Gwen Liz girls take national basketball title
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.
The Belize Bank Super League Tournament kicked off its championship series as San Felipe Barcelona hosted Texmar United of Independence up north inside Orange Walk yesterday. At stake is twenty-seven thousand, five hundred Belize dollars, a gold medal for each player off the winning team and of course the 2009 Super League title. After giving up home field advantage for this match, Texmar comes in ready to start strong and ten minutes in Ashley Torres picks out Wilmer Garcia whose on the run left foot shot gives the visitors a 1-zip lead just like that. The home team looks to reply off this long distance floater from Damion Ku that is handled by Charlie Slusher. Still Texmar continues to look dangerous when Wilmer Garcia heads this ball to Deon Burgess who should have put it inside the net. At the other end, Oscar Acevedo unleashes this cruel low cruise missile that forces Charlie Slusher into a big time save. Texmar comes back with this nice center from Carlos Valle that finds Wilmer Garcia whose header is kept out only by an enormous effort from the San Felipe keeper. At half the boys from the south boast a 1-zip lead.
It’s a more offensive minded Barcelona team that returns after intermission and indeed Christopher Hendricks should have gotten an assist off this pass into the danger zone. We’re eleven minutes into second half when Deon Burgess frees up Ashley Torres who finishes with a left foot that gives Texmar United a commanding 2-ip lead. Of course, it’s never over ‘til it’s over and we’re at the seventy-first minute of this match when Josue Flores fires this left foot that puts San Felipe Barcelona on the scoreboard. It’s San Felipe now in the ascendancy as Harvey Cruz tries to make something happen with this right foot splice but it doesn’t. In the meantime, the Barcelona keeper mishandles this long shot from out the midfield but Wilmer Garcia lets him off the hook and the veteran knows he has left the door wide open on the road. Folks, we’re past ninety minutes of play when poor defending gifts this ball to Christopher Hendricks and we’re tied at 2-apiece. And it gets worse for the visitors who in the final minute of play allow Brian Hernandez to head this ball, unattended at that, as San Felipe Barcelona snatches the 3-2 victory with two injury time goals. Who would have thunk it? So game two goes to the Michael Ashcroft Stadium this Saturday at seven-thirty p.m. and Texmar must win to force a decision game three, which would be staged at the M.C.C. Grounds on December twenty-seventh.
In basketball news, hats off to Gwen Liz High School of Belize City who, for a fourth year in a row, claimed the National High School Female title by stopping Delille Academy on Saturday at Dangriga in a 29-11 blowout. Glenda Torres of Gwen Liz emerged MVP and we say kudos. On the male side, Ecumenical High of Dangriga captured the 2009 National Title by edging Gwen Liz 56-49 on Saturday’s schedule. Mario Augustine took home male MVP honors and we say congrats.
In Interoffice softball play at Roger’s Stadium MOE/FirstCaribbean clubbed the Police 15-3, B.T.L. jolted Central Bank 11-4, Police came back to arrest 313 12-8, Lake I/Albert handled Telemedia 11-4 while MOE/FirstCaribbean burnt Belize City Council 14-12. On tonight’s ticket, B.E.L. faces 313 and Lake I/Albert takes on the Belize City Council.
Finally, in cycling news, if you’re keeping abreast of the Smart Weekend Warrior series, Philip Burns is the leader after four events, Marlon Swift is in second while Andrew Ordonez rounds out the top three.
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.
