The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT was a day of celebrations for the Freedom Baptist Academy Warriors as their sporting teams were honoured for their outstanding performances this year.

At a special ceremony yesterday outside of their campus in Palmdale, their primary boys and girls and junior and senior girls basketball teams were recognised for their achievements in the Father Marcian Peters Basketball Tournament, Akhepran Academy Basketball Jamboree, Bahamas Scholastic Athletic Association and the HOYTES Geneva Rutherford Basketball Classic in Grand Bahama.

Their volleyball teams and several track and field athletes were also highlighted during the assembly that had motivator Wayne Johnson as its special guest speaker.

In his address, Johnson encouraged the students to be the best that they can be and try to find their own identity. He added that he hopes to see some more Buddy Hield coming out of the school in the future.

Among the success of the Warriors this year were the following:

• Akpheran Tournament

primary boys champions

• BSAA junior girls

basketball champions

•BSAA senior girls

basketball champions

• BSAA primary boys

basketball runners-up

• HOYTES Geneva Rutherford

senior girls runners-up

Principal Talcina Major said the student athletes made her very proud.

“I think the performances of the kids were very good,” she said. “I would like to thank the public who sponsored all of the boys and girls during the season, especially for the trip to Grand Bahama.

“We are looking forward to coming back next year and doing the same thing again.”

Senior girls’ coach Tabethia Major said they had a very good season.

“I felt that in Freeport, we could have done better. When they play the level teams, they play harder, but when they play the harder teams, they play lower than their ability,” she said.

“But overall this year, the junior girls did an excellent job and the senior girls played very well in our first year in that division.”

Norleen Henfield reiterated the sentiments of Major in expressing her gratitude to the players for their performances.

“We knew that they could do better, but overall, we came out with some good performances from the primary boys, junior girls and senior girls.

“Overall, Freedom Baptist had a very good basketball season this year and we are going on again to come back with more championships in the primary boys and girls and junior and senior girls.”

Josiah Major, coach of the primary boys’ team, was just as elated as his female counterparts.

“At the beginning of the season, a lot of our guys were injured and after we had Hurricane Matthew, we didn’t have the full team in place,” he said.

“But the boys did well. We won our opening game. That was the first time we did that since we had a primary team. So I just want to thank God for what we were able to do. I’m really passionate about what I do with them. I want them to develop their character and their skills in the sport of basketball.”

In over the 30 games they played during the year, Major said he couldn’t ask for a better effort from all of the players, not just the boys, but also the girls.

At least two of the girls expressed their delight in being a part of their team’s success.

Aaliya Henfield, the most valuable player (MVP) of both the junior and senior girls teams, came from Carlton E Francis Primary School where she played on their basketball team.

“At Freedom Academy, I got better, I got to control the ball more and I got a lot more confidence in myself,” she said. “I want to thank my coaches for helping me and pushing me further in academics.”

The eighth grader said she had some of the best teammates ever to play with.

“We may row or whatever, but we still worked together as a team and played smart ball,” she said. “I want to thank my teammates for helping us as well to play as well as we did.”

And Kevonne McClausky, an 11th grader, said she expected a lot more from their senior girls’ team.

“We played good, but I know we could do much better,” she stated. “I have faith in them that they can do better. Hopefully next year we will win all of the championships we play in.”