The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IN honour of their hard work and successful season that culminated with both the Rattlers senior boys and girls basketball teams winning the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association’s pennant and championship titles, the CI Gibson Secondary School celebrated their achievements with an awards ceremony and motorcade.

While the ceremony was held inside the CI Gibson Gymnasium, the awards presentation to the players was delayed in order for the motorcade to take place on Friday as it threatened to rain. But despite the light showers, the motorcade paraded the players and their fellow students through the streets of New Providence.

Kevin ‘KJ” Johnson, head coach of both teams, said it was important to recognise the players for their tremendous feat, becoming the first school to cart off both titles in the same year.

The senior boys also participated in the prestigious Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic, where they fell short in the championship game against the Sunland Lutheran Stingers from Grand Bahama.

“I feel the year was a very good year for both the senior boys and girls basketball teams and we really worked hard in the GSSSA championships,” Johnson said.

“We also did very well in the Hugh Campbell Classic, although we didn’t get to bring home the bacon. We played extremely hard and gave ourselves a chance to win, but Sunland was just a better team.”

Johnson said they will continue to work hard during the summer and will be back for an encore performance next year.

The Rattlers, however, could have something else to celebrate as their senior boys’ team will be participating in the GSSSA volleyball championship series this weekend.

The celebrations for the Rattlers was highlighted by a sterling keynote address from youth pastor Basil Johnson of Living Waters Kingdom Ministries, who encouraged the teams and the rest of the students at CI Gibson not only to dare to dream, but believe that they can achieve their success, as the theme of the celebrations depicted.

Also participating in the ceremonies was Minister of Labour and Immigration Keith Bell, a former head boy of CI Gibson and a hard nose supporter of the Rattlers, along with Sheenan White, the Northern New Providence Secondary Schools district superintendent, Floyd Armbrister of the Sports Unit at the Ministry of Education and Varel Davis, president of the GSSSA.

In his remarks, Armbrister said everywhere he went, he spoke to persons and all he could hear them say was that CI Gibson was definitely “Second to none” as their motto would suggest.

He said they demonstrated that in their performances on and off the basketball court.

Some of the parents of the basketball players were also on hand to share in the celebrations as Kaivonne Newbold, the mistress of ceremonies and head of the physical education department at CI Gibson, labelled the school band, the teams and principal Herbert Oembler as the greatest in the country.

CI Gibson’s debate team was also recognised for their recent achievement.