It would not have been surprising if Christ Church Foundation had made some frantic adjustments to their prize-giving ceremony which was held yesterday after their boys captured their first Under-19 National Sports Council/Super Centre Inter-Schools Volleyball crown on Tuesday at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex.
Foundation defied the odds in a battle with Coleridge and Parry, who boasted a full line-up of national juniors or invitees to win an excellent contest 12-25, 25-15, 1513. After CP blasted Foundation in the first set with Nikoli Bovell and Janeil Craigg hitting the ball with frightening force, the match looked like a blow-out for the boys from the north.
However, portly setter Akil Moore showed thoughtful plays in calling on captain Alex Fredericks, Andriy Stapleton, Jomo Haynes and Xavier Duncan to score some telling kills for Foundation to even the contest and bring on the decider.
Although Craigg continued to smoke the court, threatening life and limb of the smaller Foundation players, the Church Hill lads grabbed an early lead through consistent play, aided by a puzzling line-up of the CP team. With Craigg and Bovell playing next to each other, rather than opposite, when that duo rotated to the back court, CP bled points.
But that should not discredit the attack of Fredericks, who personally wanted to upstage his higher rated junior teammates.
The game was held up at 11-13, with CP protesting a call which was made by the referee. After five minutes, the referee called for a replay which saw Foundation creeping towards the finish.
At set and game point 14-12, Fredericks almost created a nightmare when he served out. But a set from CP’s serve saw Stapleton scoring a cross court shot to start unbridled celebrations for Foundation.
Earlier, CP also missed out on the girls’ title when they were beaten in straight sets by the strong Alleyne 20-25, 18-25. The powerhouse plays of Shakera Hall, who could not be stopped at net, gave 2010 queens, CP, a great fighting chance.
However, captain Tia Jones, Ashley Marshall, Adrianne Bynoe, Alisha Gaskin, Nekela Jordan and Katisha McClean who had ended second in the school’s netball finals, ensured that Alleyne School captured the gold in the volleyball finals.
