THANKS to double strikes from three of their players, defending champions for Region 7 and 2012 national runners-up Waramadong Secondary School opened their quest for championship honours, with a 6-0 drubbing over 3 Miles Secondary at the Bartica Community Centre ground.  As action in this year’s Digicel/PowerAde Inter-Secondary School football Championships got underway, yesterday.Keevon Richmond (9th and 56th), Fernando Hunter (13th and 60th) and Wazim Bascombe (48th and 54th) were the men on target for Waramadong, who lost to Wismar/Christianburg Secondary 5-2 in last year’s final.

At the Ministry of Education ground on Carifesta Avenue, Digicel’s Marketing Manager Jacqueline James and President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Christopher Matthias did the ceremonial kick off in the presence of Chief Executive Officer of Digicel Gregory Dean and other staff members.
Following such, 2012 Regional winners of Region 3 Leonora Secondary stamped their authority over St John’s Secondary in an All West Side affair, to come away with a hard fought 3-1 victory, thanks to goals from Gavin Graham (11th), Tevin Garraway (46th) and Andrew Fowler (85th).
Stephon Bentick pulled one back for St John’s Secondary in the 53rd minute, scoring off a wonderful taken free kick, and were it not for the heroic efforts of Leonora’s custodian Lindsay Scott, St John’s would have certainly nullified their opponent’s lead on several occasions.
The game got underway despite the heavy conditions underfoot, caused by overnight rain, with Leonora looking to show their opponents who is the boss, when Leo Orion Lovell’s cross was headed wide of the uprights by Graham in the 5th minute of the contest.
Following several see-saw battles, Graham made amends for his blunder when he rose above the defence to head home a corner that was wonderfully taken by Lovell, while his team defended their lead up to lemon time, despite the efforts of Bentick, who tried desperately to score the equaliser.
Seconds after the whistle was blown for the resumption of play in the second half, Garraway, who is known more for his sprinting prowess in the athletics arena, displayed same by outsprinting St John’s defence before calmly rounding the ball around their custodian Anton Greene.
As St John’s went in search of a goal to reduce their opponents lead, their defence was left culpable and it took the efforts of Greene, who matched Scott between the uprights for his team, to thwart the attempts of Leonora, who tried to increase their lead.
When the pint sized John Garraway was brought down inside Leonora’s third, all of the players on and off the field called on Bentick to take the shot, advising him to try the keeper, which he did successfully in the 53rd minute as his free kick ricochet off the left uprights and nestled at the back of the net.
Shortly after, he had the opportunity to level the score, but his free kick taken a few yards back from where he scored his team’s lone goal, sailed over the bar with a hapless looking Scott being stranded on the far post.
Leonora’s skipper muffed several chances to put his team in the lead, with one occasion seeing him in a one on one confrontation with Greene, who won the battle with a sliding tackle, while he pulled off a brilliant save on his near post, to deny Fowler twice.
But as the saying goes ‘Fortune favours the brave,’ Fowler made a solo run from midway inside St John’s half and beat an advancing Greene on the near post to give his team a two goal advantage in the 86th minute, one that they kept despite the relentless efforts of their opponents, at the sound of the final whistle.
The action will continue tomorrow at the Bartica Community Centre ground, with Waramadong taking on Bartica Secondary in a Regional Championship match, with the winner advancing to the national playoffs on July 17.
Meanwhile, the draw was made for the playoffs and quarterfinals by Digicel Brand Ambassadors Michelle ‘Big Red’ King and Alanzo Greaves, during the lemon time break at the Ministry of Education ground, yesterday.
From such, the winner of Region 5 will take on their counterparts from Region 9, Region 8 champions will face the champions of Region 1, while the winners of Region 7 and 2 will meet in the other playoff encounter.
For the quarterfinals, which draw was made by Greaves after observing King making the previous draw, the champions of Regions 3 and 4 will meet in one match, Region 10’s champion will take on the winner of the Region 5 versus Region 9 encounter, Region 6 will face the Georgetown zone champions and the winner between Region 2 and 7 will face the winner of Region 8 and 1.