Bethel on high with silverware

The students, staff and well wishers of the Bethel High School had much to shout about when the institution captured the Junior Division of the secondary school’s netball competition {{more}} Saturday at the Kingstown Netball Centre.

Then, on Sunday at the Victoria Park, there was more elation as Bethel High School claimed the Senior Division of the football competition.

Taking the first piece of silverware on Saturday, the Bethel lasses overcame Central Leeward Secondary in the final. Bethel won all quarters — 6-2, 12-7, 14-11, and 21-18.

Maurissa Cuffy was the hot hand for Bethel, scoring 19 of her 21 attempts. Yannisha Scipio contributed 2 from 9.

For the losers, Philisha Gloster registered 10 of 12 and Niancia Gordon 8 of her 13.

Cuffy was the top shooter in the preliminary round, scoring 90 out of 123 attempts.

She claimed the top shooter of the final award.

Bethel’s centre, Nerissa Delpesche, was adjudged the most valuable player of the junior final.

Winning was always on the card for Bethel. The team’s coach, Wollis Christopher, told SEARCHLIGHT he expected nothing less than the title from his charges.

“We missed it out last year and we came back strong this year … Our strength was in the attacking area, because we have some strong and energetic players and we have a very accurate goal shooter,” Christopher said.

Christopher has high hopes for the 2013 competition. All of the players from the winning team are eligible for the next competition, he explained.

But what the Bethel clan seemed to have cherished most was their hold on the senior football finals under the lights at the Victoria Park.

Facing the defending champions and the much-fancied Central Leeward Secondary, Bethel went into the finals as the pretenders to the title.

It was Bethel, though, who drew first blood in the 14th minute through Regis Ferdinand.

The prolific Oalex Anderson levelled the match in the 30th minute, as Bethel went into a slumber momentarily.

Noel Duncan converted a penalty in the 36th minute, as Bethel regained the lead.

Anderson then missed a penalty in the 38th minute, to leave the contest wide open again.

He made amends, though in the 52nd minute, rounding off a good build-up, to score his 14th goal in the competition for the year, and again become the top goal scorer.

The match was forced into 20 minutes extra time after the regulation 80 minutes produced no more goals.

Extra time did not change the 2-2 score line, and the match had to be determined from kicks from the penalty spot.

Bethel, who ended the match with 10 players, prevailed in the decisive kicks 7-6, to send their supporters in ecstasy, compounding a miserable weekend for the Central Leeward Secondary.

Preceding the senior finals, the St Vincent Grammar School gained their first football title since 1995, when they ousted the Dr J.P. Eustace 1-nil in the Junior Division final.

Kewon Clarke netted the lone goal of the match.

On Friday, also at Victoria Park, St Martin’s Secondary took the third place in the Juniors, with a 4-2 win on kicks from the penalty spot over the Bishop’s College Kingstown after both team drew 0-0.

And Georgetown Secondary edged out Emmanuel High School Mespo, 4-3, in the third place play-off, also on Friday. (RT)