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The Wilkie Cumberbatch team and coaching staff celebrating their win.

Wilkie makes history

A single goal in the 11th hour was all it took to settle the score for Wilkie Cumberbatch, as the Pine institution came away winners in the 2017 final of the BICO National Sports Council Primary Schools’ Football Competition yesterday.

Coming up against first-time finalists Sharon Primary at the National Stadium, Wilkie rolled to another title, making them the ‘most winningest’ team in the
36-year history of the competition with four championships.

Early on in the exchange, the Sharon keeper Zachary Carter was tested and he proved his mettle by denying several chances when the Wilkie strikers made it through the sound defence.
Sharon did formulate a few chances of their own through the efforts of Kiaros Greaves, but they were few and far between. They came closest when Greaves got a good head on a corner from the windward flank at the North end. However, that ball came off the crossbar and bounced just in front the goal line and away.

In the second half, Wilkie upped the ante and took every opportunity to attack. However, Sharon bolstered their defensive line and kept Wilkie at bay for most of the period. It was not until the final minute of the game that the deadlock was broken. Wilkie’s captain Amego Jordan moved up from his position as last man and took a shot at Carter. Carter denied Jordan but the deflection fell close to Jean-Luc Stoute, who finished the job in a mess of players in front the bars.

Despite trying to push all assets forward in the dying seconds, a deflated Sharon was unable to make anything of the situation before the final whistle went, seeing Wilkie to the title without dropping a single game.

On the win, Wilkie Cumberbatch Coach Zachary Browne said that he was felt great about the win as his team wanted to reclaim the glory they last held in 2013. “Brilliant! I feel good with my boys that they win the title because they always wanted to win it. They went through the pre-season unbeaten, they won the semis in penalties and now they came here and won one-love here. I feel wonderful!” Browne said.

The 19-year old, who also coaches the Pinelands Youth Academy's Under-11 team and has claimed this win as his third for the year at that level, said that Sharon was no pushover and their solid defence forced him to switch up his strategy and that many of their chances were thwarted owing to their resilience. With his eye on next year, Browne is expecting to do the double as there is expected to be no major changes to his outfit as only three players will be moving on to secondary school.

Prior to the main event, St. Jude’s and St. Giles played to a two-one result with St. Giles taking honours. Reviera Cottle struck first for St. Giles while Thierry Chauzel doubled down on the lead. Donté Gill gave St. Jude’s their consolation.

BICO National Sports Council Primary Schools Football Competition Awards
Zone Winners
Zone 1: All Saints
Zone 2: St. Alban’s
Zone 3: Grantley Prescod
Zone 4: Wilkie Cumberbatch
Zone 5: St. Jude’s
Zone 6: Wesley Hall
Zone 7: St. Gabriel’s
Zone 8 St. Martin's Mangrove

Outstanding Zonal Players
Zone 1: Tijah Bishop – All Saints
Zone 2: Kiaros Greaves – Sharon Primary
Zone 3: Kiko Wade – Grantley Prescod
Zone 4: Saschen Marshall – St. Giles
Zone 5: Shamario Harewood – St. Jude’s
Zone 6:Thierry Corbin – Wesley Hall
Zone 7: Jaden Johnson – St. Angela's
Zone 8: Renico Taitt-Best

Outstanding Players in Competition
Best Goalkeeper: Terrell Sargeant – St. Martin's Mangrove
Best Defender: Amego Jordan – Wilkie Cumberbatch
Best Midfielder: Shamario Harewood – St. Jude’s
Most Goals: Tijah Bishop – All Saints
Most Outstanding Female: Shelanie Augustin – Sharon
Man of the Finals: Amego Jordan – Wilkie Cumberbatch
Most Valuable Player: Amego Jordan – Wilkie Cumberbatch

Overall Standings
1st Place: Wilkie Cumberbatch, 2nd Place: Sharon Primary, 3rd Place: St. Giles Primary, 4th Place: St. Jude’s Primary

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