City Council wins Inter-Office basketball championship
Good evening I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.
Game two of the home and away semi-final series in the B.P.F.L. took us north yesterday where Nizhee Corozal hopes to eliminate F.C. Belize of Belize City in a bid to get into the 2009 Championship round. After last week’s 2-2 tie, it’s F.C. Belize looking for the quick goal on the road off this set piece that finds Deon McCauley whose header is kept out of the goal by tough Corozal defense. At the other end the host team replies in kind when F.C. keeper Elias Pelayo mishandles this corner kick which forces Ian Gaynair to come up with a desperate save that rebounds off Pelayo to safety. Give Mark “Kello” Leslie kudos for this nice dummy to let this ball through to Byron Usher who somehow raises the pill over the crossbar from pointblank range people. Derys Benavidez then tries this long distance bomb that sails over the goal as Nizhee Corozal tries to grab the lead. It’s another long distance attempt for the home team when Antonio Castillo fires this high screamer that is tipped out by goalkeeper Pelayo to keep the ballgame scoreless as the half expires.
We’re some twenty minutes into second half when Harrison Tasher pushes this ball across the goal mouth to Byron Usher and F.C. Belize goes up 1-zip. Folks, Kello Leslie does get his full amount on this foul that really crushes victor Morales for which Leslie picks up a yellow card. Nizhee then goes to Derys Benavidez for this spot kick some nine yards outside the eighteen and guess what? Elias Pelayo fails to come up with the not too difficult save as Corozal ties the ballgame at the sixty-eighth minute. In the meantime, Deon McCauley feels like he deserves a penalty call right here on this play but the referee obviously disagrees. At the eighty-fifth minute Jose Lemus centers into the danger zone. The ball reaches the unattended Cesario Rosales who smashes home the pill for the 2-1 lead and the matracas celebrate the Nizhee goal. When the long whistle sounds Nizhee Corozal has picked up the 2-1 big W and is headed to the championship round after winning the decisive game three. We say ta-ta to F.C. Belize who again, for a second year in a row, lost only one match and has to face elimination.
Meanwhile, the other finalist emerged at the Norman Broaster stadium where the home team Hankook Verdes needed penalty kicks to eliminate the Belize Defense Force. Thus all roads lead to the Norman Broaster Stadium then Sunday when Hankook Verdes hosts Nizhee Corozal in game one of the B.P.F.L. championship series.
In other football news, play in the female football league over the weekend saw Pumas Girls dumping the B.D.F. 8-1 while All Season Stars defaulted to Millennium Girls and Ambassadors fled from Gentle Touch.
Now here’s a reminder that 3 Stars Production Presents a football summer camp at the M.C.C. Grounds from July thirteenth to the twenty-fourth for athletes five to seventeen years. Application forms can be picked up at the National Sports Council so make that move.
In billiards news, play in the Guiness Nine Ball Pool Tournament saw Travelers beat Catt’s Place 4-1, Advance blanked MJ’s 5-zip, Towels stopped Royal Club 5-nil and Mike’s Club edged MJ’s 3-2.
Turning to the basketball scene, some twenty-five hundred fans crowded to the City Center Friday night to see game three of the Inter-Office Basketball Championship series between the Belize City Council and Atlantic Bank. It’s Andrew “Head” Staine of the bank who opens the scoring tonight with his signature move. Virgil Miller replies for the Council with this baseline operation that gives him two of his thirteen game points to go along with seven rebounds. Andrew Staine comes back right down the heart of the Council’s defense. He would put up, unfortunately fro Atlantic Bank, only eleven points tonight. At the end City Council is up by one. In the second Mervin James spots for three and he gets three for the Council. Randall Hinks then finds Kenroy MVP Usher and he delivers the three point shot as the Council begins to pull away. Dave Apolonio looks to keep his team in the ballgame so he takes on the entire Council team for two points. Dave would score a team high of thirteen points for the bank tonight. Here’s another three point delivery from Kenroy Usher. MVP would hit four three’s in this outing and would lead all scorers with twenty-two points. At the half B.C.C. has rallied to an eight point lead.
Tonight MVP Usher is on fire and here he grabs the loose ball and gets two more points. In the meantime, there’s some collision on this press by Keith Sutherland but he does pick up the two points. Gadsden Ferguson deals to Kenroy Usher right here and the tre is automatic. Okay, let’s just show you Usher’s third three of the night. It comes with time running out. At the end of three, the Council is up 51-38. In the fourth Linsworth Graham finds Jermaine Tillett and he gets two points for the bank. Of course, tonight the Belize City Council would not be denied people. Darwin Myles penetrates the paint for two and here is three pointer number four for Kenroy MVP Usher. The run continues as Randall Hinks goes to the left hand for two and the Council’s fans smell victory. Hinks goes behind his back to Myles who knows what to do. The Belize City Council wins the decisive game three convincingly and the title and the rings and the bragging rights are all theirs. Sports Monday says congratulations. Now take a good look at the I.B.L.’s rings people and we must publicly congratulate the I.B.L. Director, Gilbert Gordon, Ian Mariano and Wender Ellington for proving that basketball is alive and well in this country. It’s a job well done guys but it needed a certain attitude for it to be done and you did it. Again, congratulations. In the meantime, we leave you with this image of Kenroy MVP Usher receiving his ring.
Hey folks, that’s our show for today. We invite you back same time, same place, next week. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
