Le Fevre Primary School has returned to South Australia as the 2012 National Indigenous Football Festival Boys U13 Champions. 

The Festival was played in Alice Springs from November 2-5 with Le Fevre qualifying as winners of Football Federation SA’s State Indigenous Football Festival. 

The boys started their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Booraloola Cyclones.

Some of the players struggled in the conditions so a draw appeared a fair result against a team who is based 500km north of Alice Springs and were more accustomed to the conditions.

The second game was against a very young Darwin (Northern Territory) side and Le Fevre recorded a  comfortable 3-0 win, with star player Joseph Williams scoring twice and David Vuchich once.

In the evening matches, Le Fevre defeated Banksia United from West Australia in an entertaining 3-2 win.

Le Fevre’s best match came in the qualifying pool against Moree (NSW Country) with a very solid and controlled 2-0 win. The side had shape and structure, with good combination play and teamwork. 

Marngrook Meenteeel (Victoria) raced into a 2-0 lead within a couple of minutes in the next game, but by half time, Le Fevre had forced its way back into the game with a couple of goals.

In the second half Le Fevre scored twice to lead 4-2, before Marngrook pulled one back, but the SA side scored twice again to kill the game off and win 6-3.

That result cemented second spot in the table and Le Fevre went into the final round robin game against the leaders and runaway favourites NSW Sharks, a team who had managed 40 goals in four games, conceding only twice.

Le Fevre found the back of the net immediately before the Sharks built up a healthy half time.  An avalanche of goals followed in the second half and the game finished 9-2 in their favour. 

The evening fixtures saw the start of the knockout semi finals and Le Fevre was drawn against Moree. 

This time the NSW side were much better and the match finished 1-1, meaning the result would be decided by a penalty shootout.

After a marathon ten penalties each, Le Fevre survived the sudden death shootout and advance to the final against tournament favourites NSW Sharks. 

Le Fevre adopted a counter-attacking style with strict instructions to pressure the player on the ball, and the first half ended goalless.

Goalkeeper Jak Vukovich had an amazing game, stopping everything that came his way and as the clock counted down, Le Fevre grew in confidence and the pressure on the Sharks increased.

Neither team managed to score and the match went to a penalty shootout. 

Le Fevre took an early 2-0 lead, before the Sharks pulled it back to 2-all in the shootout.

With the last kick of regular penalties Tyson Friend stepped up and coolly converted the spot kick to see Le Fevre crowned as Boys U13 National Indigenous Football Festival Champions for 2012.

Roma Mitchell Secondary College were fourth placed finalists in the Girls U13 section, a fantastic achievement considering none of their girls had ever played soccer before. 

They were enthusiastic, determined, and Zania Rice proved to be a star player and selected in the Best and Fairest All-Star Team.

Thanks must go to Football Federation SA Multicultural Officer Angus Wheaton and Le Fevre Team Manager Jimmy Perry from Makin Tracks Project (Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council SA).