In a year of intense house sport competition, PAH (Cotton Hall House) asserted their dominance by winning both the House Field Game and House Cricket titles. However, hopes of a historic treble were dashed early in the campaign, when PAH suffered a shock exit in the Round of 16 of the House Football — losing on penalties to underdogs JCAJ (Walpole House).
The sporting calendar began with House Football, the most anticipated event of the year. PAH entered the competition as one of the clear favourites, boasting a technically gifted and well-balanced squad. Yet in one of the tournament’s biggest upsets, they were held to a draw in normal time by a resilient JCAJ side and were then eliminated in a tense penalty shoot-out. The result stunned the community and abruptly ended PAH’s pursuit of the treble before it had properly begun.
Despite the early disappointment, PAH regrouped after Christmas. In the House Field Game — a school-exclusive sport steeped in tradition — the team responded with determination and tactical discipline, producing commanding performances en route to lifting the trophy. The momentum carried into the House Cricket competition, where PAH combined strategic bowling changes and a powerful batting lineup to secure another well-deserved title.
Reflecting on the highs and lows of the School Year, Revd Paul Hess, House Master of PAH said:
“It’s truly unlucky we lost the football and were unable to obtain the treble, yet we hope to win the football in the beginning of the 2025/26 academic year to gain the three wins of the calendar year.”
The “calendar year three” — winning all three major House sports within the same year— remains within reach, should PAH claim next academic year’s football title. Their response to early adversity has earned admiration, and their double triumph has cemented their standing as one of the school’s most formidable sporting houses.
For PAH, the academic year ends on a high, but the early exit in Football will serve as both a reminder and a motivator.
