Carolyn Johnson, Freelance Writer

Holmwood Technical are ecstatic as they celebrate their win over Edwin Allen Comprehensive in the ISSA/Digicel rural high schoolgirls senior (under-19) final at G.C. Foster College yesterday. Holmwood won 32-24. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

Holmwood and Denbigh are rural champions in the 2006 ISSA/Digicel schoolgirl netball competition played yesterday at G.C. Foster College.

Denbigh won the junior title, defeating Holmwood 22-14, while the Holmwood seniors ran past Edwin Allen 32-24.

In the third place playoffs, Glenmuir beat Cambridge 23-20 in the junior segment, after which Mannings fell 20-30 to Denbigh in the seniors.

Holmwood will meet Corporate Area senior champions Dunoon in the all-island finals tomorrow, while in the junior segment, Queen's will play Denbigh.

Although the matches were played in the scorching mid-day sun, the players managed to rise to the occasion in two challenging games. The junior match started out with both teams matching goals but Denbigh took the lead and never looked back.

Realising that Holmwood's goal shooter and Monique Green could not shoot, but left all shots to her team-mate Deneen Taylor, Denbigh stepped up the defence on the goal attack and kept her from the circle.

Denbigh's other strength was their defence, which was facilitated by tight marking and follow that up, they capitalised on Holmwood's turnovers.

"At the beginning. it was kind of difficult but after about five minutes, we started picking up, but overall it was great," said Shannon Lambert, captain of Denbigh's team.

Failed to mark

In Holmwood's assessment they failed to mark and missed valuable shots.

"I think it was fairly good. Although we lost we feel good that we have come this far," said Monique Green, Holmwood's captain.

In the senior match, Holmwood's coach Carline Graham believed it was theirs to lose.

"From the beginning, we knew we had the game in our hands, (it was) just for the girls to keep composure and follow through to the end," Graham said.

"I think this game boiled down to who wanted it most and I think Holmwood wanted it, they played for it, we didn't do anything. Having beaten Holmwood in the second round they were a bit complacent. I tried to tell them that the second round is history, this is the finals, they are defending champions, they coming to give it their all," said Minneth Reynolds, coach of Edwin Allen.