Weekend sports roundup with James Adderly

Good evening I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.

The final regular season schedule in the P.B.L. football competition staged over the weekend found at least three ball clubs mounting a last ditch effort to make it to the post season. The Placencia Assassins were among the team needing a win to make the cut as they faced R.G. City Boys inside the M.C.C. grounds, yesterday. It’s the home team City Boys looking to strike in the opening minutes when Dalton Cayetano out runs the Assassins defense to launch this left foot that lacks the power to get past Elias Pelayo. At the other end Ashley Torres forces goalkeeper Shawn Lopez to some off his line, Lopez botches the scene but Jason Young stays with the play to rescue him. Luis Torres then comes up with this wonderful pass to Dellon Torres who really should have done better with this open look instead of allowing Shawn Lopez to shine. Meanwhile this set piece tripped by Nigel Franklin sets the table perfectly for Gilroy Thurton who somehow misses the far corner of the goal. Deon McCaulley then gets his chance to open the scoring with this left foot punch but it rises over the crossbar. This impressive long distance dial from Luis Torres sees Shawn Lopez come up with a tough punch out – Rollin Burgess finds the loose ball, his shot is blocked to Ashley Torres who is blown for the offside. It’s more Placencia when Ernie Whyte deals to Burgess who again raises the ball over the horizontal bar. So we go to the second half and immediately Shawn Lopez creates problems for himself by mishandling this Luis Torres push but recovers to make a necessary save. Give some props to Shawn Lopez for this valiant save in a one on one situation against the always dangerous Luis Torres. However with the post season on the line there’s no denying Placencia Assassins today.

Whyte somehow finds the far corner in with this right foot push from a tough angle to give the visitor to lead. Things take a turn for the worst when Jason Young intentionally puts this hurt on Collin Scott Westby for which he is red-carded off the pitch leaving City Boys with only ten men. The Assassins pounce on the numerical Advantage as Scott Casey finds the unattended Brent Whyte who steers this ball past Shawn Lopez of the two nil score. A minute later Leomar Leslie beats his man for a one on one look at goal but Shawn Lopez would not allow him to have his way by taking him down. Should have been a red-card and a penalty but Referee Wellington Hall only rules for the penalty kick. The Placencia captain Dalton Eiley steps up and easily makes it a three zip final score and the Assassin are into the four team playoffs with twenty-nine points. In the meantime Verdes beat Paradise Freedom fighters three to two and also finish with twenty-nine points apiece but must give way to Placencia who has a better goal difference. Police United By doubling San Ignacio four to two finish the number one seed in zone b with thirty points. Over in zone A there is big controversy in full swing. Of course the Bandits who drew with the Belize defense force one to one over the weekend finished on top the standings with thirty-one points. Juventus defaulted to San Pedro but this is not the problem as both teams were never going to make the playoffs.

However F.C. Belize bombed Barcelona of San Felipe eight zip and howls of match fixing has erupted. Thus until the P.L.B. can sort things out will just have to wait and see which team makes it. Both F.C. Belize and B.D.F. finished with twenty-eight points apiece and both show a plus fifteen goal difference. So now we await the official word from the league. In other football news, Hattieville United Youth Sporting Club will present its third annual Christmas Cup Marathon at the village on Saturday December 13th. Under thirteen will feature six teams while four team will be accommodated in the under seventeen category. Contact numbers are 624-5790 and 669-4330. Enjoy all day football people. Meanwhile in the Smart Mundialito the finalist are set. On Saturday Brown Bombers blanked third world four zip and have arrived at the finals. The other finalist proved to be the Hattieville who held United Rangers to a one to one regulations tie and they won the penalty shootout to make it to the big time. This Sunday December ninth at one p.m. United Rangers battle Third World for third place and then Brown Bombers will take on Hattieville for the title. At two p.m. a smart under thirteen selection takes on their Belmopan counterpart and then Smart will combine with a Belize District under fifteen selection to take on the Gold Medalist from San Domingo the YWAM Belmopan under fifteen selection. Turning to the B.D.B.A. firms Division scene. Airport forced its three game semi-final series with Port of Belize into a decisive game three by taking game two sixty to forty-nine Friday night. However Saturday night Port of Belize clinched a trip to the finals with a sixty-four to fifty-three win. Meanwhile B.W.S.L. completed a two game sweep of B.T.L. in a sixty-seven to forty-seven final score Saturday at the Big Birds Isle. Thus game one of the three game championship series between the Port of Belize and B.W.S.L. kicks off Friday December 7th at Bug Birds Isle. Also the B.D.B.A. under twenty-three championship round begins Friday at eight p.m. with Bulldogs facing Tuff E Nuff. In Table Tennis News the National Championship was staged at the Belize Elementary School Auditorium. Eric Stamp beat Carlos Cui to grab the Men’s Singles Title. Pete Matus rolled out over Wei Rong Huang for the female single title. Fabio Carballo got over Matthew Usher to take the fifteen and under/cadet championship. Aaron Stoch and Nichi Chen combined to take the mixed double table away from Billy Musa Jr.. and Samira Musa Pott while Eric Stamp and Aaron Stoch beat Carlos Cui and Hector Lopez to grab the men’s double title. Finally folks bug time international amateur boxing comes your way on December twenty-sixth, boxing day in a presentation of Leopold Smart Boxing Gym at Best Western Belize Biltmore. It’s Belize against Mexico in a seven fight match that spells for a good time on Boxing Day so stay tuned.

Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.