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Ming named league’s MVP

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Award winners: from left, Scott Morton, of PHC Zebras, Premier Division Coach of the Year, Roger Lee, of Somerset Eagles, whose team won $1,000 for finishing second in the First Divison, Jensen Rogers, of Eagles, First Division Coach of the Year, Donte Brangman, First Division MVP, Tre Ming, Premier Division MVP, and Jaylon Bather, the Defensive Player of the Year. Below, Shaka Hislop was the guest speaker at the awards at City Hall’s Earl Cameron Theartre on Saturday(Photographs by Lawrence Trott)

Bermuda team-mates Tre Ming, of PHC Zebras, and Donte Brangman, the Southampton Rangers captain, won the Most Valuable Player awards for the Premier Division and First Division at the Bermuda Football Association Awards at City Hall’s Earl Cameron Theatre on Saturday.

It was a second straight MVP award for PHC, with Marco Warren winning last year, while Scott Morton, their departing coach, picked up a second straight Coach of the Year award.

Ming beat out two other finalists, Keishen Bean, of BAA, and Jaylon Bather, of Robin Hood, who was named Defensive Player of the Year in the Premier Division.

“It’s an honour to just be nominated,” Ming said. “My hat goes off to all the finalists.”

Midfielders Ming and Warren battled with injuries this season.

“Out of the two of us, my injury was a bit worse, and Marco made the decision for me to push further forward and him further back,” Ming added. “He allowed me to win this tonight.”

Ming and Brangman are part of Bermuda coach Kyle Lightbourne’s plans for the Concacaf Gold Cup.

“We have a lot to look forward to and work hard for,” Ming said. “The Gold Cup is just the icing on the cake and we’re ready to get going.”

Brangman justified his inclusion in the Bermuda squad as the only player from the First Division, scoring 13 league goals as Rangers won the First Division title as well as retain the Shield.

“I had a pretty good season, one of my first seasons without getting injured,” said the 24-year-old.

“It’s a team effort and I’m just happy that our team is now in the Premier and we get to compete with the best teams in Bermuda. Because I’m in the First Division doesn’t mean I’m any less than any other player.”

Scott Morton picked up the Premier Division Coach of the Year award after leading the Zebras to a record eleventh league title and record twelfth Friendship Trophy.

Farid El Karfa, of X-Roads, and Robin Hood’s John Nusum were the other two finalists for Coach of the Year.

Morton is stepping down from the post after three seasons to concentrate on his duties as Bermuda’s assistant coach. Morton led PHC to seven trophies including back-to-back league, Friendship Trophy and Charity Cup titles, as well as the FA Cup in 2016-17.

The First Division Coach of the Year was Jensen Rogers, who led Somerset Eagles to promotion in his first season. Jomar Wilkinson, of Southampton Rangers, and Brian Dickinson, of Vasco da Gama, were also in the running.

Young Player of the Year awards went to Eusebio Blankendal, of Dandy Town, and Rai Sampson, of Southampton Rangers.

Rangers won five awards on the night, including Darius Cox as First Division Defensive Player of the Year.

Angelo Simmons, of Dandy Town, was the leading scorer in the Premier Division with 25 league goals, one more than Donavan Thompson, of X-Roads. Jarazinho Bassett, of Rangers, was the top scorer in the First Division with 20 league goals.

Dashun Cooper, of X-Roads, was voted Premier Division Goalkeeper of the Year, while Ajai Daniels, of Rangers, was the First Division Goalkeeper of the Year.

Referee of the Year was Tashun Simons, while the Young Referee of the Year award went to Ka’Ri Richards.

Boulevard and Somerset Eagles won the Fair Play awards for the least amount of bookings.

Shaka Hislop, the West Ham United and Trinidad & Tobago goalkeeper and now an ESPN football analyst, was the guest speaker at the awards after also taking part in the BFA Symposium earlier in the day.

“It’s not lost on me the timing of my visit; I’ve been trying to find the time to come here for quite a few years,” he said.

“Now I’m here in 2019, right after Bermuda qualified for the Concacaf Gold. It speaks volumes to how Bermuda continues to lead where many of our other countries in the region could follow.

“The road to progress is a winding one that goes largely uphill, but you as administrators have to continue to keep your eyes on the prize and focus on continuing to develop our young athletes, men and women.

“That is the challenge that continues to plague many of our Caribbean countries.

“I speak as a member of the 2006 World Cup squad of Trinidad and Tobago and the success that we have so far failed to build on.

“It is something I will continue to say publicly until we address it properly.”

Something to shout about: Tre Ming, the Premier Division MVP for the 2018-19 season
Going out on top: Scott Morton was named Premier Division Coach of the Year last night in his final season with PHC (File photograph by Lawrence Trott)