Group B of the Under-16 Schools Netball Tournament got underway at the Micoud Court on Wednesday, with Beanefield Comprehensive Secondary School and Choiseul Secondary School securing victories in two closely contested, low-scoring encounters.
In the opening match, Beanefield Comprehensive Secondary School overcame Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School 15-12 in a hard-fought contest where every goal proved valuable.
Leading the charge for Beanefield was sharp-shooting Goal Shoot Jerannie Marquis, who delivered an efficient performance by sinking nine of her 12 opportunities. Goal Attack Annia St. Ange provided solid support, contributing six goals from 10 attempts to help steer her team to victory.
Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School battled throughout the encounter, with Goal Attack Bernege Joseph carrying much of the scoring responsibility. She accounted for nine of her team’s 12 goals after successfully converting nine of 15 opportunities. Goal Shooters Hailey Charles and Leasana Joseph chipped in with three goals each, but their efforts were not enough to prevent Beanefield from claiming the win.
The second fixture saw Choiseul Secondary School turn in an impressive defensive and attacking display to defeat Micoud Secondary School 18-6.
Goal Shoot Malia Isidore was the standout performer for Choiseul, finding the target 12 times from 17 attempts, while Goal Attack Kevlyn Fostin added six goals from eight chances as Choiseul controlled the contest from start to finish.
Micoud Secondary School found scoring opportunities difficult to come by against the disciplined Choiseul defense. Goal Shoot Sashaly Martyr was the lone scorer for Micoud, converting six of her 15 attempts.
The opening day results place Beanefield Comprehensive Secondary School and Choiseul Secondary School in an early share of the Group B lead as the competition continues to gather momentum.
Meanwhile in Basketball……
St. Mary’s College (SMC) continued its impressive run in the Department of Youth Development and Sports Under-19 Secondary Schools Basketball Tournament, powering to the top of Group B after crushing Sir Ira Simmons Secondary School (SISS) 88-19 at the Beausejour Indoor Facility on Tuesday. The victory was SMC’s third consecutive triumph of the campaign, further solidifying its status as one of the tournament’s early championship contenders.
From the opening whistle, St. Mary’s imposed its authority on the contest with relentless defensive pressure and an aggressive offensive approach. The boys in white and red stripe raced to a commanding 25-5 first-quarter lead and never looked back. Sir Ira Simmons struggled to contain St. Mary’s quick transition game and active defense, allowing SMC to extend its advantage to 37-10 by halftime.
The third quarter proved even more difficult for Sir Ira Simmons as St. Mary’s tightened its grip on both ends of the floor. SMC held their opponents scoreless during the period while extending their lead to 57-10 heading into the final quarter.
Leading the charge for St. Mary’s was outstanding forward Jabarie Archibald, who recorded a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds, while also contributing five steals, one assist and one block. Rane Gustave matched Archibald’s scoring output with 19 points and narrowly missed a double-double after pulling down nine rebounds. He also finished with four steals and two assists. Alexander Constantine added 14 points and three steals, while Ernel Mason delivered an exceptional all-around performance with 14 points, seven rebounds, a game-high nine steals and three assists. Daelan Magloire chipped in with nine points, two rebounds, four steals, one assist and one block.
Despite the defeat, Sir Ira Simmons had a few bright spots. Omari Jn Baptiste produced a commendable all-round performance, leading his team with eight points while adding one rebound, one steal, one assist and three blocks. Jayden Gabriel supported with seven points and two rebounds, while Tyrese St. Rose fought hard on the boards, finishing with two points, six rebounds and three steals. Jose Isidore contributed two points, four rebounds, one steal and one assist.
Ironically, despite posting 88 points and recording one of the tournament’s most dominant victories, St. Mary’s also established a statistic the coaching staff may want to address. The Group B leaders missed an astonishing 71 field-goal attempts, setting a new tournament high and surpassing the previous mark of 62 missed field-goal attempts recorded by Sir Arthur Lewis Community College against Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School on October 8. While the figure highlights St. Mary’s ability to create a large number of scoring opportunities, it also points to an area in which they can become even more efficient as the competition progresses.
St. Mary’s College remains unbeaten and alone atop Group B.