C’bar targets KC’s record wins
AFTER CAPTURING their sixth straight ISSA-GraceKennedy Boys’ Athletics Championship title, Calabar High School seems to be getting used to winning the Mortimer Geddes Trophy, as students, school staff and general supporters celebrated at the school grounds on Monday, in an atmosphere less enthusiastic than previous years.
However, the entire Calabar fraternity described Saturday’s four-point win over Kingston College at the National Stadium as the “most special” of all the six recent titles, after most pundits had written off the Red Hills Road school in favour of their North Street rivals.
But according to assistant coach Omar Hawes, who spoke on behalf of the coaches in the absence of coach and master tactician, Michael Clarke, the aim now is to now go 14 straight wins and match Kingston College’s record for the longest winning streak at Boys Champs.
“The school fraternity is asking for that, and after this year was dubbed ‘Kingston College alone’ and we defied the odds, we are saying that we want to go 14 straight,” he told the audience.
“Once we won the first one in 2012, the plan was to go six straight, and once we stay humble, stay organised, and work hard, we should be able to [go 14 straight],” he continued.
The team will retain most of its prized assets from Class One for next year’s championship and with proper recruiting, coupled with the school’s high training standards, Hawes expects the winning trend to continue.
‘BEST FIGHT’
“This was a good fight from KC. This was the best fight of all the six (titles) that we have encountered. But it shows that we cannot be complacent. But if we learn anything from this, it’s that it’s going to be harder for us to relinquish the title. We have the material and the coaches, so it’s a good look going forward,” he said.
Meanwhile, it took a while before the celebrations came to life as most students strolled into the school almost as if it was a regular school day. At about 8a.m., students started to gather at the assembly area, and moments later, the stage was decorated with trophies from the school’s various sporting successes for the calendar year.
However, the celebrations were not as buoyant as expected, with technical glitches to the sound system only making matters worse, as most of the speeches were interrupted by shortages in the microphone. There were also representatives from FLOW and GraceKennedy in attendance, accompanied by Olympic sprint star ShellyAnn Fraser-Pryce.