Jasper Williams High School delivered one of the biggest upsets of the West Secondary Schools Raluve competition on Saturday after overpowering defending national Under-18 champions Natabua High School 38-15 at Churchill Park, Lautoka.
The girls in purple came out firing from the opening whistle, displaying aggression and dominance in all facets of the game.
Their high-pressure defence and structured attack kept Natabua on the back foot, leading to a commanding 19-5 advantage at halftime.
Jasper’s momentum only grew in the second spell. They controlled possession and territory, starving Natabua of scoring opportunities while exploiting gaps in their defence.
Natabua managed to cross the try line twice in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap as Jasper added another 19 points to seal the convincing win.
Jasper captain Emali Cevalawa was the standout performer, scoring two tries and leading her team with grit and determination.
Speaking after the win, Cevalawa credited faith and humility for their performance.
“The Word of the Lord says, ‘Humble yourself before the Lord, and He will lift you up,’” she said.
“That was my message to the team to stay humble. We gave our all and countered Natabua’s weaknesses well.”
The victory marks a significant moment for Jasper as they now look to build on this momentum heading into the national finals.
Meanwhile, in the Vodafone Deans U17 category, Ba Provincial Freebird Institute powered to a convincing 36-19 victory over Natabua High School.
Captain Isoa Taqiri was proud of the boys’ effort.
“It was a good game. I thank God for the win and all our supporters.
“My message to the boys is to go back and prepare well,” he said.
