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Semifinal day in ISSA rural schoolgirls’ netball

Published:Tuesday | December 5, 2023 | 12:09 AMRaymond Graham/Gleaner Writer
Jada Ricketts (right) of Holmwood High close marks Shakala Dickson of Manchester High during an ISSA rural schoolgirls’ senior netball match at the GC Foster College on November 27, 2023.
Nicholas Nunes/Photographer
Jada Ricketts (right) of Holmwood High close marks Shakala Dickson of Manchester High during an ISSA rural schoolgirls’ senior netball match at the GC Foster College on November 27, 2023.

MANCHESTER HIGH will host the semifinals of the ISSA rural schoolgirls’ netball competition, with the top junior and senior teams seeking spots in Thursday’s finals set for the Leila Robinson Courts in Kingston.

Three schools – Glenmuir High, Holmwood Technical, and Denbigh High – will have both junior and senior teams in action, with Manchester High and May Day High rounding off the dominance of central teams at this stage in the competition.

Action will start at 11:30 a.m., with defending junior champions Holmwood Technical opposing Glenmuir while the red-hot Denbigh High will go up against Manchester High.

In senior action defending all-island champions Glenmuir will face May Day while 12-time winners Holmwood will meet Denbigh in a clash of former champions.

The Holmwood versus Glenmuir junior encounter is expected to be the most competitive match of the day. Both teams were finalists a year ago.

The Carline Graham-Powell-coached Holmwood are unbeaten so far but will have their hands full against Glenmuir. Despite being beaten by Denbigh in the preliminary round of the competition, the Ryan Reid-coached Glenmuir team has shown tremendous improvement since and after being denied the double a year ago, they will be seeking to avenge that defeat in a match that can go either way.

Former champions Denbigh have been the most outstanding junior team so far, and the Samantha Mundle-coached team should get by Manchester. Leading the way for Denbigh is the very accurate goal shooter Leneice Williams, who has been unstoppable so far this season.

After failing to reach the final last year, for the first time in several years, Holmwood’s senior team looks set to return to that stage this time around. Led by last year s junior MVP Jada Ricketts at goal attack, they have been blowing away their opponents all season, and this trend should continue against former champions Denbigh.

Despite their large margin of victories so far, coach Graham-Powell is not taking things for granted.“The teams we have played so far are very weak, and our first real test of the season will come in the semi-finals, but I am confident of victory as the girls push for the finals,” said Graham-Powell.

After their most successful season last year, Glenmuir are on course to book another final spot when they oppose May Day, who are reaching this stage of the competition for the first time.

Led by goal attack Nickeisha Powell and goal defence Fentonian Henry, the defending champions are expected to get the better of May Day and set up a mouth-watering clash with Holmwood in the final.