Western Heights High School has started the BOP Polytechnic First XV competition where they left off last season.

The 2010 division one second round championship winner has won a cliff hanger in its match-up in Rotorua against Tauranga Boys' College second XV.

In a hard fought match, Western Heights' victory was built upon an outstanding forward effort against a well-drilled and organised Tauranga Boys' forward pack.

The Rotorua team scored in the dying seconds of the game to grab an extremely narrow victory, 22-20.

What made the Western Heights victory even more meritorious was that it was the first time that they had beaten the Tauranga seconds in three seasons.

Tauranga Boys' College first XV had a good hit out against John Paul College on Monday in preparation for their match against traditional rivals Gisborne Boys' this Saturday.

JPC put together some good defence in the first 20 minutes before Tauranga Boys' played as a team to post an 87-3 victory.

Hayden Symes grabbed three touchdowns with Jerry Moli and Jo Ormsby scoring two tries apiece.

Other Tauranga try scorers were Carlin Tata, TK Mullane, Danny Underwood, Carlos Savage, Iziah Malcolm, Shem Whareroa and Daniel Vanderburg.

Carlin Tata was adjudged as the Tauranga player of the day.

Eastern Bay div one representative, Opotiki College, had a good tussle with Te Puke High School before emerging with the narrow 19-17 victory.

Bethlehem College, which won the recent Western BOP Co Ed tournament, took that form into the first game of the division two competition.

Facing Mount Maunganui College, Bethlehem had a relatively narrow 12-3 lead at the break courtesy of tries to Michael Booth and Guy Troughton with Matt Cole adding a conversion.

The Mount penalty came from the boot of Ross Cowdrey.

Second half touchdowns to Caleb Milson, Bede Murray, Dominic Burton and captain Eremia Tapsell, saw Bethlehem take control of the encounter to post a 40-3 victory.

In other div two match-ups, Trident High School proved too strong against a game Reporoa College winning 31-7, Otumoetai College won the Western Bay derby with Katikati College 27-20, with Taupo's Tauhara College defeating Whakatane High School.

BOP Polytechnic First Fifteen Results

Division One: Western Heights HS 22 Tauranga BC2 – 20, Opotiki College 19 Te Puke HS 17, Tauranga BC1 87 John Paul College 3

Division Two: Otumoetai College 27 Katikati College 20, Bethlehem College 40 Mount Maunganui College 3, Trident HS 31 Reporoa College 7, Tauhara College defeated Whakatane HS.

Division Three: Edgecumbe College 12 Aquinas College 3, Taupo Nui A Tia College 76 Rotorua Lakes 12.

BOP Polytechnic Baywide First Fifteen Draw 14 May 2011 (Home team first)

Division One: JPC v Western Heights, Rotorua BHS1 v Te Puke HS, Opotiki v Rotorua BHS2.

Division Two: Trident v Katikati, Whakatane v Bethlehem, Reporoa v Otumoetai, Tauhara v Mount Maunganui.

Division Three: Rotorua Lakes v Aquinas, Rotorua BHS3 v Tauranga BC3, Taupo Nui A Tia v Edgecumbe, Rangitahi the bye.