All season Fire Service has been finding ways to win and Sunday was no different but this time around, men's player Ronald Phipps was its secret weapon when Fire defeated Defence Force in the final of the Steve Sarjeant Challenge, a knockout competition for teams in the Premiership Division of the Courts All Sectors Netball League.
The teams met in the final match of Sunday's busy schedule which saw the knockout champions being decided in two other divisions, the Championship and Alternative.
In the Premier final though, it was Phipps, who played goal-shooter, that dazzled in the circle lighting up the nets with 35 goals from 42 attempts in Fire's 44-33 win. His partner Simone Morgan, a former national shooter, was her brilliant self in the goal-attack position doing well to feed her shooter while netting nine of her 14 tries which gave his team the title for the second year running.
Defence Force was no pushover though battling well in the first two quarters. trailing 8-7 in the first quarter and 18-16 at the half. However, despite the effort of its men's player Kerry McMillan, who played goal-attack, the army/coastguard combination team seemed to lose its way in the third, falling further behind 32-23.
This was due to the effort of defensive trio, goal-keeper Daystar Swift, goal-defence Martinez Holder and wing-defence Onella Jack-Hill.
"Having played them in the previous game and only winning by one, showed us what we needed to do when we meet them in the SSC knock out. We came and we delivered," said Jack-Hill, admitting that Defence Force were tough competitors.
The soldier/sailor unit did improve in the final stanza almost matching Fire goal-for-goal, scoring 10 compared to its opponent's 12 but could not overcome its nine-goal deficit from the previous quarter.
It is the second crown for Fire thus far this season, having a taken the Fast5 crown some two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, Bermudez picked up its third title of the season after beating TSTT, 17-13 in the finale to emerge the Championship Division knockout champion. Bermudez had earlier defeated Jabloteh 23-18 in the semifinal round. In the other semifinal, TSTT had edged Miscellaneous, 8-7.
Bermudez has already won the Jean Pierre (knockout) Challenge and the league title.
In the Alternative Division, the University of the West Indies (UWI) 'X' team held off the University of Southern Caribbean (USC), 8-6, to be crowned the champion.
Results
Premiership Division
Steve Sarjeant Challenge (Knockout) final
Defence Force 33 (Afeisha Noel 6/11, Kerry McMillan 27/36) vs Fire 44 (Ronald Phipps 35/42, Simone Morgan 9/14). Quarter scores: 1st. 8-7, 2nd. 18-16, 3rd. 32-23 (All in favour of Fire).
Championship Division
Final
Bermudez 17 (Makeda De Freitas 15/22, Indra Anderson 2/5) vs TSTT 13 (Kamila Sobers 6/11, Kanika Paul-Payne 7/12). Halftime: 8-7 (Bermudez).
Semifinals
Miscellaneous 7 (Jocelyn Marcelle 1/8, Nyota Saldenha 6/15) vs TSTT 8 (Kamila Sobers 5/17, Kanika Paul-Payne 3/7). Halftime: 6-2 (Miscellaneous).
Bermudez 23 (Makeda De Freitas 20/27, Indra Anderson 3/3) vs Jabloteh 18 (Giselle Hobson 8/19, Zakiya McKenna 7/11, Simone Bartholomew 3/5). Halftime: 11-11.
Alternative Division
Final
UWI 'X' 8 (Mariah Smith 3/7, Shuntelle Morris 5/6) vs USC 6 (Gellana Grant 3/10, Michelle Williams 2/3, Chelsea Fraser 1/2). Halftime: 6-4 (UWI).
Semifinals
USC 15 (Gellana Grant 5/11, Michelle Williams 10/15) vs Las Lomas 5 (Debra Superville 5/8, Krisann Superville 0/0, Kyra Melville 0/0). Halftime: 8-2 (USC).
Bermudez 5 (Shanequa Griffith 1/5, Nicola Alleyne 4/9) vs UWI 'X' 16 (Tineca John 5/9, Shuntelle Morris 6/12, Mariah Smith 5/7). Halftime: 8-2 (UWI).