Jaguars complete perfect season

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

COACH Darryl Sears and his St George’s Jaguars will be returning to New Providence on Wednesday for the 35th Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic as the undefeated Grand Bahama High School senior boys basketball champions.

The Jaguars completed their unprecedented perfect season in Grand Bahama by sweeping the Hugh Campbell champions Tabernacle Baptist Academy Falcons in two straight games in their best-of-three championship series.

On Friday, St George’s completed the series with a 63-58 win over Tabernacle Baptist Academy as most valuable player Paul Greene scored a game high 19 points for the Jaguars. Romad Dean and Joshua Dames both had 14 in the loss for the Falcons.

St George’s won game one in the series 69-62.

For Sears, it was a gratifying win for his St George’s team, not just to beat Tabernacle Baptist Academy, but to go undefeated in the season. “It was a hard fought game. Like most teams, you work very hard to accomplish your goals,” Sears said. “I give credit to Tabernacle. They have a very good programme. But in the last 10 years, St George’s has been their nemesis, having established ourselves as one of the elite teams.

“We don’t have the infrastructure at they have being able to coach their kids from grade even, so anytime you are able to beat Tabernacle, it’s a great feeling. Our boys worked hard and they brought into what we were selling. So I’m very proud of them.”

Sears, however, gave a lot of credit to his coaching staff, including Calvin McIntosh, whom they refer too as ‘the future.’ He also mentioned Patrick Victor and Greg Munroe, who all collaborate to make his job that much easier.

“I have the best coaching staff in the country,” Sears proclaimed.

Through their collective effort, Sears said St George’s made history in Grand Bahama.

“We’ve never had a team go through the regular season and the postseason undefeated,” he stressed. “So that’s history for us. The key was the fact that the kids finally decided to believe in our cochin g staff.

“One thing I can say, when we will like that, the kids get all the glory. When we lost, it’s our fault as coaches. So we’re elated to go through the season undefeated and beating Tabernacle for the title in the process.”

Early in the season, Sears said they anticipated that the team they had assembled would have had the type of season that they accomplished.

“All of these kids have their egos and they buy into so many things, but to get them to go with one concept, one team, one goal, is something that we felt made the difference,” he said. “It was a challenge within itself, but we got the job done.”

Sears and his Jaguars now gear up for their return to New Providence for the Hugh Campbell Tournament after coming here over the Christmas holiday to participate in the pre-season Providence Basketball Tournament that was played at the DW Davis Gymnasium.

“I believe the trip helped us and that is why we continue to come,” Sears pointed out. “It gave us a different prospective on the style of play, the physicality of the game and the different types of rules in terms of FIBA and high school rules that we play in Grand Bahama.

“The proof was in the pudding because since we returned to Grand Bahama, we haven’t lost a game,” he stressed.

The real test now is for St George’s as they return to New Providence to play in the Hugh Campbell Classic at the AF Adderley Gymnasium. They are placed in pool two with the CI Gibson Rattlers, Government High Magics, Charles W Saunders Cougars, Patrick Bethel from Abaco, Teleos Cherubims and the Temple Christian Suns.

Note: Tabernacle Baptist Academy won the junior boys title with a 51-22 rout over St Mary’s as Mateo Smith and Demario Johnson both scored 13 points. Jarret Hall was named the MVP. Keon Wilson had a game high 15 points in the loss.

And in game one of the under-17 championships, Tabernacle Baptist Academy held off St George’s 21-19. Justin Minns and Brent Moss scored eight apiece in the win. Micah Moss had four in a losing effort.