By BRENT STUBBS
Chief Sports Editor
bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
WITH the celebrations for St Augustine’s College’s 80th anniversary already underway, the Big Red Machine would love to add to the festivities with another Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools Track and Field Championships.
But when the three-day meet gets underway on Wednesday at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium, the Queen’s College Comets are hoping that they can spoil the party on Friday when the final tally is done.
Not only will they be challenged by the Comets, who won the last of their three titles in 2019, there is also the St John’s Giants, who handed the Big Red Machine their first defeat in 1989. Among the other schools are Temple Christian Suns, Aquinas College Aces, St Anne’s Blue Waves, St Andrew’s Hurricanes, Nassau Christian Academy Crusaders, Charles W Saunders Crusaders, Jordan Prince Williams Falcons, Bahamas Academy Stars, Westminster Diplomats, Windsor Academy and Lyford Cay Dragons. “Every time we show up to the meet, our goal is to win,” said Jason Edwards, head coach of the defending champions Big Red Machine. “We don’t go into the meeting thinking defeat ever.
“We put ourselves in the best possible way to succeed and our goal is to always try to come out with the win. That’s the only goal for us at SAC.”
Comets’ head coach Everette Fraser said this is definitely the “biggest” track and field meet in the country and his 150-member team from Queen’s College will be ready.
“We have a talented team. I feel we have one of the most talented teams out there and it’s all about the kids just going out there and competing now,” he said. “That’s about it.
“All of the team have some hiccups, injuries and sickness by the time we get to the BAISS championships, but if everybody shows up, we will be set.”
The Big Red Machine, according to Edwards, is solid from top to the bottom wirth their 148-member contingent as they continue to go after their stranglehold of the title, winning it 31 times.
“Whatever we have, we are going to make the best out of it,” said Edwards, whose only defeat to another team was against St John’s in 1989. “I think we have a pretty solid team.”
It’s been just over a decade since Fraser took over the athletic programme at QC and after winning their first title in 2015, they repeated in 2016 and won again in 2019.
“We can pull it off once the kids show up,” Fraser stressed. “We have a talented team, but once the kids show up, we can pull it off. We definitely have the team to do it.”
The Comets’ senior boys and girls are extremely deep, according to Fraser.
Looking at their arch-rival Queen’s College, Edwards said whenever SAC shows up, they look at everybody as their fierce contenders and so they are preparing for all of the other schools competing.
“We don’t take anything or anyone lightly,” he stated. “We know Queen’s College is a strong team as well. So it will be to our best benefit to approach every event to the best of our ability.
“We know it’s not going to be a walk in the park. We know it;s going to be a close meet and may the best team win.”
To the Big Red Machine as they celebrate their 80th anniversary, Fraser said if the Big Red Machine wants to add another title to their collection, they have to “earn it because it won’t be a walk in the park.”
The action gets underway at 9 am on Wednesday.
