The 2014 Junior Cross Country Cycling Race

Good evening I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday. Let’s start with the action in the National Elite Basketball League which took a crucial ballgame to the Y Not Island at Dangriga Saturday night where the Culture Warriors were see bug to exact sweet  revenge on the Cayo Western Ballaz to kick off the 2^nd round of the competition. The home team comes out smoking as Trevaughn Usher opens the scoreboard with this long triple. The visitors respond in kind immediately when Ivan Flowers deals to Shannon Guzman who drains the 3 pointers from the left side. At the other end Gary Francisco gets this perfect pass to Trevaughn Usher who goes to the reverse and then Usher comes back to land this triple as Dangriga goes up by 7. But by the end of the 1^st quarter the Ballaz had cut the deficit to 2 points. We go to the 2^nd quarter and we must give Travis Lennan some props for this wicked bucket in heavy traffic for Cayo and he would earn 3 the hard way. Richard Troyer then penetrates the baseline to execute the reverse for 2 as Cayo takes the 3 point lead. Down by 2 Travaughn Usher tries to bring some excitement and is fortunate to be rescued by Shai Peters who would put up 7 points. And at the half the Warriors cling to a 1 point lead. In the meantime nuff respect to the Dangriga halftime show and now you know why they call it the Culture Capital of the nation. In the early 3^rd the Warriors jump to a 5 point lead when point guard Gary Francisco goes to the bank for 2 and then tide terms. Off this missed three point attempt by Shannon Guzman, Kurt Burgess gets the rebound gets the bounce I heavy traffic and would pick up 3 points the hard way Burgess would finish with 11 points, 14 rebounds. To make matters worse Richard Troyer gets hot as he sinks this triple from the right side. Troyer then comes back and sinks another triple as Cayo goes up by 7. Make it 3 in a row for Troyer as Cayo Western Ballaz begin the separation process in style. Folks he still wasn’t finished as he foes to his favorite spot tonight and the three is automatic. Travaughn tries to keep his team going with this bucket but he would score the game high of 20 points in a losing effort. Want to see another Troyer three well here it is – the forward would finish with a team high of 17 points and 9 rebounds. And at the end of the 3^rd quarter Cayo leads 45 to 36. In the 4^th Gary Francisco tries to put the Warriors on his back as he sinks this deuce but it was not to be. Francisco the shortest player for Dangriga would lead his team with 9 rebounds, put up 12 points and record 4 steals. When Troyer gets rejected by Macario Augustine Farron Lauriano goes for the put back but is fouled by Augustine. Lauriano would split the pair at the clarity stripe and would only put up 6 points tonight but would lead all players with 16 rebounds. On this pass Troyer turns provider for unattended Ivan Flowers who gets 2 of his 7 points and would dish out 6 assists. Cayo Western Ballaz go on to post the 61 to 48 big W which they out rebounded Dangriga 52 to 34 although the Warriors scored 12 more points than Cayo in the point. In other results from around the league, Belize City Smart No Limit survived a scare against Orange Walk Running Rebels in a 76 – 75 final score. San Pedro Tigersharks easily handled Corozal Heat 86 – 68 and the Belmopan Bandits beat the Toledo Diplomats 86 to 41. Looking to weak 9 Dangriga travels to Belmopan Thursday night. On Friday Corozal Heats come to Belize City No Limit and on Saturday Toledo Diplomats sail to the San Pedro Tigersharks.

Turning to the Football scene FC Belize hosted Paradise Freedom Fighters at the MCC Grounds looking to pick up 2 in a row after Wednesday’s 1 – zip W over Verdes FC. Despite the Fast start by FC Belize it was the visitor who almost opened the scoreboard when Kenroy Arthurs launched this set piece to Lisbey Castillo whose header wasn’t too far off. FC Belize should have gotten something when Steven Baizar reaches Devaun Zuniga with this pass but Zuniga is easily denied by the PG keeper. Meanwhile both teams are found guilty of squandering when Alexander Peters sets up Lisbey Castillo who slices the ball away from the goal. At the other end Devaun Zuniga fires this shot out goal that forces Frank Lopez come up with a bug time stop. And on this follow-up press its only good defensive work that denies FC Belize the opening goal. Today we can only conclude that FC Belize is gun shy. Jarret Davis fires this set piece at gial. Dimitri Fabro gets the chance to finish the play but blows it. In the meantime Darrell Lambey means business when he fires this on the run shot at goal only to see goalkeeper Rawley come up with the save. Again it’s Paradise Freedom Fighters on the attack with Alexander Peters fires this right foot shot inches outside the sticks. For FC Belize Dimitri Fabro gets the good look at goal but that right foot launch was never going to beat PG goalkeeper. FC Belize then uses this spot kick from Jarret Davis to open the scoreboard and despite 2 more tries come away empty. Let’s put it like this neither team did enough to deserve the victory as it ends in a scoreless draw. In other action over the weekend Police United continues to roll crushing B.D.F. 4 to 1 while San Ignacio United and the Belmopan Bandits battled to a 1 – 1draw.

Finally folks the 15^th Annual Junior Cross Country Cycling Classic ran yesterday for 70 miles from the Succotz Ferry to Leslies Imports just outside Belize City featuring 20 riders. And they’re off. This 54 man pack breaks away immediately into the ride that includes Devin Azueta who took the 1^st 2 station prizes, Delon Gentle who swept the next 4, Keion Robateau who showed up in front of Anthony’s Store, Tarique Flowers and Zamir Guerra. At Ontario village the lead 5 remains intact as they continue to speed away from the peloton. Tarique Flowers takes the station prize at Garbutt’s Prime Service Station in Roaring Creek as the 5 begin to fragment somewhat. Delon Gentle steps out to grab the premie at St. Matthews Bridge on his way to winning 9 out of 22 station prizes being offered. At mile 35 the lead 5 begin to gear up for the final push to the finish line. We find the lead reduced to 4 when the race passes Hattieville with the youth rider Devin Azueta having succumbed to the horrid pace. Around mile 13 some 6 riders had executed the cross over to the leas pack now featuring Delon Gentle, Zahir Figueroa, Delawn Abraham, Phillip Mencia, Keion Robateau, Zamir Guerra, Tarique Flowers which didn’t last too long. However at mile 8, Keion Robateau launches a solo flight and no one is able to respond. Robateau remains to solitary leader at the Police checkpoint around mile 4 1/2. And indeed at the finish line Keion Robateau of BECOL Uprising Cycling Team has won it all unchallenged in 3 hours, 41 minutes, 27 seconds and we say big time congratulations. Now here’s the 6 man sprint for 2^nd place 4 minutes, 33 seconds later. Deon Gentle also of BECOL steps up in gear to take the runner-up spot, Zamir Guerra of Cayo High Road who head the record time of 3:34:38 settles for 3^rd, Phillip Mencias of Mando’s Cycling finishes 4^th, Tarique Flowers of Benny’s Megabytes Junior takes 5^th. Delawn Abraham 6^th, Zahir Figueroa 7^th and we’ll stop at 8^th because Devin Azueta who finished with the big boys also won the Youth Class sweeping all 13 station prizes in this category along with 2 in the Junior Class. He is one to watch.