Calabar, Queen’s on top at Lauderhill
NEW CHAMPIONS were crowned on Monday at the Jamaica High School Alumni Soccer and Netball Network (JHSASN) competition at the Lauderhill Sports Complex in Florida.
Calabar walked away with the football title while Queen’s topped netball.
The two-day tournament, a United States Labour Day weekend competition, is in its tenth year. It showcases past athletes from high schools in Jamaica competing for cash prizes which go to the sports programmes of their former schools.
Action on both Sunday and Monday was disrupted by rain.
Bridgeport, the defending football champions, were among the favourites along with St Elizabeth Technical, Ferncourt and Clarendon College. Following early round matches, the group winners were Excelsior, St Elizabeth Technical, Bridgeport, Old Harbour, Ferncourt, and newcomers Muschett High.
Calabar, after losing their first two matches in the first round, were involved in a hot-tempered match with Cornwall College in the second round. The winners were guaranteed a quarterfinal spot and here the Keammar ‘Dada’ Daley-led Calabar came out on top to book their spot.
In an all-Manning quarter-final encounter they squeezed out a 2-1 penalty shootout win over Excelsior after both teams had played to a 0-0 scoreline at fulltime. Other quarter-final winners were St Elizabeth Technical who got by Ferncourt 1-0; Wolmer’s who surprised defending champions Bridgeport 3-1 in a penalty shootout and Old Harbour who also got by Clarendon College 3-2 in a shootout.
It took penalty shootouts to decide both finalists. Calabar got by Wolmer’s 7-6 while Old Harbour had a 5-4 win over Ferncourt.
In an evenly contested final, Calabar clipped Old Harbour 1-0 courtesy of a penalty in the 15th minute from Ramone Palmer.
Winning captain Daley, a former National Senior player, was very elated after his team’s success.
“It was hard work from our players and good support from the coaching staff and despite several injuries fro some of our members, including myself, we were able to pull off the win. Most of us travel all the way from Kansas City to play in the tournament and we were determined not to leave emptyhanded,” said Daley.
Just four teams turned up for the netball competition. In the round-robin competition both Queen’s and defending champions Denbigh ended with five points. In a play-off for top spot, Queen’s came out on top 13-10.