The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT will be a showdown between the Antatol Rodgers Timberwolves and the SC McPherson Sharks for both the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association’s junior girls and boys soccer championship titles.

The two schools booked their tickets to Thursday’s finals by winning their sudden death playoff games yesterday at the Roscow Davies Developmental Centre.

In the junior girls matches, Anatol Rodgers blanked the DW Davis Royals 1-0, while SC McPherson routed the AF Adderley Fighting Tigers 2-0. On the boys’ side, Anatol Rodgers pulled off a 4-0 whitewashing of the HO Nash Lions and the SC McPherson got by the DW Davis Royals 2-0.

Junior Girls

Timerwolves 1, Royals 0: Desny LaFleur booted in the lone goal in the first half for Anatol Rodgers and the 1-0 score held up as both teams failed to score in the second half.

“The performance was satisfactory,” said Timberwovles’ head coach Cleon Carnegie. “Our coaching staff believed in them and they came through.”

Carnegie, however, said he expect it to be a battle in the final against SC McPherson.

Sharks 2, Fighting Tigers 0: Jasmaine Stubbs and Brinanna Capron scored the winning and insurance goals in the first half and SC McPherson held off AF Adderley to advance to the final.

“I felt that the girls came out here and they worked hard and they were successful,” said Shark’s head coach Ann McPhee. “We played together as a team and I believe that caused us to be successful.”

Against Anatol, McPhee said they both went scoreless in their only meeting during the regular season, but she’s looking forward to a different story in the big dance as they avenged their exit in the playoffs last year.

Junior Boys

Timerwolves 4, Lions 0: Junior Gratia booted in a pair of goals, one each in the two halves; Stefano Cineya got another one in the first and Kevinson Felix scored the other in the second half to preserve their win over HO Nash.

“This team started out a little shaky, but they got better as the season progressed,” said Carnegie, who did double coaching duties for Anatol Rodgers. “It’s good to see them putting it all together like this, so I’m looking forward to the championship game.”

As the defending champions, the Timberwolves lost to SC McPherson during their regular season, but Carnegie said they made some changes in their line-up, so they are eager to face them again.

Sharks 2, Royals 0: It came down to the final minute when Denilson Joseph came through with the only two goals in the game to push SC McPherson back into the final and eliminate DW Davis.

“It was a hard fought game for us, but we dug down deep and we came out victories,” said Garth Davis, the head coach for SC McPherson. “I told the boys earlier that stats are not in our favor because we’ve been to the championship for eight years, so we have to be happy with that.”

The Sharks hoisted the league titles in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017. Davis said it would be good if they can do it again this year, but he admitted that Anatol Rodgers will provide some stiff challenge.

Today, starting at 4pm, the senior girls and boys sudden death playoffs will be played with the winners advancing to the finals, scheduled for Friday at the Roscoe Davies Developmental Centre.