James Adderley with the latest in sporting news

Good evening I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday. Week thirteen of the Caribbean Motors Cup brought two teams from opposite ends of the standings to the MCC Grounds yesterday as league leading Belize Defence Force hosted Shanaiah Corozal who came in tied at the bottom of the standings with BRC Blaze. Nevertheless, the visitors look pretty potent early when Henry Sandoval fires this left foot at the BDF goal that screams over the horizontal bar. However, we must also point out that the substitute goalkeeper for Corozal appears a little but inexperienced in his office today. Of course, the Military looks to capitalize early. Under seventeen player Denmark Casey sets table nicely for Evan Mariano who somehow misfires from pointblank range. We’re thirty minutes in when Gilbert Swaso deals to Paul Nunez and he beats Williams convincingly to give the Military a 1-zip lead. Five minutes later Williams sojourns again outside his goal. Mariano would have made him pay had not defensive help show up in the nick of time. On this trip to the visitors goal Evan Mariano turns provider for Paul Nunez whose left finish makes a 2-zip BDF lead going into intermission.

Meanwhile, folks second half descends into the nightmarish sort for Shanaiah Corozal but they do dodge this bullet when the Paul Nunez push bounces harmlessly off the near upright. It’s more drama when this right foot bomb from Denmark Casey crashes off the crossbar as Shanaiah Corozal begins to show signs of wear and tear. At the sixty-fifth minute Paul Nunez picks out the unattended Erwin Flores who heads it home for the 3-zip BDF lead. Four minutes later Nunez deals to Evan Mariano and his header balloons the lead to 4-nil. It’s all downhill for Corozal now. Nunez records his third assist by Khalil Velasquez who heads this ball into the net as the Military grabs a 5-zip lead. Meanwhile, David Trapp floats this ball into the danger zone, Williams instead of using his hands heads it out to Erwin Flores who records his second goal of the match for the 6-nil Military lead. On this BDF press, Manuel Manzanero takes his frustration out on Evan Mariano for which a penalty kick is determined by the referee. Goalkeeper Woodrow West wants to get in on the free for all so he converts the penalty to make it 7-nil. In the waning moments of this ballgame Gilbert Swaso outruns the Corozal defense to make an 8-zip rout of Shanaiah Corozal.

In other action around the league, Georgetown blanked BRC Blaze 2-0, San Pedro Seadogs hold FC Belize to a 1-1 tie while Paradise Freedom Fighters hurt Hankook Verdes in a 1-nil affair. Round fourteen’s schedule looks like this: on Saturday, April twenty-fourth BRC Blaze will host San Pedro while on Sunday Shanaiah Corozal will be at home against Paradise Freedom Fighters, Hankook Verdes gets a visit from Georgetown and here in Belize City the battle for the lead in the standings with rage between FC Belize and BDF at the MCC Grounds.

Checking in on the Super League, the new and improved Hattieville FC crushed Belize United FC 4-1, Santa Elena Synergy and San Felipe Barcelona battled to a 2-all stalemate, Placencia Assassin blanked City Boys United 3-zip while Nizhee Corozal handled Cayo South United by that very same score. Week three’s schedule finds Cayo South hosting Belize United and Nizhee Corozal comes to City Boys – that’s on Saturday. On Sunday, San Felipe gets a visit from Placencia Assassin and Hattieville FC will be at home against Santa Elena.

In cricket news, play in the Smart Harrison Parks Competition saw Excellence of Double Head Cabbage advance its record to a perfect 9 and 0 record by grounding Western Eagles 141-136. Sunrise of Lords Bank overcame Wicked Eleven of Flowers Bank 110-108. Brilliant of Crooked Tree easily disposed of Brave Union 42-40 with five wickets to spare and Burlan of Bermudian Landing outclassed One Love 304-15 powered by 132 runs scored by Jermaine Baizar.

Turning to the cycling scene, we must congratulate Shalini Zabaneh for her silver medal at the ninth Central American Games in the twenty km individual time trials for females with a time of 30 minutes, 40.489 seconds. Edmond Christopher Reyes for his bronze medal at the under twenty-three category in the road race and Byron Pope who finished fourth in the individual time trial for men under twenty-three. Now imagine people if Belize had sent its best, for example, Marlon Castillo, Froggy Leslie, Peter and Giovanni Choto, who knows where we could have gone. Let’s get real people.

Now let’s head to the City Center for Friday’s big Ballin’ 4 Life Tournament clash between UB Black Jaguars and the Belize Bank Bulldogs. Immediately Farron Louriano gets the UB team going by marching straight through the Bulldog defense with this individual effort. Farron will strike for a team high of nineteen points. At the other end Darwin Leslie spots up for three in reply for the bank. Darwin would lead all players with the game high of 26 points. Marcel Orosco then comes up with the steal and goes all the way for two of his ten points tonight. At the end of the first, UB shows a one point lead. In the second quarter when Winston Pratt misses this three point attempt, Stephen Williams keeps the play alive and then gets rewarded with the easy bucket. The UB captain would finish with sixteen points, nine rebounds. Williams comes right back to sink the three point shot. UB Black Jaguars take an eight point lead into intermission.

In the third the Belize Bank Bulldogs comes out fighting. Darwin Leslie wants three and he gets three. Roscoe Rhys, who would shoot thirty-three point three percent from the field hits this big three pointer for the bank. Rupert Brown then penetrates for two of his nine points for the Bulldogs who are still down by eleven going to the fourth. In the fourth UB regains the initiative. Winston Pratt picks up the loose ball and sinks the bucket. He would finish with twelve points. Leroy Louriano then hits this extra long three. He would put up thirteen points tonight. UB Jaguars go on to post the 84-62 big W.

On the undercard, Hold-on Smart jolted the Burrell Boom Celtics 45-44 in a junior sizzler at City Center led by eleven points from Jamaal Kelly. Kyle Pinkard threw up the game high of twenty points but in a losing effort for the Celtics. In other actions around the league, Sparks rolled past Maria Chang Eagles 57-41 in female play. Orange Walk Running Rebels got the win over Lake I Boys 60-55 and Jamboree crushed Black Dynamite 93-76.

Finally folks, we salute Poor and Famous organization who are engaged in a two month project to provide alternatives for youth at risk in Belize City. Yesterday at the Youth Hostel field they hosted a tournament at the under thirteen level for players from Mayflower Street, Jerusalem, Manchester and the Hostel Field Warriors providing both boots and uniforms for the participants. It’s a step in the right direction.

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.