He was appointed captain of the Junior team alongside his twin brother Eoin in the 2016/17 campaign.
A team primed with 14 transition year students on the starting 15 would win the school its first Dean Ryan Cup U16.5A Munster Colleges Hurling Championship title after a stunning replay win over a talented Thurles CBS outfit ended 2-12 to 1-13.
Roche central to the Dean Ryan Success from midfield forced his way onto the Dr Harty Cup starting side of 2016/17.
This all the more impressive as St Colman’s would win a trilogy of encounters over the Imokilly hurling nursery at Senior level that year after a first round Harty Cup win 2-15 to 1-14 was followed up by a Dr O’ Callaghan Cup Final loss 0-11 to 0-10.
Roche lined out at Full Forward on a young St Colman’s outfit boasting 4 transition year students in the starting 15 in the Dr Harty Cup Final which fell short to Our Ladys Templemore on a scoreline of 2-22 to 1-06.