to proceed to the final of the Ferris Cup.
Cup Final Week and we faced Banbridge High School, who had already won the 1st XI Burney Cup, the 2nd XI Dowdall Shield, and the U15 Richardson Cup earlier in the week - and were eyeing up a 4th trophy, as clear favourites in the final of the Ferris Cup. BGS travelled down to Banbridge and headed straight to a changing room for a chat. There was a real sense of nerves, both among the coaches and players. Miss Morris and myself began the team talk, the main focus of which was to go out and play our style of hockey and not change our system to suit them. This clearly worked, with BGS starting the game the stronger of the two sides. Attack after attack produced no goal however for BGS, and they soon had to learn how to defend for the second quarter of the game. Half time and the score was 0-0. The start of the second quarter saw BGS win a short corner. Out to the top to Joshua Donnelly, and switched right to Jack Magowan - opening up space around the flick spot, for the ball to be calmly passed back to Joshua who coolly slotted the ball away into the bottom corner. 1-0 to BGS. The next twenty minutes saw BGS camped in their own half, defending wave after wave of Banbridge attackers, but eventually the final whistle came, the subs jumped up and sprinted onto the pitch to jump on and hug their teammates. BGS were Ferris Cup winners for the first time this century!
Mr M Armstrong-Sanchez, Coach
Rugby
This year, the 1st XV were captained by Rory Christie. They successfully competed in the semi-final of the Schools Cup Bowl competition and the 2nd XV also reached the semi-final of the 2nd XV Schools Cup Trophy competition.
On an individual level the following boys have achieved success. Ben Gibson is currently in the training squad for the Irish U19 schools team. Noah Courtney Gardner and Jack McGreevy are currently training for the Ulster U16 Regional Development squad.
Cricket
Football
Football is unusual as a sport in BGS as we only get to see the boys who want to represent the school in football for the first time at the start of Y12. This means that each year, we are trying to build a new team. Usually, we at least have a good idea of players, positions etc. as we would have a foundation of Y13 and 14 squad members and we will look at fitting in some of the standout players from Y12 into a new team setup. However, this year the problem was made even worse as we hadn’t actually had proper games sessions or played a competitive match for the last year and a half. We had no idea of how individual players would perform and how the players would gel together as a team. This meant a lot of changing and adapting of the team as we were playing fixtures to try and get the best fit for individuals but also as a team and it was a few matches before we arrived at a more settled squad setup.
This year has thrown up different issues, as it has for all sports, with players missing matches due to COVID infection, and we have had a few injuries to cope with as well. Nevertheless, this 2021/22 Football season has been one of general success. In the BDSSFA U18 Cup (Belfast District Secondary Schools Cup), the team progressed through the group stage of the competition to reach the Quarter Final stage and were beaten on penalties by Our Lady and St Patrick’s Knock. At this late stage of the season we were plagued by injuries to key players and it is always disappointing to go out on penalties. However, this is still a great achievement for a squad of boys who had not trained or played a competitive match together before the start of this season.
Grammar School League Football
The Grammar School League was set up amongst a group of Grammar Schools who wanted to play more regular football, and who all had games sessions on Wednesday afternoons. The league has had great success and this year the IFA have approached us to help with the development of the league.
There are 8 teams in the league this year (Grosvenor Grammar, Regent House, Belfast High, Belfast Royal Academy, Methodist College, RBAI, Campbell College and Bangor Grammar). The league has not been concluded yet and we have our final match of the season to play against Regent House on 6th April. We have had a successful league season, despite recent injury problems, and as it stands the top of the table is very tight and there are three teams in contention for winning the league title – Bangor Grammar, Regent House and Grosvenor Grammar. The league winners will be decided by the final games involving these teams.
We have a few Y14 players who have played key roles in the squad this year leaving us this year after having played too little football for the school – Ross Murray, Jay Boyd, Alan Morris (Captain) and Adam Ambrose (Captain) [Captaincy was shared due to injury but Alan captained the team more recently]. We have a good group of players from Y12 and 13 who will hopefully be returning next year to form the backbone of the 2022/23 squad and what will hopefully be another successful season.
Mr M Nesbitt, Teacher in Charge