_{Photo: St. Ignatius RC girls – Belize City 2024 Primary Schools Female Football Champions}

by William Ysaguirre

BELIZE CITY, Tues. Nov. 26, 2024

The St. Ignatius RC School girls and the Wesley Upper boys won the Belize City primary schools football championships organized by the National Sports Council at the Berger Field in Belize City on Tuesday afternoon, November 26.

In Game 1, the St. Ignatius girls triumphed, 4-0, over the St. Luke Methodist School girls with a brace each from Carmin Henry (3’ & 10’) and Ariane Chatam (23’ & 29’).

_{Photo: Wesley Methodist boys – Belize City 2024 Primary School Male Football Champions}

In Game 2, the Wesley Methodist Upper School boys won, 1-0, over Ebenezer Methodist School, in sudden death penalty shootout, after a 1-1 draw in regulation, with no goals scored in 10 minutes of overtime, and a 4-4 tie after 5 penalties each, Le’Rique Bowman (27’) struck first for Ebenezer Methodist, but pint-sized Kyrone Martinez (29’) quickly equalized for Wesley Upper, sending the match into overtime.

_{Photo: Wesley GK Debron Gonguez scored 6th and winning PK vs Ebenezer}

In penalties, Khayri Martin, Kaylon McLaren, Paul Alvarez and Zaoylem Jones converted for Ebenezer; while Ebenezer’s goalkeeper Zion Clarke stopped Wesley’s first try. Ebenezer’s 3rd kicker missed the goal completely, while Kyrone Martinez, Keifer Thurton, Raymond Amanya and Jefferson Martinez converted for Wesley, tying the shootout at 4-4 each after 5 kicks each. The shootout then went into sudden death, and Malachi Baptist converted for Ebenezer, but so did Aiden Sho for Wesley. Wesley’s goalkeeper Debron Gonguez then blocked Bowman’s kick on Ebenezer’s 7th try, and proceeded to score the winning penalty to clinch the championship win for Wesley.

Both champions and sub-champions advance to the Belize  District championship finals to be held at Berger Field on Friday, November 29, when they will challenge the Belize Rural champions, the Our Lady of the Way RC School girls & boys from Ladyville, and the island champions (from San Pedro/Caye Caulker). The Belize District champions will then go on to represent at the National Primary Schools Football Championships to be organized by the National Sports Council and hosted by the Football Federation of Belize at the FFB Stadium and the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan on Friday, December 6.