Five Borders schools into hockey quarter-finals and one through to semis

Kelso High School's senior squad after beating Lomond School

The 1st XIs at Kelso and Selkirk high schools have both reached the last eight of the sport’s Scottish schools senior challenge cup.

Kelso followed up a win at Glasgow’s St Aloysius’ College with a 4-1 second-round defeat of Helensburgh’s Lomond School, thanks to goals by Beth Laing twice, Anya Flint and an own goal. They now face Kelvinside Academy in Glasgow for a semi-final spot.

Selkirk beat Aberdonian visitors St Margaret’s School 3-1 and now face a quarter-final trip to Aberdeen to play Robert Gordon’s College, victors against Peebles High School by 3-2 on penalty flicks after a 1-1 draw last week.

Earlston High School's S3s with coach Kirsty Veitch

Earlston High School now host Galashiels Academy in an all-Borders quarter-final in the senior plate and Peebles head to St Margaret’s.

In the junior challenge cup for S3s, Earlston High are in the semis after wins over Moray’s Gordonstoun and St Margaret’s, Ava McLean and Zoe Wight scoring in a 2-0 victory versus the latter. They face Inverclyde’s St Columba’s School in the last four in early 2023, and St Margaret’s now play Selkirk High.

Galashiels Academy and Peebles High both lost in the quarter-finals, the former at Glasgow’s Jordanhill School and the latter at Kelvinside Academy, but they get another crack at silverware in the plate, along with two other Borders teams in the last eight.

That kicks off at Tweedbank this coming Friday with a derby between Gala Academy and Kelso High. Kelso lost in the cup’s first round to St Columba’s but bounced back in the plate last week, beating Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon’s College 2-0, skipper Robyn Ford scoring both goals. Selkirk now host St Margaret’s and Peebles play either Gordonstoun or Perth’s Kilgraston School.

Selkirk High School's S3s at Kelvinside Academy

Borders boys have also been making their mark.

Earlston High’s senior boys’ team, joined by two Selkirk High pupils, defeated Glasgow High School 1-0 with a Jonathan Laing goal but were pipped 2-1 by last year’s winners, Callander’s McLaren High School, in the Scottish schools Aspire Cup last week at Peffermill in Edinburgh. They finished third after a play-off against Glasgow Academy, however.