Atlantic Bank wins first game of Inter-Office finals
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and you’re locked into this weekly rush of Sports Monday.
The B.P.F.L. moved to conclude the second round of the playoffs this weekend but was hampered by inclement weather. However, out west the Norman Broaster Stadium came alive yesterday with game two of the home and away series between Suga Boys Juventus of Orange Walk and the host team Hankook Verdes who were beaten 1-nil at O.W. last weekend. The visitors create excitement early off this spot kick launched by the veteran Freddie Tun but in the end the Verdes defense hangs tough. The Hankook team responds with this header from Michael Salazar that inches outside the sticks. It’s a mad scramble in front of the Verdes goal after Freddie Tun triggers this spot kick and again the Verdes defense hangs tough. At the other end Daniel Jimenez fires this right foot with bad intentions that doesn’t really bother Charlie Slusher. We’re at the eighteenth minute when Jose Rodriguez is cut down inside the eighteen by Orlando Ramirez and this penalty call is easy for the referee to make. Marlon Mesa gets the call and makes no mistake as he puts his team up 1-zip to tie the series at one goal apiece. Ricardo Jimenez then makes a bid for a second Verdes goal only to see Charlie Slusher control the situation. In the meantime, this set piece right atop the eighteen whistles past the near goal post as O.W.’s bid for the equalizer here fails. On this foray into the danger zone Daniel Jimenez lets loose this left foot lifting Verdes to a 2-zip lead at the twenty-sixth minute. But don’t blink folks, because two minutes later this left foot simply freezes Charlie Slusher as Marlon Mesa scores his second of the match to make it a 3-zip Verdes lead. Now here’s a perfect chance for Suga Boys to pull one back before the half expires but Dennis Peralta misses the header. Nevertheless, the visitors do get onto the scoreboard at the forty-third minute when Marlon Miranda catches up with this pass and pounces on it. Some ten minutes into second half Dean Flowers almost cuts into the two goal deficit, the rebound reaches Oliver Hendricks but courageous goalkeeping from Jaime Brooks bails out Verdes. On this press Oliver Hendricks keeps the ball alive with this header but again Brooks intervenes successfully. Folks Dean Flowers gets set properly by Oliver Hendricks and fails to get the goal when all he had to do was tap it in. Verdes goes on to post the 3-1 big W to eliminate Suga Boys Juventus from further contention.
Hankook Verdes
“We just come out yah from di last game weh we gone play da Orange Walk. We lose 1-nil so when we come down yah we just give dehn di revenge check. And we know dat we mi wah beat dehn and ih simple so we get it and we beat dehn 3-1.”
Suga Boys Juventus
“Verdes come out definitely ready to wind di game and dehn kinda overpower us in the first half and you know by di time our team started to play some ball it was a little too late but we gotta give Verdes team a lot of credit. They are at home and they had a lot of pride and that’s why today they are victorious noh.”
In the other match completed over the weekend, undefeated F.C. Belize eliminated Wagiya at Dangriga in a 3-1 blast. In the meantime, the B.P.F.L. will announce the new date for the Scorpions/B.D.F. matchup and the Nizhee Corozal/Georgetown Ibayani confrontation so stay tuned.
In other football news, Pumas Girls edged Ambassadors 3-2 and Gentle Touch routed All Season Stars 6-1. That is in female football play. We also want to inform you at this time that Blackman Eddy will present an Under seventeen Tournament in the memory of David “Chucky” Gordon on Saturday June twenty-seventh at the village. To get in call telephone 824-0396 or 621-9107.
Now let’s head to the City Center where the Inter-Office Basketball League kicked off its three game finals Friday night. At the tip off its Arthur Neal Jr. of the Belize City Council against Jermaine Tillett of Atlantic Bank and we’re underway. Both teams opened with extreme jitters people until Darwin Elijio comes off the Atlantic Bank bench to shake things up. In fact, Darwin Elijio sets a record by scoring all twelve of Atlantic Bank’s points in the first quarter as the bank shows a 12-6 lead. Andrew “Head” Staine comes alive in the second as he hits the long distance right here.
It’s a 16-6 lead for the Atlantic Bank when Kenroy “MVP” Usher gets this bucket but Kenroy would not have a stellar outing tonight and would have to settle for a game total of ten points, six rebounds. The answer for Atlantic comes from Andrew “Head” Staine who goes all the way for two. Dave Apolonio then spots up for three and gets it to fall. Linsworth Graham then goes all the way for two Atlantic Bank points and at the half the lead is eight. But here comes City Council in traffic. Kenroy Usher sticks with it to get two points and this ballgame is tied at 28 points apiece people. This inbound pass from Dave Apolonio bounces to Justin Tillett who pushes the lead to five. Andrew Staine attacks the rim on this press as he strikes for two. “Head” would lead all scorers with twenty points despite not scoring in the first quarter. Folks this is the kinds of night that City Council is having. Mervin Jones can’t hit the drive, Kenroy Usher can’t come up with the put back and then can’t come up with the possession for his team. Darwin Elijio comes back off the bench and goes into the paint for two points over Turo Neal Jr. At the end of three, it’s a ten point lead for the bank. Immediately into the fourth quarter, Elijio lands this long deuce; he would finish with seventeen points. Folks, City Council’s big man Virgil Miller scores here but Miller didn’t come up with the usual points for his team tonight. He would post eleven points and eight rebounds. We must say that Wednesday night’s decisive win against the Port left the City Council without legs tonight and it shows. The Atlantic Bank takes game one of the finals in a 64-46 score. Game two comes up Friday night inside the City Center. On this under card people Alamilla’s Furniture/FirstCaribbean Combination will battle the Port of Belize for third place. So it’s a prime time package of Inter-Office basketball you won’t want to miss.
In Cycling news, Ernest Meighan took yesterday’s eleven mile individual time trial event presented by the Belize Cycling Association, beating Leroy Casasola by twenty-three seconds. Jose Choto was a minute two seconds behind for third place, Jeffrey Zelaya one-oh-eight behind for fourth while George Abraham Sr. a minute five seconds behind rounds out the top five. On the ladies side, Shalini Zabaneh took top honours, while Jane Usher settled for second. On the Junior side, Geon Hanson won the junior classification beating out Austin Armstrong by twenty-nine seconds, Kyle Gentle by thirty-nine seconds. He place third. Looking ahead, the next big event in cycling is the National Road Championship which is set for Sunday, twentieth June beginning at nine. You certainly don’t want to miss it so stay tuned.
That’s it for now though. We invite you back same time, same place, next week. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
