ALEX ELLIS LEADS ST IGNATIUS TO 2008 PRIMARY SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Hoops News’ 2008 Primary School Basketball Player of the Year, Kachief Thomas, and a full house of loud, enthusiastic teachers and students from St. Luke Methodist School left the Belize City Center on Tuesday afternoon thoroughly disappointed and almost on the verge of tears, after their favored team fell to St. Ignatius School by the score of 47-43 in the 2008 Belize City Primary School Basketball Male Championship game.
St. Luke Methodist, who hail from the Lake Independence area, entered the game as the favorite to win it all, following a sparkling 4-0 record amassed during the regular season, and a 46-37 trouncing of Buttonwood Bay Nazarene in the semifinal round played on Monday. St Ignatius, on the other hand, came in to the game as heavy underdogs, after narrowly edging out Queen Square 22-17 in their semifinal round. However, on this day, despite playing in front of a hostile crowd, the boys from St. Ignatius, led by point guard Alex Ellis 13 pts and forward Eric Franklin, miraculously prevailed against the 41 ppg man-child, Kachief Thomas. St. Ignatius Head Coach Denver Fairweather must be congratulated for devising a well thought out game plan which employed numerous defensive schemes geared at slowing down the often evasive Kaschief Thomas, who, despite scoring a game high 34 pts, could not pull out the big W. The coaching staff of St. Luke Methodist, who had become accustomed to their star player exploiting the lesser talented kids, on Tuesday had no answer for the combined team effort put forward by their opponents. In the final analysis, it came down to the often overlooked cliché in basketball, which is that the game is still a “team sport”, and while sometimes mere individual talent may win some games, more often than not the team that comes out on top is usually the team that displays better team chemistry and spirit.
From the desk vantage point, the coaching staff of St. Luke Methodist did a bang-up job in harnessing the talent of their young talent, Kachief Thomas. Even more worrisome is the fact that they were unable to control the kid’s frequent tirades towards his lesser talented teammates. What I would have liked to see happen is a sitting down of the kid, and the team concept explained to him. After all, being talented does not guarantee success in any sport. Success comes with a whole lot of self-discipline, good attitude, humility, and empathy towards your sometimes lesser talented teammates. All things set aside, I have yet to see these characteristics in this young phenom.
BACK- TO-BACK PRIMARY SCHOOL BASKETBALL CHAMPS
Queen’s Square Anglican Girls team is Belize City’s 2008 Primary School Basketball champs. After defeating St. Martin De Porres, 29-7, on Monday in the semifinal round, Jaslyn Cadle and company fought a hard battle against the pesky team from Belize Elementary School, with the game not being decided until the waning moments of the second half by the score of 9-6. With the win, Queen Square preserve their unbeaten streak at six games, and now go into the Belize District Regional undefeated. Kaitlyn Woods led Belize Elementary with 4 pts in the loss. They are also headed to this year’s regional.
While Belize City teams were battling for bragging rights this past Tuesday, on Wednesday it was the Belize rural teams’ time to do battle. Burrell Boom basketball court was the venue. In the girls game, La Democracia Government walloped Ladyville Evangelical by the score of 26-2. Kara Young led La Democracia with 24 pts, while Shajida Garcia scored the only two points for her team. In the second game, the same two teams took the court once again, with similar results; this time, however, La Democracia applied the shutout, 22-0, behind Kara Young 8 pts.
In the boys category, in game one, Burrell Boom Methodist got by Ladyville Evangelical by the score of 54-10, behind Devaun Brown 31 pts; while Darren Longsworth led Ladyville with 5 pts. In game two, Ladyville Evangelical avenged their game one loss by knocking off La Democracia Government by the score of 22-8. Darren Longsworth led Ladyville with 18 pts, while Glenford Mcfadzean scored 4 pts in the loss for La Democracia. In the final game of the day, Burrell Boom once again made easy work of La Democracia, this time by the score of 54-8, as Keyron Alvarez hit for 9 pts in the win.
By the time this edition of Hoops News hits the streets, the regionals would have been decided, as they were scheduled to be played this past Thursday. Four boys teams were expected to participate – St. Ignatius and St. Luke Methodist representing Belize City, and Burrell Boom Methodist and San Pedro R.C. representing Belize Rural. In the girls division, Queen Square Anglican and Belize Elementary were set to represent the City; while La Democracia Government and Ladyville Evangelical were representing Belize Rural.
BELIZE BANK “JUNIOR BULLDOGS” NOW 6-0, FOLLOWING MONDAY NIGHT WIN OVER “THE FUTURE”
The Belize Bank Junior Bulldogs remain the only undefeated team in this year’s U-26 Basketball Championship, after they got by The Future by the score of 76-70 on Monday night at the City Center. The game featured the only two remaining undefeated teams, and after it was concluded the Bulldogs stood on top of the league with a perfect 6-0 record. Big man Paul Swasey, who is coming off an injury- plagued 2007 Semipro season, has committed to use the U-26 as a vehicle to condition himself for this year’s Semipro Tournament. He led the Bulldogs, totaling 23 pts 10 rebs 3 asst 6 blocks and 5 steals. His teammate Darwin “Puppy” Leslie had a solid game, with two spectacular dunks on his way to a 18 pts 8 rebs 4 asst and 2 blocks night. Meanwhile, for The Future, Winston “Air Jun” Pratt, who has been playing solid ball, totaled 34 pts 8 rebs 1 asst and 2 steals; he was followed by Ludrick Beeks, who totaled 10 pts 6 rebs in the process.
In game two, played on Monday night, Belmopan Young Guns got their second win of the tournament, as they blew out Complex Bombers by the score of 82-66. Jay Chavarria led the Young Guns with 19 pts 4 rebs 4 asst and 1 steal, followed by Dorian “Cheesy” Jones with 15 pts 8 rebs. For Complex Bombers, it was the venerable Lester Cadle totaling a game high 31 pts, as he hit four from behind the arch, to go along with 10 rebs 1 asst and 3 steals. His teammate Alfred Bainton also got into the action, totaling 14 pts 11 rebs 2 asst and 1 steal.
In the nightcap, in a thriller, it was Lake I Boyz squeezing past the awfully quick Mesop/Guardian Bombers by the score of 74-71. One of the promising young kids who has been eating up this league, Ashton Edwards, once again had a big night, totaling a game high 35 pts as he hit for a record high 9 three-pointers in the process, hitting five in a row at one point. Meanwhile, his brother Tyrone “Joka” Edwards, who on this night was the playmaker, contributed 11 pts 2 rebs 6 asst and 1 steal in the win. Egbert “Eggy” Wahlford from the Bombers totaled 22 pts 2 rebs 2 asst and 1 steal in his team’s third loss of the season; he was aided by the play of Dwayne “Kila” Davis, who contributed 16 pts 6 rebs 1 asst and 3 steals.
Recapping last Sunday’s scores, it was UB Black Jaguars winning over Complex Bombers in a close contest, 63-62, behind Stephen “Muerte” Williams 20 pts 5 rebs 2 steals and Travis Lennan 16 pts 7 rebs 1 asst 2 steals. Complex Bombers had Ronald “The Rifleman” Rivers (8-3 ptrs) and Lester Cadle scoring 28 pts and 15 pts, respectively. In the middle game, it was Belmopan Young Guns getting by Buttonwood Bay by the score of 69-58. Dorian “Cheesy” Jones and Albert Garcia both scored 10 pts in the win for Belmopan, while Fred Meighan and Darwin “Prince” Zuniga scored 12 pts each in the loss. In the nightcap, it was Belize Bank Junior Bulldogs taking a bite out of Mesop Bombers by the score of 83-64. Paul Swasey totaled 18 pts 8 rebs 1 asst and 4 blocks in the win, followed by Jacob “Snake” Leslie, who totaled 16 pts 6 rebs 4 asst and 3 steals. Bernard Felix had a game high 26 pts to go along with 2 rebs and 3 steals, while his teammate Egbert “Eggy” Wahlford contributed 20 pts 2 rebs.
The games continue tonight at the City Center, as Belmopan Young Guns will see action against UB Black Jaguars; while Mesop Guardian Bombers will knock heads with Buttonwood Bay; and, in the nightcap, The Future will see action against Complex Bombers.