Meli Laddpeter 
Suliasi Totopo, Natabua High School under-18 captain
Time stood still.
That’s how Natabua High School under-18 captain Suliasi Totopo described the moment before he stepped up to kick the penalty that knocked Marist Brothers High School out of the Vodafone Deans Trophy competition, sealing a 20-17 quarter-final victory yesterday.
With the scores tied and the final whistle looming, all eyes turned to Totopo, the weight of a school’s hopes resting on his shoulders.
But the win wasn’t built on one kick alone. From the first whistle, Natabua showed grit, matching Marist blow for blow in a bruising encounter.
“Yes, the game was very tough—they gave their 100 percent and we also gave our 100 percent. We thank God for giving us the wisdom and strength to achieve our goal today.”
While he couldn’t quite describe the feeling after landing that crucial kick just after full time, Totopo credited God and his teammates, saying he was just doing his job as a fly-half.
Proud of how his side fought tooth and nail to contain one of the competition’s most successful teams, Totopo now turns his focus to the semi-final against another giant-killer: Nasinu Secondary School, fresh off their upset over defending champions Queen Victoria School.
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