Denbigh, Holmwood in netball showdown

Raymond Graham, Gleaner Writer

DEFENDING rural senior schoolgirls netball champions, Denbigh High, will be hoping to make it back-to-back wins when they face Holmwood Technical in the rural area Digicel/ISSA final today at Manchester High School netball court at 11:30 a.m.

The final is a repeat of last year's showdown, when Denbigh put an end to Holmwood Technical five-year winning streak to take the title.

Both teams have been the best in the division so far in the rural area and an epic battle is expected. In Tuesday's semi-finals at G.C. Foster College, both teams recorded easy wins. Holmwood humiliated Knox College 56-11 while Denbigh stopped former champions Edwin Allen 40-21.

This will be a grudge match for the Carlene Graham-Powell-coached Holmwood Technical team, and she is very confident of regaining their title.

"The girls are bubbling with confidence and they are very determined to take back the title to Christiana. With several of our Under-16 players who won the junior title last year now moving up to the senior level to join Deneean Taylor, I think our team is much stronger than Denbigh and we should win," a confident Graham-Powell said.

Optimistic

Although having great respect for Holmwood, coach of Denbigh Christine Bartley is very optimistic about her team's winning chances.

"We are very confident, and once the players play to their full potential we will be victorious. Our strength is with our defence and if our mid-court players turn up in a positive mood we should win," said Bartley, who also stated that her players are peaking at the right time.

In the junior final at 10:30 a.m., the Simone Smith-coached Manchester High, following their brilliant semi-final against Denbigh on Tuesday, should start favourites to upstage first-time finalists Anchovy High, who surprised Titchfield High 20-17 in their semi-final at Buckfield court in Ocho Rios, also on Tuesday.

The winners of today's finals will oppose urban winners St Hugh's and St Andrew High in next week's all-island junior and senior finals.