Team M&M advance in Maxi-Basket Competition
James Adderley, Reporting
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and here’s this week’s issue of Sports Monday. The Maxi Basketball Tournament at Big Bird’s Isle kicked off its playoff round Friday night with two big ballgames. We’re at the end of the first quarter in the opener between M&M Christian Ambassadors and Tuff e Nuff when the M&M team takes a 4 point lead on this old fashioned 3 point play by Gregg Williams. At the other end, this trick shot from Rico Black finds nothing but net as Tuff e Nuff stays close. Give some credit to Samuel Martinez who comes up with his version of the 3 point offence to give his team a 1 point lead and people, we do have a good one going. Samuel Martinez would lead his team with all of 21 points. If you like the catch and shoot then Ruben Crawford shows you the right motion as Tuff e Nuff extends the lead.
Andrew Robateau then displays his turn around jumper for 2 of his 18 game points. But Frank August comes right back with this big 3 pointer. At the half it’s a 33-32 ballgame in favour of Tuff e Nuff. Folks if you thought that Rico Black’s trick shot was a fluke—well here he does it again—Black would finish with 13 points. At the end of 3, Tuff e Nuff is still up by 2. In the fourth quarter it’s Gregg Williams pulling out the stops as he strikes for three of his game high 30 points. Williams does get some help as Andrew Robateau re-establishes himself, but with 1:49 remaining it’s Tuff e Nuff up by 5.
It’s Victor Robateau who ties this ballgame late with this 3 point shot. Enfield Gordon then somehow finds the mighty Gregg Williams who delivers two in muscular traffic. In the end it’s the veteran Andrew Robateau who puts the nail in the Tuff e Nuff coffin with this play which would give his team 3 more points. M&M Christian Ambassadors go on to post the 67-65 big W.
Meanwhile folks, in the nightcap, Albert Hawks made rather easy work of Kulture Yabra. Vince “The Postman” Estrada finds Charlie “Dunk” Armstrong and he gets the Hawks rolling. Armstrong would put up 15 points in this one. Vince Estrada then breaks down court for the easy deuce. Mark Espat is also on fire tonight and the minister would strike for 16 points. In plain terms, Vince “The Postman” Estrada is sizzling hot tonight and his game high 32 points that include four 3 pointers propels Albert Hawks to an 80-49 big W over Kulture Yabra.
On Wednesday night’s schedule at Big Bird’s Isle, B.W.S. Bulls will battle Old Technical Boys while its gonna be a real old fashioned shoot out when Albert Hawks faces M&M Christian Ambassadors in the nightcap. In the meantime folks, the interoffice schedule has moved into the playoffs and we caught up with League Director Ian Mariano to get the big picture.
Ian Mariano, League Director
“Well so far everything is going better than expected and the fans have definitely showed their support this year. The teams, we have fourteen teams that have registered thus far, and from since then now we are preparing for our playoffs which is scheduled to start this evening.”
James Adderley
“So you have an eight team playoffs and it begins on Monday?”
Ian Mariano
“Definantely James.”
James Adderley
“And what can you tell the fans to expect in the playoffs?”
Ian Mariano
“Well the competition has risen definitely because this year we have actually added a different twist to it and we have had more than—up to three firms actually—combining together which has maximized the skills that, the output actually. And definitely, so far everything has been going well and coming out this evening you will receive a treat.”
These playoffs do get off at the City Centre tonight with Tuff e Nuff facing Aero Dispatch while Customs goes to work against Home Protector/Brodies.
Turning to the cycling scene, Byron Pope stepped up big time to claim Saturday’s fifty mile race presented by the Belize Cycling Association, in two hours five minutes. We say congratulations to him. Bethran Brown pulled up second, Mateo Cruz third, Brandon Cattouse settled for fourth, while Noel Grajalez, he rounds out the top five.
In softball news, Sunday’s washout at the Denbeigh Fuller Stadium made it two weeks in a row as the Cayo Softball League tries to produce its 2007 softball champion. It’s Roaring Creek Grace Kennedy and Esperanza Wolverines looking to claim this year’s title this Sunday coming—that is of course—if Mother Nature cooperates, so stay tuned. Renison Tablada, President of the Cayo Softball Association gave us this perspective.
Renison Tablada, President of the Cayo Softball Association
“Today we have called of the game because of the inclement weather. Mother Nature have stepped in and tell us that we can’t play this game today so we have called it off. But this game will be played as soon as we have good weather, probably it will be next week or after the Nationals or if they pull back the Nationals a week, then we will play what will be the same Nationals weekend. And the reason for that is because some of the players will be taking part in the upcoming Central American Championship Games which will be held in Nicaragua. We have a lot of players who have taken part in that game and the Unitedville Hot Mama’s team representing Belize in this upcoming competition, and we don’t want the players them to get hurt so we called off the game so the players can go healthy in Nicaragua and try to bring back something for Belize.”
In football news, the Lake Independence community presented a juvenile football tournament in honour of Sir George Brown, a football icon, who recently passed away, this weekend at the St.Martin de Porres Football Field. At money time it was the Brown Bombers getting goals from Raheem Jeffries, Joel Aguilar and Akeem Trapp to blank Team Dubu 3-zip. We applaud this community effort and we wish the organisers even more success in the future. We also wanna quickly remind you folks at home that tomorrow night, inside the Carl Ramos Stadium in Dangriga, Real Espana comes to face Revolutionary Conquerors in game two of their series. Also, in the other part of the UNCAF Tournament we will see F.C. Belize hosting Puntarenas of Costa Rica inside the M.C.C. Grounds on Thursday. Hey, stay on the lookout. That’s it for now though, we invite you back same time, same place next week. Jah over all. I’m James Adderley.
