Rural netball champs advance to semis

Defending rural junior champions Denbigh High and senior queens Holmwood Technical advanced to the semi-finals of the ISSA schoolgirls netball competition after contrasting wins at Manchester High School on Wednesday.

Denbigh eased past Montego Bay High 32-8, while Holmwood clipped Glenmuir High by one goal, winning 38-37.

Holmwood, the most dominant schoolgirl netball team locally in the past 10 years, were pushed to the limit by a relentless Glenmuir, but as usual the Christiana-based defending champions showed grit and determination to pull through in the end.

At the end of the first quarter, Holmwood led 10-9, and at half-time, it was still a one-point lead, 19-18 for the champions. However, it was Glenmuir who controlled the third quarter to lead 29-26 after the third stanza. They were unable to maintain their lead and Holmwood prevailed at the final whistle.

Long-time head coach of Holmwood Carlene Graham Powell was happy that her team survived and stated that illness affected her girls.

"Three of my top players were suffering from the flu, and and this was the reason why the score was so close because all season, the team has been scoring high numbers and it was the will power of the girls that got them through but come semi-finals next week, we will be in much better condition as the girls should get better by then," said Graham Powell. Holmwood will meet Manchester High in one semi-final, while last year's beaten finalists, Denbigh, who had a big 52-10 win over Herbert Morrison will go up against Knox College in the other. Knox defeated Anchovy 31-27 in a close encounter.

There were no problems for Denbigh in their junior match as they got by their opponents quite easily. In the semi-finals, they will battle St Thomas Technical, who got the better of Bishop Gibson 24-18. In the other semi-final, Holmwood meet Manchester High.

The semi-finals will be played at G.C. Foster College next Tuesday, with the first match set to begin at 10 a.m.