New champions were crowned on Saturday as the curtain fell on the 2024 Brookside-sponsored KSSSA National Term One games in Machakos.
From rugby to hockey, handball to basketball, new schools emerged to dethrone giants in the finals played at Machakos University and Machakos Boys High School.
Tigoi Girls (hockey), Dr Aggrey (basketball), All Saints Embu (rugby 15s), Kimilili Boys and Kwanthanze Secondary (handball) became the new champions in town.
Western Region heavyweights Musingu School and Butere Girls were the only schools that retained their title after winning the hockey boys' and basketball girls' gongs respectively.
Tigoi Girls and Musingu Boys High showed no mercy to their hockey rivals from Nyanza and Rift Valley respectively.
Tigoi edged out Nyamira Girls 2-1 in the finals played at Machakos University grounds.
Tigoi got off to a perfect start after going up 2-0 in the first quarter after converting their short corners through two firm strikes by Trizah Awuor.
An Amanda Wamalwa penalty flick in the second quarter did little to change history as Tigoi held their nerves to lift their first ever national hockey title.
At the same grounds, Musingu School trounced St Anthony’s Boys Kitale 3-2 to retain their hockey title in a five-goal thriller.
Musingu, who had lost 2-1 to St Anthony’s during the preliminary stages, exacted sweet revenge on their rivals and once again proved that they are the best team in hockey.
Hillary Angarwa gave the champions the lead inside the opening three minutes after converting a penalty stroke before Leslie Naspan restored parity after sounding the bar immediately after the restart.
Cliance Chami would however tilt the game to Musingu’s favour after restoring the defending champions one goal lead in the 14th minute to lead 2-1 at the end of the first quarter.
Just like they started the match, Jesse Munyando stretched the Western region champions lead to 3-1 after scoring three minutes into the second quarter.
The goal saw Musingu take a healthy two-goal advantage to half time.
In the final half, Linton Nayombe’s penalty kick with seven minutes left, setting the game to a thrilling end but the champions held on to retain their title.
At Machakos Boys High School, Dr Aggrey High School were crowned the new national basketball boys’ champions.
This is after the Coastal Region champions completed a comeback 56-54 win over Agoro Sare High School, and consequently reclaim the national title they lost to Laiser Hill High School last year.
It's a type of response the champions needed after losing to Nyanza region giants in the preliminary round.
Dr Aggrey clinched the title in the second quarter when a monster 22-12 show took away the game from Agoro Sare who had been impressive throughout the nationals.
The match was tight from the start after a 11-11 first quarter show put the game in balance for either team to take.
Dr Aggrey was first to react as they took a 33-23 half time lead after a 10-point gap show in the second quarter before Agoro Sare responded in the third quarter with a 14-12 display to trail 45-37 with one quarter left.
In the final quarter, a 15-11 dominance could not save Agoro as Dr Aggrey escaped with a basket to reclaim the national gong.
All Saints Embu dethroned Butula Boys to lift the rugby 15Ss title while Kimilili and Kwanthanze ruled boys' and girls' handball respectively at Machakos Boys.
In basketball, Butere Girls High School retained its title after seeing off Buruburu Girls 49-43.
In what was a repeat of the preliminary stages match that Nairobi’s Buruburu won. Butere left nothing to chance despite having sealed their ticket to East Africa as they rallied from behind to crush their nemesis.
Buruburu took a narrow 10-6 first quarter lead before a 22-11 second quarter comeback by Butere saw the Western region heavyweights lead 28-21 at half time.
Another 16-11 stretched Butere’s lead to 44-32 with a quarter left. But despite Buruburu’s 11-5 fourth quarter show, Chris Odeke's charges were far from collapsing as they held on to win 49-43 and retain the national trophy.
Brookside KSSSA national champions
Basketball
Boys-Dr Aggrey
Girls-Butere Girls
Handball
Boys-Kimilili
Girls-Kwanthanze Secondary
Rugby
Boys-All Saints Embu
Girls-St Joseph Girls Kitale
Hockey
Boys-Musingu School
Girls-Tigoi Girls
