All or nothing

THE NATIONAL Indoor Sports Centre will be buzzing with excitement today as urban and rural schoolgirl netball champions will be crowned.

In the rural junior final at 1:00 p.m., defending champions Manchester High School will take on Holmwood Technical in a repeat of last year’s closing encounter.

Defending rural and all-island champions Holmwood will face former champions Denbigh High School in the senior final at 3:00 p.m.

In the urban junior final, St Hugh’s High School will battle Wolmer’s Trust for Girls at 2:00 p.m., while defending champions St Catherine square off with The Queen’s School at 4:00 p.m.

Netball will be on show all day, with action actually getting under way at 9:00 a.m. with the urban junior third-place playoff between Gaynstead and St Catherine. The senior third-place playoff between Gaynstead and Camperdown tips off at 10 a.m.

The rural third-place junior game involves Mile Gully and Titchfield at 11 a.m. while Manchester and Glenmuir will meet in the senior encounter at 12 p.m.

A lot of attention will be on Holmwood Technical today as the Carline Graham-Powell-coached teams will be seeking a rare double. Both teams, junior and senior, have been unbeaten this season and will start favourites.

After steamrolling Titchfield 40-18 in their semi-final three days ago at G. C. Foster College, where goal attack Syranna Brown and goal shooter Sarah-Marie Walker were in great form, Holmwood’s juniors are expected to dethrone Manchester, who got by Mile Gully 21-14 in their semi-final.

Holmwood’s seniors didn’t have it all their own way in the semi-finals, facing a fourth-quarter charge from Glenmuir, who they had to overtake to eventually win.

Still, Holmwood, through the consistency of goal attack Jada Ricketts and goal shooter Reneica Jones, have the edge.

“Once a team gets to the final, they are good. We always respect our opponents, but as I keep saying, we have put in the work and we are gonna be going out there on the day to execute,” said Graham-Powell.

Winston Nevers knows his very good Denbigh team are up against it.

“Holmwood are a very strong team, but I am confident in my team’s abilities, and once they improve on their turnovers from their last game, I see no reason why they cannot be champions,” said Nevers.

In the urban junior final, the Nardia Hanson-coached St Hugh’s have been unbeaten but face a Wolmer’s unit who boasts the same.

“It is going to be a tough game for us, but nonetheless, we are going out there to do our best and ensure that we are always in the game. Wolmer’s are a very strong team and they are hungry. The final won’t be easy, but we are ready,” said Hanson.

Wolmer’s coach, Tracy-Ann Griffiths, believes her charges are playing well enough to beat any team.

“We came very close last year, and we are hoping to go one place better. We have all respect for our opponents who have a very good coach and a good team, but my girls are playing exceptional netball, and once they come in with the same frame of mind, I expect them to go all the way,” said Griffiths.

St Catherine will be going for a three-peat in the seniors but face a team that beat them earlier this season.

The Marvette Anderson-coached Queen’s are the only unbeaten team in the urban senior competition and will want to make it two from two over St Catherine this season.