Cayo rider takes road championship
James Adderley, Reporting
Good evening, I?m James Adderley and you?ve logged on to Sports Monday. We don?t know why most of the main stream media has chosen to ignore the King of the Ballers Tournament at Big Birds Isle, but it certainly features the best in Belizean Basketball at this time. If you don?t believe us, let?s go to Friday night?s elimination round at Big Bird?s Isle.
It?s a pressure pack situation as Vince ?The Postman? Estrada gives the Belize Airport Authority Concession Companies a flying start with a big time three against BTL?s Scaredem Bullets.
The Bullets come with the appropriate response when lighting quick Joshua Jones goes untouched to the glass for two.
However, it?s The Postman delivering another three for Airport off this feed from Kelvin Gillette, Vince would lead his team with a game high twenty-three points.
Of course, Joshua Jones of BTL says I can do that too as he strikes for three of his game high twenty-five points.
Give Mr. Estrada the assist when he tips to Kurt Burgess who mashes it home for two of his nineteen points and at the half Belize Airport is up by three of his eleven points right here.
Then Darwin Leslie, who is having a monster outing manoeuvres himself in traffic for two of his twenty-two points as the BTL Bullets take control.
Another look at Leslie?s game shows he?s nothing to play with at this level of play.
However, Cassian the Russian Flowers who would finish with fourteen points, gives his team a three point lead with this baseline jump. With a little over a minute remaining in the third quarter Carlisle Barrow ties the ballgame with this reverse.
Folks it?s late in the ballgame as the Airport boasts a two point lead.
Victor McKenzie?s pass is picked off by BTL?s Ty Bradley, who gets an easy two.
In the closing moments this bucket by Earl Johnson for BTL proves to be truly crucial because in the closing moments the flyers missed their free throws while the Bullets found the target. They eliminate Belize Airport Flyers eighty-eight to eighty-seven.
Meanwhile folks, Game II matched the winless Christian Ambassador with the undefeated Black Baller and we?re underway. It?s AC Augustine with the rebound and the point back to get the Ballers rolling.
And then Keith ?Superman? Acosta picks up his own missed shot to hit the three on his second attempt as his team establishes its control of the action.
However Rupert Brown answers for the Ambassadors with this lay up against AC. So AC makes amends at the other end with this difficult put back for two of his twenty-four game points and at the end of the first quarter it?s a twenty-nine to seventeen Black Ballers lead.
Folks second quarter turns out to be all Christian Ambassadors. Ellis finds Ian ?Penny? Ferrera and he knows what to do with the pill. He would lead the Ambassadors with thirteen points. Bart Sanchez then finds Ellis and his three pointer is good.
On this trip down court Ellis returns the favour to Sanchez who would finish with ten points.
It?s AC Augustine who stops a double dig it then with this three pointer, but at the half the Ambassadors are up by two.
So we fast-forward to the fourth quarter and the Ballers are down by four when Augustine executes this move.
Keith Acosta then gets three the hardway to give his team a one point lead. He would finish with the game high of thirty-three points.
At the other end Darren Bovell stays with the pill to pick up two points.
But down the stretch it?s too much Superman Acosta–wheeling and spinning out hitting as Black Ballers eliminates Christian Ambassador ninety-five to eighty-two.
This Friday brings up Game I of the three game championship series at Big Birds Isle between BTL?s Scaredem Bullets and Black Ballers. Hey it?s not a ballgame you?ll want to miss.
Turning to the Cycling scene, the National Road Championships staged yesterday by the Belize Cycling Association finds two Santino riders in control of the Junior Class in front of Leslie?s Imports on the Western Highway. Marlon Castillo who also rides as an elite at times, tiday he rides as a junior, he fixes up his apparel and puts on his championship look and rolls into the winners circle as his team-mate Giovanni Choto takes second while young Fernandez of Sagitun finishes third.
Marlon Castillo, Winner, Junior Competition
?I just came down and defend my title again because I want to do my best?
On the female side it was Anamarie Bennett in the midst of the Junior riders creating havoc for our cameras but she takes first place, Fiona Humes takes second and we say congratulations to Gabriel Lovell who finishes third in her first competitive outing.
In the Elite category, Shane Vasquez of Western Spirit Cayo, out sprints Giovanni Leslie of Santinos and Jose Choto to take top honours in his first time win of his career and we can?t wait to see what will happen come Holy Saturday?s Cross Country Running.
Shane Vasquez, Winner, Elite Competition
?I really appreciate coming out here today with the support of my sponsors Chaa Creek, Safe to Belize, and A & B Construction. They have put in a lot over the past months by helping me and putting me on the road to come out here and be prepared for this national road championship and later on the Cross Country.?
James Adderly
?You broke out of the pack at the gap. Do you think your mountain climbing skills were crucial to this win today??
Shane Vasquez, Winner, Elite Competition
?Well I will certainly think so. My hill climbing ability really played off today because when I broke away and came up at the gap, Choto came along and I told him we will work together and as long as we could maintain four minutes lead from the guys by the time we came into Belmopan, then they would have a hard time catching us to Belize City.?
Turning to Regents Cup Tournament Kulture Yabra hosted Kremandala Lake at the MCC Grounds in Week eight and its Jeremy Jones with the opportunity to open to scoring but he certainly miscalculates.
Yabra then insists off this set piece–Norman Tillman Nunez but the goalkeeper intervenes with a beautiful save.
Downfield, Deon Flowers mounts this individual effort that culminates with a left foot launch, but goalkeeper Rowley makes the stop.
It?s more Krem Lake when David the Macauly Junior fires this bomb at goal, but again Rawly comes up big and at the half it?s a scoreless ballgame.
People we are some five minutes into second half when Norman ?Tilliman? Nunez sets table perfectly for Tyrone Muschamp who finds the far corner for the Yabra one-zip lead.
Eight minutes later the dynamic Yabra duo combine their skills again. Norman Nunez leads to Tyrone Muschamp with a wicked pass, T-bone beats the keeper and smacks into an empty net for the two-zip Yabra victory.
In other results from around the league San Pedro Seahawks and Calcutta Bulls rallied a scoreless draw, Cayo Avengers jolted Juventus two to one while Sagitun kept Print Belize Griga winless in a two to one final score.
But that?s it for now. We thank our cameramen for their great work over the weekend. Jah over all, I?m James Adderley.
