By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER all the adversity that they experienced this year in the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association, coach Mario Bowleg said their repeat championship feat in the prestigious 30th Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic was vindication for his CC Sweeting Cobras.

Bowleg guided his Cobras to a back-to-back championship victory over the Eight Mile Rock Bluejays from Grand Bahama with a 63-53 decision at the Kendal Isaacs Gym on Monday night.

“All of the adversities that we went through, this has made it sweeter for us to pull it off,” said Bowleg, whose team along with the CI Gibson Rattlers were denied the opportunity to participate in the GSSSA post-season after a brawl between the two schools in the first game of the regular season.

“Every year, CC sweeting seemed to go through some type of adversity in relations to the senior boys basketball team. But in spite of it all, we always try to use that as motivation to get through whatever obstacles come in our way. That was what we did this year.”

After going through an intense double elimination format in the preliminaries, Bowleg said it’s a great feeling because although this was their fourth trip to the big dance, they joined an elite field of four other schools in duplicating their second consecutive championship feat.

“To play against a team like Eight Mile Rock, you know that you’re going to be in for a battle,” Bowleg said. “My guys just had to dig down deep in the second half and get the job done. They played with heart and once you play with heart and you really want it, you will win.”

A special ceremony was held at the school yesterday to celebrate their second straight win.

Dionte Strachan, the most valuable player, said they owe their victory to coach Bowleg. “We didn’t do anything but run up and down on the court,” said Strachan, who led their attack with a game high 17 points with nine rebounds. “We listened to his instructions and that was how we came out with the win.”

Strachan, however, noted that it wasn’t easy.

“We don’t have a set bench like Eight Mile Rock, so our coach used the starters a whole lot in this game,” Strachan said. “We just played a lot of defense and we came out with a fantastic win.”

While the Cobras enjoyed the thrill of victory, it was another agony of defeat for the Bluejays.

“First of all, I don’t really know how we got here,” said Bluejays’ coach Quinton “Three Ounce” Hall. “With the adversities we had with the expenses to travel, I don’t know how we got here to be honest. But for these kids to go through all that they encountered and still be here, I’m proud of them. They don’t have anything to be ashamed of.”

Hall, who took to the court a number of times to complain about the officiating and at one time came close to a shoving match with one of the officials, said he was disappointed in the manner in which his Eight Mile Rock squad was treated, especially his top player Keanu Woodside who fouled out late in the fourth quarter.

“For a kid to go out the way Keanu did, you have to feel it,” said Hall of Woodside. “He didn’t even have a chance to play in the championship game. Why? I don’t know. It is what it is. We came here to play. We played as hard as we could, but I don’t think the referees gave us a chance to display our skills.”

For Woodside, who fouled out with the game on the line for the second consecutive year, it was a bitter pill to swallow.

“It was tough,” he said. “This was my last game (as a senior boy). I really wanted to play. It’s disappointing the way things turned out.”

Eight Mile Rock, who led 17-13 after the first quarter and 32-30 at the half, watched as CC Sweeting turned things around in the second half. Once they surged ahead 51-46 at the end of the third, they never relinquished the lead as it was just a matter of what the final score would be before the celebrations got underway.

Immediately after the celebrations died down, the tournament’s awards were presented.

Scoring the most points was Daejour Adderley of Queen’s College, the most steals went to Shakwon Lewis of CI Gibson, Antoine Levarity of Westminster College had the most blocks, the most assists went to Dario McKenzie of RM Bailey and his team-mate Lashad Bastian carted home the most rebounds.

Named to the All-Tournament Team were Daejour Adderley (Queen’s College), Shakwon Lewis (CI Gibson), Antonie Levarity (Westminster College), Dario McKenzie and Lashad Bastian (RM Bailey), Keanu Woodside (Eight Mile Rock), Van Hutchinson (CR Walker), Alvano Miller (CC Sweeting), Kadis Simmons (Clement Howell), Deangelo Miller (CV Bethel), Godfrey Rolle and Jaron Cornish (Agape Academy), Shanton Pratt (Doris Johnson), Antwan Bevans (St George’s), Kenneth Russell (Sunland) and Robert Joseph (Tabernacle Baptist Academy).