… Centre Dwight McKinnon cops MVP Award
MACKENZIE High School (MHS), led by the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the final, centre/forward Dwight McKinnon, who raked in 26 huge rebounds and scored 15 points, guard/forward Parrish Cadogan with 26 points and swing-man Kyle Stewart, who added 10 points, proved too good for rivals Linden Technical Institute, as they won 57-50 in the final of the Victory Valley Royals Linden Schools’ basketball championship at the Mackenzie High School hard court on Wednesday after noon.
It was a fitting and historic final in the end, for a tournament which began its 7th edition at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court, but had to be completed with the semifinals and final at the MHS court because of incomplete rehabilitative work on the MSC surface.
It was the fourth title in the seven-year history of this prestigious tournament for MHS, who also lost in two other finals; and when it seemed that LTI would have denied them this championship the high-rising guard Parrish Cadogan, the MHS leading scorer in this tournament, showed his scoring prowess with his flashes of brilliance and dunks.
Cadogan, also a junior national high jump record holder, began this final scoring with the first seven points for his team and in the end netted seven of his team’s last nine points in a flurry to shepherd them home over LTI who threatened down the stretch.
LTI’s best players remained guard Marlon Pollydore who along with Jeffrey Larose were keeping LTI’s chances of a ring alive as they battled the MHS to the end.
However, the gangling Dwight McKinnon played excellently on both ends of the floor; rebounding and blocking shots as he triggered them into transition mode and saw them run out as winners.
Pollydore ended with 22 points and Larose 14 for the LTI who were up 21-20 at halftime, but could not sustain their momentum in the second half and were outgunned in the end.
Kyle Stewart must be savouring this win most among the MHS players, as it was the first on home court and he has been a member of the team in all their championship wins in 2006, 2008, 2009 and now in 2011.
In the individual awards while taking the MVP prize McKinnon also walked away with the Most Rebounds in the final 26, with Pollydore getting the Most Assists (8). LTI’s Pollydore also was the player with the Most Points scoring 108 points while Parrish Cadogan netted 93 for his team to be second in that category.
The Most Disciplined team was Wismar/Christianburg Secondary and Best Coach award went to MHS’s Dwayne McKinnon.
Among those who witnessed the final was president of the Linden Amateur Basketball Association, Captain Eon Murray, and other executives of the LABA.