Last week’s basketball match between Beth’s Grammar School and Dartford School Grammar Girls (DGGS) left the latter feeling rather disappointed with the results. After much anticipation, the two rival schools battled it out to determine the best basketball team in the borough, but it’s safe to assume that neither opponent was satisfied with the response.
The whole ordeal was organised by John Bakere, former Beth’s student and current DGGS sixth form student. As well as being a favourite for head boy in school, Bakere has taken a keen interest in organising sports events within and outside of school, - having previously set up an inter-form tournament amongst year 12 students at DGGS - and he is no stranger to the act of playing in a game or two himself.
It is likely because of this that he was made captain of the DGGS basketball team, who as a group endeavoured to practice together every Wednesday, in an attempt prepare themselves enough to triumph over their rivals.
The game started off well for the DGGS team, who were winning by 6 points in the first quarter. They were also comforted by the support of over 20 students who travelled after school to the match venue -Beths School Sports Hall – to cheer on their schoolmates. Their presence proved not to be enough, however, as the tables quickly turned, and the Beths team came fighting back. The home team were winning by a lead of 17 points by the end of the first half.
It’s what happened in the middle of the third quarter though, that left both the players and the supporters rather frustrated by the outcome. Things were looking up for DGGS, who had managed to close the score gap to just 5 points, when an argument broke out between two players over a foul. Things quickly turned violent, and many supporters ran onto the pitch to stop the altercation before the situation worsened.
The mere threat of a fight was enough to call the whole game off it seemed, as the referee called upon the help of present teachers to escort visitors out of the hall claiming the game had been called-off.
‘It’s so disappointing, we could have come back, we could have won! Now we’ll never know’ – the words of DGGS’s top point scorer, Ayo Opayinka. And despite Beths players being satisfied with their leading position, Opayinka’s right, we will never know – which raises questions as to whether or not a rematch is underway. Everyone certainly hopes so!
