High schools turn to cricket
Good evening I’m James Adderley and you’re locked into this version of Sports Monday. The mad rush to make the six-team BFL football playoffs continued into week XIV with Kulture Yabra looking to improve its options going down the stretch. However, Real Verdes after climbing all the way from the bottom of the standings to fifth place, certainly came to town with its very own agenda.
We pick up the action at the MCC Grounds when eight minutes in, Earl Peters makes this defensive error and David McCauley makes him pay with this vicious right foot punch and the city fans explode with delight. Gigio Flores tries for the immediate response, but the right foot offering is directly at Charlie Slusher.
On this press, Emory Nunez feels he deserves a penalty call only to be left wanting by referee Rupert Vicente. Of course Nunez is fresh off suspension from the league.
Meanwhile folks, file this picture away; Oliver Hendricks gets bodied by Vallan Syms, but the call goes Yabra’s way.
Nevertheless, the league’s goleador, Oliver Hendricks, should have put this one away, but the scoreboard certainly wasn’t impressed. Clifford Usher then fires this long-range missile that rises over the crossbar and at the half we have a 1-nil Yabra lead.
After intermission, Kulture Yabra looks to seal the victory early, but Tilliman is stalled by tough Verdes defensive play. It certainly looks like the equalizer when Oliver Hendricks gets this opportunity, but it doesn’t pan out.
At the other end, Tilliman Nunez gets another opportunity and while he makes the right play, he fails to finish. On this press Deon Flores comes up with the perfect assist to Norman Nunez, who rattles the net for his league tying eleventh goal to give Yabra a 2-zip lead.
It’s now left up to Earl Peters to put Real Verdes on the scoreboard, but he misses the target from pointblank range. So Peter Jones takes it upon himself to push Verdes forward and his long shot is impressive, but not totally accurate.
Downfield, Deon Flowers gets his turn to shine but just couldn’t get the ball between the sticks. For Oliver Hendricks, the nightmare outing ends when he gets chased off the field of play for this foul, which looked a bit like retaliation. But Kulture Yabra goes on to post the 2-zip big W.
In other results from over weekend, Builders Bandits of Belmopan knocked off Griga Tropical 2-zip. Juventus clobbered Caye Caulker 3-nil. Lazio Jumex rolled over Santa Elena 3-1. Metro Stars defeated Yabra Dolphins 2-1, while Sagitun overcame a 1-zip first half deficit to riddle Acros 4-1 Saturday night at Independence.
In juvenile football play yesterday at Berger Field, at under-13, Raptors beat Grassroots 2-1, Brown Bombers took out Mahogany Strikers 2-1, and Ajax Paradise blanked Berger Stars 2-zip.
At under-15, Raptors hurt Berger Stars 4-nil. While in under-17, Cadet Corps and Ebony Lake battled to a 3-3 stalemate, and Brown Bombers hurt Mahogany Strikers 3-1.
Turning to the cricket scene, the annual Belize Cricket High School Competition took off at Technical College Grounds on Saturday and here is a look at the teams marching pass for opening ceremonies, and lets listen in to Horace Young of the Cricket Association.
Horace Young, President, Belize Cricket Assoc.
“I am going to prophesize that the next time we meet here, for cricket, on whatever grounds, under the Belize Cricket Association, we’re gonna have a massive crowd and we’re going to make sure that we bring cricket to what it ought to be.”
Giving the keynote address was the Governor General of Belize Sir Colville Young, a cricket enthusiast.
Sir Colville Young, Governor General
“Our region is famous for cricket. Right now the Indians seem to be taking it away from the West Indies. India is one of the most famous and Australia seems to be making a big comeback. But wait till Belize, wait till Belize begins to stand tall and I’m depending on you the young players to blossom into great adult players one day, but the longest journey begins with a step.”
In the game that followed, Ladyville Tech knocked off the defending champions St. John’s College in an exhibition match.
That’s it for this edition. We certainly want to invite you back same time, same place next week. Lookout for boxing coming shortly right here on Channel 5, Horace Cadle will be making his debut on February the twenty-fifth.
