Old Cemetery takes 2008-2009 Maxi-Basketball title
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and we certainly thank you for joining Sports Monday.
It was the final regular season schedule in the 2008-09 Belize Bank Super League Tournament yesterday when Cayo south United made its final bid for the four team playoffs as they played host to an improved Caye Caulker Tsunami at Roaring Creek. Talk about getting quick help, Luis Gongora of Caye Caulker takes down Wayne Wiltshire inside the eighteen and naturally the referee applies the maximum penalty. Roaring Creek sends for Enrique Tamai who taps it home for the 1-zip lead only two minutes into this ballgame. Wiltshire then frees up Tamai left side who doesn’t get enough on this ball to make it potent. This center then gives Deon Guzman a chance at goal but his header makes outside the sticks. In the meantime, Tsunami comes alive when Melvin Carias centers in front of the goal. There’s obvious miscommunication between goalkeeper Jeremi Twist and his defense Steven Arnold pounces and we have a 1-1 tie some twenty-eight minutes in. Right off the kick off Carias gets this chance to give the island the lead but he certainly botches a one on one look. At the other end, Alfonso Guzman launches this left foot, the keeper, Miguel Neal, mishandles and Tamai strikes for his second of the match to give his team a 1-1 lead. Seven minutes later Tamai looks for his third goal o the match when he punches this one at the target, again Neal displays buttery fingers. Wayne Wiltshire makes a 3-1 Cayo South lead going into the locker room.
Immediately into second half people, Tamai looks for his third but fails to make contact on this stretch. Downfield, Arnold finds Deris Benavides who really should have done better with this particular look at goal. Meanwhile, let’s just say it’s ditto for Wayne Wiltshire at the other end. At the seventy-seventh minute of the ballgame Benavides finds Rupert Smith on the run and smith makes it a 3-2 ballgame with this ball pushed in the near corner. Folks, Miguel Neal does the best he can right here when he’s forced to slow down John Chimilio fresh off the bench, by conceding the penalty. Again Roaring Creek sends for Tamai who completes the hat-trick from the penalty spot as Cayo South extends to a two goal lead again. And we’ll just have to declare it an Enrique Tamai day in Roaring Creek when he scores his fourth goal of the match for the 5-2 victory over a game Caye Caulker Tsunami. Cayo South definitely did its part to keep its playoff ambitions alive.
In other results from week seventeen in the Super League; Texmar Boys concluded regular season with a 4-2 slamming of San Felipe Barcelona, while Kraal Road blanked Lucky Strike 3-zip. However, the match between Valley Renaissance and Barrio Fino Corozal was postponed because of weather conditions and will now be played on Wednesday January twenty-first eight p.m. inside the Carl Ramos Stadium. Only a win by the Valley team gives them life in the four team post season. Thus the playoffs kick off this Saturday with the number one seed Texmar Boys facing either the number four seed Cayo South or the number four seed Valley Renaissance and then on Sunday San Felipe Barcelona faces Kraal Road at the San Felipe Field. Final standings, less the remaining back match finds Texmar Boys atop the leader board with 45 points, San Felipe shows 38, Kraal Road 33, Cayo South 27, Valley Renaissance with one match to go has 26 so you do the math, Lake-Collet 17, Barrio Fino 16, Tsunami 14, and Lucky Strike finishes in the cellar with 11.
Turning to the basketball scene, we’re inside the City Center where Old Cemetery is looking to close out the three game championship series of Maxi-Basket against Classic Purex after taking game one last week. The first point of the ballgame comes in the form of a house call from Richard “House” Garbutt. Kevin Seroki then cranks it up from long distance as the Cemetery Guys jump to a 14-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second, Classic Purex gets going. Julian Murrilo feels three; he gets three. Andrew “Jewboy” Robateau then works his office for two points; he would lead his team with sixteen points, seven rebounds. Purex won the second quarter 19-16 but still trailed 30-25 at the half. However, Old Cemetery wasn’t about to let this one get away people. Leroy Forbes works the glass for two of his ten game points. At the other end, Paul Casanova licks this three for Classic Purex. A.C. Augustin then gets hot going to the left hand for two of his twelve points to go along with eleven rebounds.
We’re inside fourth quarter when Compton “Speedy” Staine sinks this tre’; he would post twelve points, seven rebounds. Old Cemetery takes game two 66-61 and with that 2008-2009 Maxi-Basketball title and we say congratulations.
Looking at the post season awards, Eldest spokesman Award went to Allyson Harrier Laing. Leroy Forbes had thirteen point three rebounds to lead the league. Victor McKenzie dished out an average of six point two assists, Joseph Martinez had one point four blocks to lead in that category, Ronald Sutherland averaged three point six steals to the best, Omar Gordon hit a total of eighty-eight points; the most in the season, Rico Black averaged three point six three pointers to emerge number one in this category, Phil Gallaty was awarded with the Sportsmanship Award, while season MVP honours went to is Douglas Penland. Kudos to one and all.
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.
