The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunmedia.net

IT’S not how you start, nor how you get there, but more importantly, it’s how you finish. The Finish Line, a weekly column, seeks to invoke commentary on the state of affairs of the local sports scene, highlighting the highs and the lows, the thrills and the spills and the successes and failures as we transgress from one week to the next.

The Week That Was

For those of you who were following the news, the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association completed its best-of-three championship series with the CI Gibson Rattlers winning another senior boys’ title.

They had to go right down the wire before prevailing with a 2-1 series edge over the Dame Doris Johnson Mystic Marlins to highlight the exciting postseason.

The focus was placed on the Rattlers because in one week, the Rattlers and the Mystic Marlins will be right back at it as they compete in the prestigious Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic for senior boys that will start on Monday, February 16 at the AF Adderley Gymnasium.

But not to be outdone are the HO Nash Lions and the CR Walker Knights.

Nothing much changed for the Lions. Coach Patty Johnson still has her junior girls clicking on all cylinders as they took a part of the CH Reeves Raptors in a two-game sweep for another title for HO Nash.

And talking about another title, nobody probably expected HO Nash to win the junior boys’ title. Not playing against the perennial kingpins DW Davis Pitbulls.

But the Loins, now coached by Kent Lightbourn, went the distance before they prevailed on the back end of a two-game sweep to secure the series 2-1.

No it’s not a misprint.

The Lions junior boys joined their junior girls in clinching the two titles. What a celebration they must have had at HO Nash Junior High.

Even though Lightbourn is gone, the Knights still managed to polish off another senior girls’ crown. They did it by sweeping the CV Bethel Stingrays.

The only problem is that while the senior boys will get a chance to play for the prestigious Hugh Campbell title between their private school rivals as well as Grand Bahama and the Family Islands, I think a disservice is being done to the junior boys and girls and senior girls.

Yes, the teams had a chance to play in the Father Marcian Peters Invitational held in December. But that was when the teams were just getting in sync and now that the season is over, this is a good time to see how they match up with their counterparts.

Why isn’t there a national tournament that brings together the top four finishers in each of the associations - GSSSA, the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) and the Small Schools Association, as well as Grand Bahama and the Family Island winners to determine who is truly the best high school team in the country?

Now is a good time for either the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture or an independent body to initiate such a tournament. There is no such national tournament in place, although there were some efforts in the past to formulate one.

Pure Silk Tournament

While we are talking about bringing some parity to the high school basketball teams, the same could be said about thee Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Tournament.

If they can organise the tournament that has brought the majority of the top female players in the world to play here for the third consecutive year in a $1.3 million tournament, I’m sure there are many people who would like to see a PGA Tournament of a similar magnitude for the men.

Ask any of the female players participating here this weekend and they will tell you that this is one of the best destinations in the world for them to play in. They believe that they are truly in Paradise and if you see the backdrop of the Ocean Club course on Paradise Island you will have to agree with the prognostication.

The Bahamas is truly an ideal place to host any world class event.

And with the world class field of ladies here, let me encourage you to come out this weekend and watch as they tee off. Of course, the face of the Bahamas in this year’s draw is Raquel Riley from Grand Bahama. She beat out Georgette Rolle for the Bahamas Golf Federation’s only qualifying spot this year and whether or not she makes the final cut over the final two days of competition, we can be proud of her achievement.

It’s just a pity that rain played havoc on the opening day of the main draw play with half of the field, including Riley not being able to complete her first 18 holes of play.

Remember, it was back in 2013 when the initial tournament was held here and a severe thunderstorm resulted in organisers watering down the tournament play before Ilhee Lee survived to ink her name in the history books as she carted off the title.

Hope that history won’t repeat itself and good old mother nature will ease up and allow the tournament to continue this weekend. Due to course flooding this event has been shortened to a 36-hole event.

Condolences

I wish to take this opportunity to express my condolences to the family of the late Frederick Bastian, coach of the Kenyan Knights from Grand Bahama.

Bastian was one of those unsung heroes who went on and quietly coached his athletes, whether he got the national recognition or not. He did what he had to do and rather not to be caught up in any of the spotlight that was placed on some of the more recognisable coaches.

Grand Bahama has lost another gem in Bastian, who has made a valuable contribution to the growth and development of athletics in the country and more precisely, Grand Bahama.

May his soul rest in peace.