THE Prep U11s football team at Haberdashers’ Monmouth Prep delivered a brilliant performance recently, lifting the Bowl trophy at the IAPS U11 Boys’ Football Championship held at Millfield Prep School on Sunday November 23.

Facing a tough group stage against some very strong opposition, the boys showed heart, resilience and unwavering team spirit. Although they lost to Bishops Stortford College (2-1), Hoe Bridge School (2-0) and Swanbourne House School (3-0) they kept pushing and never lost their focus. Their hard work paid off with a determined 2-1 win over Solefield School enough to see them through to the knockout stages.

In the Bowl final, they met Bishopgate School. Despite conceding early and going into half time 1-0 down, the boys responded brilliantly. A powerful half-time team talk from coach Mr Allen inspired them to fight back, and they scored twice in quick succession to win2-1 and clinch with Bowl.

Throughout the day they gave absolutely everything- working together, refusing to give up, and representing the school and their South West Champions title with honour and class, both on and off the field.

Special praise goes to Mr Allen, whose dedication and belief in this squad have been instrumental. His coaching and tactical guidance clearly helped the boys rise to the challenge even against opponents fielding very strong ideas.

The U11 squad’s performance shows how the school compete at the highest level across a variety of sports, including football. It’s a real testament to the boy’s talent, teamwork and spirit, and bolsters the school’s standing as a true sports school.