Sports Monday bounces with basketball and cricket
Charles Garcia Jr.
Good Evening, I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.
It was indeed an honor for us to meet 2 international basketball players of solid Belizean heritage after they touched down at the Philip Goldson International Airport this morning. Clinton Lightburn told us that these 2 players could have gotten us into the London Olympics and we certainly concur. We present to you Charles Garcia Junior.
Charles Garcia Jr.
“Right now you know I’m with the Phoenix Suns. They want to bring me in. I just finished the Summer League with them so for now we are just trying to get in this process. They wanna bring me in the camp, but from here on out, we still got other things planned.”
James Adderley
“Could you tell us what’s your feeling about playing in Belize’s national colors?”
Charles Garcia Jr.
“It will be great. You don’t really heat too much about us and that’s what we would like to bring back. Coming from our youths, my parents, his parents—we would like to bring that back and talents like us. I love this game and coming back to Belize would be a big thing. I am a point forward. I could bang in there with some big guys.”
James Adderley
“Just for the record and for people in the town to know, what is your legitimate height?”
Charles Garcia Jr.
“I’m six-ten.”
Now meet, Belizean Nigel Felix, formally of the N.B.A.
Nigel Felix
Nigel Felix
“I play overseas. I actually left Seattle to go overseas—it is just a bigger payday for me and I’ve been able to take advantage of that ever since.”
James Adderley
“But while we were recruiting players for the international scene last year and the year before, your name never came up. How come?”
Nigel Felix
“Well I had injuries. I was hurt, I tore my shoulder, I tore my labrum the year before last season. So I took that time off and the year before that I got married. My summers were really busy. So now that I got some free time, I wanna start laying that foundation to show my commitment to our team.”
James Adderley
“So you are committed to joining the Belize national Team?”
Nigel Felix
“Absolutely that’s been a goal for me for the last three years and now I just wanna put it together to show commitment to say okay I wanna be here, I wanna know what I gotta do the process—really build from there. In my career, I’ve played small forward, power forward, and center. I’m really comfortable playing power forward and center. Back to the basket is easier.”
James Adderley
“What do you know of our local program of trying to go international?”
Nigel Felix
“I’ve heard about the coaches, the federation and they have some goals that they are trying to meet and I just wanna help them attain those goals—that’s my biggest job.”
Folks we now have our very own version of Twin Towers and we certainly applaud the effort of President Paul Thompson and the Belize Basketball Federation for this wonderful move. So stay tuned; you don’t want to miss what happens next.
Turning to the Interoffice Basketball Scene, Tuff E Nuff roared out of the starting blocks Friday night in Game III of the 5 game playoffs against Alamilla’s MOE and never looked back. In fact, they set the stage off the opening tip that sees Raul Roches finish for the 1st bucket of the ballgame. He would strike for 14 pts. Brandon Rogers tries to get his team to respond quickly by rolling off the 1st five points for Alamilla’s and would rally a total of 17 points. However, not even Rogers could deny Raul Roches’ monster dunk at the other end. At the end of the 1st, Tuff E Nuff leads 17 to 14.
In the 2nd quarter, big man Larron Louriano of Tuff E Nuff asserts himself in the paint with this banker for 2 of his team high 15 pts. On the other side of the equation, Gregg Rudon gets going and he would lead all scorers tonight with 20 pts. In the meantime, this bucket by Gregg Rudon brings Alamilla’s to a 2 point deficit as 2nd quarter expires in a 27-25 score. It’s the closest they would get to grab the lead in this one. Stephen Williams comes alive in the 3rd for Tuff E Nuff as he sinks a 2nd 3-pointer in a row. Tuff E Nuff leads 41-36 at the end of 3rd quarter. In the 4th quarter, Tuff E Nuff lays down the hammer. It’s Raul Roches with the 2 hand slam as they go on to take Game III in a 57 – 49 final score. Game IV comes up Friday night at Big Bird’s Isle and Alamilla’s MOE must come up with the W to force a decisive Game 5.
In cricket news, fans from all over the nation were shrilled by Saturday’s Game II in the Harrison Park Cricket Championship series staged at Double Head. In Game I, Excellence of Double was able to come away with the win on the road and were confident of closing out the series with the home field advantage today. however, today, Western Eagles of Rancho Dolores comes in focused and are batting 1st and today Lindell Pool is a monster and bats in 52 runs for his team. Orson Flowers proves to be the big baller for Double Head and his 5 wickets kept his team in the hunt as Western Eagles could only total 150 runs all out.
Therefore to keep their championship hopes alive, the Eagles brought out their best defense and hand to shutdown Ian Broaster who despite all the attention led Excellence with 47 runs. Nevertheless, man of the match goes to bowler, Yasir Pook, who struck for 6 wickets and this out is very impressive. Pook gets help from Dirk Sutherland who takes out Sydney Martinez for the final out as Excellence could only muster 108 runs and now the series is tied at 1 apiece. Game III comes up ay Bermudian landing. Two men enter and one leaves with the Harrison Park 2012 title.
On the Cycle scene, the weekend Warriors had a 40 mile race for Class A riders and it’s Robert Cassasola and Raymond Hyde finishing 1st and 2nd respectively and Mark Gentle of FT Williams/BCB rounds out the top 3. In the B Class 40 mile ride, Kenny Gooding of Zitro edged out Albert Conorqui of Typhoon for top honors while Charlie Slusher rounds out the top 3. And in the C Class, 30 mile ride, Arthur Bennett finishes 1st, Gilford 2nd and Denis McKoy 3rd.
Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
