Heavyweights Denbigh, Holmwood meet in rural netball deciders

For the past 10 years, Holmwood Technical and Denbigh High have dominated rural schoolgirl netball, and the two will continue this trend today in the finals of the ISSA Rural Schoolgirl competition at Manchester High where they will be defending titles they won a year ago.

At 1:15 p.m, defending champions Denbigh will play Holmwood in the junior final, while an hour later, both will meet in the senior final, where Holmwood are the defending champions.

In junior action, defending all-island champions Denbigh, who got the better of Porus 23-17 in last week's semi-finals at G.C. Foster College, will be hoping to stretch their unbeaten run for the past two years after advancing to their sixth final in a row.

Coach Janice Walker knows that it will not be an easy task against their rivals Holmwood, who last won the title in 2016.

"We have been going to the finals for the past six years and we are hoping to defend our title. It is a young team this time around, as most of the players are coming off the Under-14 team that won the title recently. It will not be an easy one and it will come down to the team that makes the least mistake," said Walker.

CHANCES OF WINNING

After their best show since 2016, where they lost to Manchester High in the quarter-finals, coach Carlene Graham Powell is hoping for success today and is motivated by their come-from-behind 22-18 win over a gutsy Manchester High team to get to this stage.

"Against Denbigh in the final, it is what happens on the day that will count, as we are not looking on what they have now. We are going into the final to play some good netball, and at the end, whatever we put in, we will get," said a cautious Graham Powell, when asked about her team's chances against the defending champions.

Both teams have been a cut above the rest this season among the seniors and both outclassed their opponents in semi-final action a week ago, as Holmwood got by Glenmuir 49-36 and Denbigh were even better, after a big 44-28 victory over St Thomas Technical.

Today will also see the playing of the third-place play-offs.

In the juniors beginning at 11 a.m., Porus will play home team Manchester, while at 12 p.m., Glenmuir will come up against St Thomas Technical in the seniors.