By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE New Providence Public Primary Schools Sports Assocation’s 2025 Dawn Knowles Primary School Soccer Tournament wrapped up on Friday with some close encounters to determine the champions.

At the Roscoe Davies Developmental Center at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex, Eva Hilton Shockers prevailed 2-1 on penalty shots to snatch the boys’ title from the Sybil Strachan Mighty Warriors. The teams played to a 1-1 tie at the end of regulation.

The Uriah McPhee Barracudas got third place as they blanked CW Sawyer Ospreys 1-0.

On the other side of the coin, the Yellow Elder Eagles whitewashed Garvin Tynes Knights 4-0 to parade round the field with their first girls’ championship title. 

Third place went to the Palmdale Primary Panthers after they blanked Thelma Gibson 2-0.

Boys final

Eva Hilton out-scored Sybil Strachan 2-1 on penalty shots after the game was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation. David Thurston and Christian King booted in the pair of free kicks for the win in the extra period penalty shots.

Head coach Zindora Munnings said the team played the way she and her assistant coach expected them to perform.

“They decided to play together in the last couple of minutes, even though Sybil Strachan scored the first goal,” Munnings said. “They collected their mental state and they came back and scored to go down to the shootout.”

Tito Hanna, the assistant coach, said their team played with a lot of heart throughout the tournament and that showed in their ability to achieve their success.

Sybil Strachan’s coach, Greer Thompson, said they gave it their best shot right to the very end.

“I felt the boys went out there and they did their best,” Thompson said. “To God be the glory. Next year we will come back stronger.”

The 11-year-old King, who is in the sixth grade at Eva Hilton, was named the most valuable player.

“It feels great, very emotional and so I’m very happy that we won this year because last year we lost,” King said. “We were very sad, but this year we came back to win. We’re a great team.”

Alexander Smith, the top goal scorer, said he was very pleased with his performance. 

“I scored a lot of goals,” said Smith, a nine-year old fifth grader. “The team’s performance was alright.”

Third place

Uriah McPhee nipped CW Sawyer 1-0 in what coach Wanda Burrows called a good game.

“In the semifinal, we lost to Sybil Strachan on the penalty kicks, but came back against CW Sawyer and we did what we had to do,” Burrows said. “We got off to a slow start because we had some of the boys reach late, but I was so pleased that they came together ssnd got third place.”

Girls final

Yellow Elder soared above the Garvin Tynes with a 4-0 whitewashing, leaving coach Latahara Forbes singing the praises of her team.

“We are so excited and so happy. We thank God after three years of working wirth most of these girls whom we started working with from grade four, we moved up from fourth place last year to finally win it this year.

“The girls put in the work and with the addition of Everlyn Shaw and Michael Butler, we came together and we got the victory. We are excited and so happy.”

Yellow Elder’s team captain Latavia Barr, the MVP, said it was an “awesome” feeling, not only winning the girls’ title, but also being named the MVP.

“It was good,” said Barr, a sixth grader, on their accomplishment. “I just hope they do good like us next year and win it again.”

Crystal Eneas, one of Garvin Tynes’ coaches, said their team played exceptionally well.

“We had expectations of taking the championship title home to Garvin Tynes, but our star player Rahjanae Major got injured and her team had to carry her the rest of the way.”

Major, a 12-year-old sixth grader and team captain, won the golden boot, but she said after suffering an injury in an earlier game during the day, she was still hoping that they would prevail in the final. 

“Even though we didn’t go home with first place, we still came out with something,” said Major, who admitted that winning the individual award “made up” for their loss in the final.

Third place

Palmdale Primary blanked Thelma Gibson 2-0.

Coach Ashley Oembler, assisted by Keva Bridgewater, said at the beginning of the tournament, the girls were a bit nervous and the two girls that played on club teams in the Bahamas Football Association helped to carry them through.

“Everyone pulled their weight and they got out of their comfort zones to help us to get to this point,” Oembler said. “When we got to the semifinal round, the girls were determined to leave with something.

“So I’m really proud of all of them, especially Kayanna Dean and Majahstii Hepburn, who pulled the weight for the team and everyone else who would have executed in the games.”

Here’s how the teams got to the medal rounds:

Boys’ semifinals

Sybil Strachan blanked Uriah McPhee 2-0 on penalty shots after a scoreless draw at the end of regulation.

Eva Hilton blanked CW Sawyer 3-0.

Girls’ semifinals

Yellow Elder blanked Palmdale 1-0 on penalty shots after a scoreless draw at the end of regulation.

Garvin Tynes out-scored Thelma Gibson 2-1 on penalty shots after a scoreless tie at the end of regulation.

Patron Dawn Knowles, the former long-time Physical Education Coordinator for the public schools at the Ministry of Education, said she was delighted to have her name tagged onto the tournament.

“We grew to this point here,” she stated. “It was a growing process and it took many people, who were involved and we had to have a lot of permission from the Ministry of Education, the administrators at the schools, the coaches and the parents.

“But we got it done. I have to take my hats off to the physical education coaches. Without their support, this would never have happened.”