It was a sight as old as the hills, Combermere winning schools’ hockey titles with Colonel Deighton Maynard directing the on court action with the stoicism of a battle hardened general.
That was the scene when the 2011 National Sports Council/CRS Builders & Maintenance Inc. Indoor Hockey climaxed with five finals at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex on Wednesday. Combermere captured three titles while placing second in the senior girls following a 4-7 defeat by defending champions Springer Memorial.
The all-round team play from Combermere proved to be the championship formula as the prolific Akeem Rudder – who slammed home eight goals in one preliminary game – could not drag the Garrison Secondary into the finals.
The evening ended on a high with Roger Bailey showing great speed and then finesse to give Combermere the upper hand in the boys’ finals against Alleyne School.
Alleyne countered well but the defense of Combermere held firm. The skills of custodian Baggio Bruce denied the Waterford lads more goals with Bruce even stopping a point blank rocket from Akeil Craigg-Browne, who would have been in Alleyne gear last season.
Earlier in the day, a golden goal from Kyle Brathwaite gave Combermere a 1-0 victory over Alexandra in the boy’s Under-15 final after both teams had failed to score in regulation time.
On Monday, Combermere had defeated The Alleyne 1-0 in the Under-13 final.
However, the game of the finals was the showdown between Combermere and the senior girls champions, Springer. After Shalana Payne twice slammed the ball into the goal with a wooden thud, the Waterford lasses seemed ready to unseat Springer.
Gabriel Williams pulled back a goal and then aerial specialist, Shekinah Tappin, tied the contest for Springer. Two seconds after half time Combermere added to their two goals, thanks to D’Jamila Edwards.
Williams then gave Springer their third goal following a run down the right flank. Another aerial attack from Tappin which almost ripped a hole in the net was then matched by Jodie Grant to dull Springer’s celebrations and setting up a 4-4 showdown.
The speedy Ayanna Wilson then joined the party scoring goal number five for the Government Hill side with Tappin hitting the top corner of the net again before Wilson sealed the match and the title for Springer with goal number seven.
