The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The St Francis/Joseph Shockers and the Xavier’s Giants celebrated as the Catholic Diocesan Primary School boys champions and third-place finishers yesterday at Loyola Hall.

But both the girls’ championship and consolation third-place games will go to third and deciding games in their best-of-three series today at 4pm.

The Shockers nipped the St Thomas More Sparks 14-12 to capture the boys’ title, while the Giants held off the Strikers 20-17 for their sweep of the boys’ third place in both games that went right down to the wire. 

Xavier’s needed overtime for a 26-16 win over St Francis/Joseph to even their girls’ championship at 1-1 and St Cecilia’s knocked off St Thomas More 9-4 to tie their third place series at 1-1.

Boys final - Shockers 14, Sparks 12

John McSweeney, who added the championship most valuable player award to his regular season honor, proved why he’s the best player in the league. scoring nine points to lift St Francis/Joseph to victory.

He fouled out with the Shockers up 14-11, but the Sparks made a dent into the lead on one of two free throws from Kadeem Ferguson with 5.2 seconds then.

Then wirth 0.2 to go, St Thomas More had one more chance to tie the score, but Daltrei Capnda missed both charity shots as St Francis/Joseph held on for the win and the championship crown.

“It was a lack of defense, but we still pulled it off,” said Shockers’ coach Como Ferguson. “We knew they were going to give us something good. They have a good team, but they didn’t shoot the ball.”

Ferguson was just glad that they didn’t lose another game to the Sparks, who handed them their only loss during the regular season. He noted that it was payback time when they faced them again.

Jsxon Pyfrom was the Shockers’ next best scorer behind McSweeney with four. Tyler Culmer helped out with two and Ethan Johnson had one.

For the Sparks, Kadeem Ferguson had five and Granlin Edwards had four points.

Girls final - Giants 26, Shockers 16 in OT

Sheri Bascom and Jlynn Bain both scored four points and Jordyn McKay added three as Xavier’s out-scored St Francis/Joseph 13- in the extra minutes for the overtime win.

McKay finished with nine, Bain ended up with five and Bascom, D’Antia Rose and London Mortimer all contributed four.

Raygail Smith, the3 head coach of Xavier’s, said she knew they had the ability to come back and avoid being swept by the Shockers.

“The girls were hungry. We knew we beat ourselves at the free throw the last game,” Smith said. “So we had to come back and show that we are the better team. We are six or seven deep. They knew th4ey played awful in game one and they came back tonight.”

With nine seconds left in regulation, Grace Smith broke away from a double team and scored a lay-up to tie the score 13-13.

St Francis/Joseph, however, could only come up with three points in the extra period.

Smith finished with nine points, J’Kia Moxey had three and both Jolea McMinns and Jumeah McKenzie had a pair of points respectively.

Como Ferguson, coach of the Shockers, said they got into trouble and one of their key players fouled out, which wsds the difference in the game.

“We’re going to come with the same game plan, but we’re going to sty out of foul trouble,” he said. “The game plan was on. We just got into foul trouble.”

Smith, however, warned Ferguson that although they anticipate it will be a tough game, they are looking forward to pulling it off. 

Boys third place - Giants 20, Strikers 17

Carren Matthews led the attack for Xavier’s boys with a game high 11 points, including 11 in the second quarter and Kyle Rolle chipped in with eight.

For St Cecilia’s, Jaiden Armbrister had eight and Herbie Fernander helped out with five, but it wasn’t enough.

Girls third place - Strikers 9, Sparks 4

Trailing 3-0 at the half, Theanna Kemp came through with all of her five points in the third and Gabrielle Sands got her four in the fourth to seal the deal for St Cecilia’s as they evened the series to 1-1.

Paris Johnson scored three points, all in the second quarter and Rikaia Simmons added a free throw in the fourth for St Thomas More.