By Jerome C. Willie, Jr., boyzwill26@gmail.com
KAKATA, Liberia- The fight for supremacy of the 2021-2022 Upper Inter School Sports Association (ISSA) League in Margibi County came has come to an end.
The ISSA league ended on Thursday, July 8, 2022 at the open-air Nancy B. Doe Sports Stadium in Kakata with thousands of spectators turning out to see the grand final in the Junior High Division and Senior High Division in both kickball and football category.
It was a super Thursday with interesting results as all of the finalist school shows the quest for such tournament but it was Project for Children High School and the Lamb Boys of Agape High School came victorious in the football version in the Junior High Division and Senior High, while Laudana Junior High School and the Tiger Girls of the Booker Washington Institute came victorious in the kickball version in the Junior High Dvision and Senior High Division.
In the Junior High Division in Kickball, Laudana won Potter Foundation Academy 6 homes run to 5 to win the championship while in football Project for Children pinned Philadelphia School 2-1 to clinch the Junior High Championship.
Isaac Tubee and Joseph Tokpah 20th and 25th minutes goals in the first half gives Project for Children the Championship.
And still with more actions at the jammed pack stadium of the senior high division, the Tiger Girls of Booker Washington Institute won a convincing 5 homeruns to 3 over the Eagle Girls of the Kakata Community College (KCC).
Jessica Togbah and Nora Gbankpala secured the win for the Tiger Girls Of BWI over the well experienced Eagle Girls of KCC.
The Girls of BWI won the tournament undefeated with just a single draw during the tournament.
Jessica Togbah of BWI super displayed earns her the” Queen Of The Match” as she is favorites to win the Most Valuable Player in the tournament while Nora Gbankpala of BWI is also favorites to win the ” Best Pitcher Award ” of the tournament.
In an exclusive interview Benedict McCarthy Chie thanked the administration of the BWI for the tireless support in making sure that the team won the championship.
“This is not a surprise because I told you early on that my biggest worry was the semifinals game against the Scorpions of St. Augustine Episcopal Mission High School because I know my girls well again thanks also to our speactators, sports department and also to the technical staffs headed by me and the players for the job well done ” said Coach Chie.
In the football showpiece the defending champions St. Augustine Episcopal Mission High School failed to retain the trophy as the Scorpion falls to the Lamb of Agape High School after a well entertaining football displayed in the full 90th minutes that saw both teams playing to a goalless draw.
Spectators of both teams took to their feet cheering their respective side in an electrifying manner, but the score sheet due to good defending and good goalkeeping from the back and goalkeepers of both teams.
But it was goalkeeper Augustus Toby of the Lamb Kingdom of Agape High School who gave Agape High School the first ever senior High Championship, as Agape High School won 5-4 in penalty shootouts over the Scorpion of St. Augustine Episcopal Mission High School to clinch the championship.
The Lamb of Agape High School won the competition undefeated.
The winner pockets a giant-size trophy in each of the category while the runner-up walked away with a set of jersey.
This year’s edition of the tournament was the first edition since the COVID-19 pandemic that saw over 15 schools participating in both kickball and football category with sponsorship from the like of Leroy Dorwazia, DinWall Brown, J. McArthur Noah, among others.