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Urban netball semifinals too close to call

Published:Wednesday | November 29, 2023 | 12:11 AMRaymond Graham/Gleaner Writer
St Hugh’s High School’s Kayama Brown (centre), intercepts a pass during a second-round Urban ISSA Schoolgirl Netball match against Wolmer’s Girls at the Leila Robinson Courts on November 15.
Ian Allen
St Hugh’s High School’s Kayama Brown (centre), intercepts a pass during a second-round Urban ISSA Schoolgirl Netball match against Wolmer’s Girls at the Leila Robinson Courts on November 15.

THIS FRIDAY at the Leila Robinson netball courts, the two finalists of the Urban ISSA junior schoolgirl netball competition will be decided.

Defending champions, St Hugh’s High School will meet The Queen’s School in one semifinal, while Wolmer’s Girls’ School and Jose Marti High School meet in the other.

In what is expected to be two epic encounters, it will be very difficult to call the winners. All four teams are on par and it come down to the teams making the least mistakes.

All four coaches are cautiously optimistic about making into next Thursday’s final.

With their only blip, a one-point loss to Wolmer’s, beaten 16-15 in second-round action, coach Nardia Hanson is banking on the defending champions’ all-round play to get the better of Queen’s in their matchup.

“It is going to be a hard game for us. The Queen’s ladies are playing with so much confidence and they are destined to be back on top. I know they will be coming extremely strong for us. My girls, however, are ready for the challenges. Once they execute in all areas, we will be neck and neck with them,” said Hanson.

After years of dominance at both the senior and junior levels, it has been a long time since Queen’s have made it to this stage of the competition at either level and coach Marvette Anderson is ready for the challenge.

“St Hugh’s are the defending champions, so I expect them to play the part. I know it will not be an easy task but the ladies are ready to give of their best,” said the former national coach.

Jose Marti’s juniors are in a semifinal for the first time and coach Philip Pinnock wants to create even more history when they tackle the unbeaten Wolmer’s.

“It is not by chance that we are at this stage of the competition. We competed very hard to get here. However, it is the most disciplined team that will come out on top and I hope Jose Marti will be that team,” said Pinnock.

It has also been many years since Wolmer’s have made it to this stage of the competition and coach Tracy-Ann Griffiths is hoping that her team has two more big games in its arsenal.

“It has been a long time and we feel good and are hoping to win and go all the way. The members of this team were the under-14 players who reached the finals of that competition last year and I am banking on them for success. It will be the team who wants it most and my girls are hungry and will be going all out for it,” said Griffiths.