Santa Rosa Secondary School had just made history by winning the Milo Schools Under-18 Football Championship in a dramatic final against Chase Academic Foundation. The match had ended in a 3-3 deadlock, leading to a penalty shootout, which SRSS won 5-3.
The team had played unbeaten throughout the tournament, winning six games and drawing one. In addition to being named the Most Disciplined team, their captain, Roy Vansluytman, was named the Most Valuable Player, while Enrique Williams was named Best Goalkeeper.
After the semifinals on Wednesday, the team had decided to stay in Georgetown due to the high cost of traveling. They left for home on Monday morning, carrying with them the trophy and the pride of their school and community.
Their head coach, Earl Richards, took the opportunity to call for more attention to be placed on talents from the hinterland regions, where sports facilities are lacking, and access to proper training and coaching is limited.
However, the final was not without its challenges. A spectator who had attended the match shared his observations of the environment. While he commended the Santa Rosa Secondary team for their excellent performance and sportsmanship, he noted that there were groups of young men drinking and smoking marijuana, some of whom were school children. The atmosphere was intimidating and unsafe, and derogatory comments were being made about indigenous people.
Despite the challenges, the Santa Rosa Secondary team had emerged victorious, and their achievement was well-deserved. It was a moment of pride for their school and their community, and a reminder of the talent and potential that exists in all regions of the country
