Bahamas News
Bahamas Bowl Winners Ohio Bobcats Presented Prime Minister’s Trophy
#Bahamas, December 23, 2017 – Nassau -Dorian Brown tied a Bahamas Bowl record with four touchdown runs to lead Ohio to a 41-6 victory over UAB in the fourth edition of the bowl game in paradise on a beautiful Friday afternoon at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.
The Bobcats (9-4) posted their first bowl game win since a 45-14 win over Louisiana-Monroe in 2012 and the third bowl game win in the history of their program. The Blazers, who reinstated their football program this year after a two-year hiatus, finished with an 8-5 record.
Ohio swept the post-game awards as Brown was named the Offensive Player of the Game and Javon Hagan was named the Defensive Player of the Game. Brown scored on runs of 74, 8, 25 and 14 yards and ended the day with 152 yards rushing on just 12 carries. Hagan had a game-high nine tackles (six solo) and a forced fumble to lead the stout Ohio defense.
“It was a great win,” Ohio head coach Frank Solich said. “We certainly appreciate all this team has been about – the way they’ve gone through the season, the way they started to prepare for the Bahamas Bowl at home and then continue the preparation here. To end up playing a very, very good football game, I couldn’t be any more pleased. I feel like eight wins were not enough with this football team, so this ninth win puts a little icing on the cake.”
The Bobcats scored on their opening possession for the seventh time in 13 games this year, marching 75 yards in 11 plays. Nathan Rourke hit D.L. Knock on a 2-yard touchdown pass and it was 7-0 Ohio with 6:41 gone in the contest.
Rourke then hit Papi White on a 50-yard touchdown strike on Ohio’s second possession. The extra point was wide left and the Bobcats led 13-0 with 3:40 left in the first quarter. White led all receivers in the contest with four catches for 106 yards and a score.
Ohio made it 20-0 when Brown raced 74 yards for his first touchdown of the day with 12:26 left in the first half. The Blazers got on the board with a 34-yard field goal by Nick Vogel to pull within 20-3 at the 7:28 mark of the second quarter. Brown got his second touchdown of the game on an 8-yard run with 1:17 left in the first half. Louie Zervos made the extra point and Ohio’s lead was 27-3 at intermission.
“They ran the ball on us,” UAB head coach Bill Clark said. “We had some chances to get off the field and we didn’t. But they did what they do. They ran their quarterback. They broke some tackles. Maybe our depth on the defensive line showed a bit. But give them credit, they ran the ball well. We are disappointed in how many times we got the ball into the red zone and did not get touchdowns.”
UAB took the second half kickoff, marched 83 yards in 11 plays and converted on a 25-yard field goal by Vogel to pull within 27-6 with 10:46 left in the third quarter. After a 34-yard punt return by Kylan Nelson gave OU the ball at the UAB 25, Brown raced in on the next play to make it 34-6 with 7:45 to play in the third period. Brown’s fourth and final score of the day was a 14-yard scamper with 4:05 left in the third to wrap up the scoring.
“I missed two games last time we played,” Brown said. “It actually motivated me. I give a lot of props to the O-Line as well, because they did a tremendous job blocking and making it easy for me to run the ball. It was very important [to go out on a high note]. A.J. [Ouellette] wasn’t feeling so well in the first quarter, so I had to step up and take my role.”
A.J. Erdely completed 24-of-45 passes for 254 yards for the Blazers. Rourke finished the day 12-of-18 passing for 185 yards and two touchdowns and ran three times for 30 yards to finish with 215 yards of total offense. Ohio’s A.J. Ouellette ran eight times for 26 yards in the game, which puts him over the 1,000-yard mark for the season at 1,006 yards in 13 games.
“It was really good to see him reach 1,000,” Solich said. “He’d been beat up at times this season. Really, there was a time we were without Dorian and A.J., and obviously that’s going to hurt your football team. A.J. gave himself a chance to play in this game where I think there’s a lot of guys who wouldn’t have given it a try. I’m proud of him for what he accomplished.” Ohio out-gained UAB 459-353.
“This was not our day today,” Clark said. “But this won’t take anything away from what this group has done. It was a historic year, our group has set the bar very high for the next UAB teams to come. We need to do a good job of going out recruiting and take the next steps to build depth and be the program we want to be. This is not going to diminish the year at all.”
Defensively, Anthony Rush and Tevin Crews had a team-high seven tackles each for UAB.
The Bobcat victory evened the series at 2-2 between the Mid-American Conference and Conference-USA in the four-year Bahamas Bowl history.
“Being from Florida, it felt good to get the heat again because it’s so cold in Ohio,” Hagan said. “The food was fantastic. This bowl is just a great experience. It’s definitely one of the best bowls I’ve experienced so far. The atmosphere, the water, the beach, the slides, it was just so fun. I felt like a little kid again.”
–BAHAMAS BOWL–
Photo caption
Header: Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture the Hon. Michael Pintard presented The Prime Minister’s Trophy to winning team (41-6) — Ohio Bobcats Head Coach Frank Solich, at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.
Insert 1: At Friday afternoon’s Bahamas Bowl, UAB vs. Ohio: Minister of Tourism and Aviation the Hon. Vincent D’Aguilar presented Offensive Player Trophy to Dorian Brown of the Ohio Bobcats.
(BIS Photos/Kemuel Stubbs)
NASSAU, Bahamas — More Bahamians are accessing HIV and sexually transmitted infection-related healthcare through National Health Insurance, a trend the NHI Authority says should be viewed positively.
NHIA stressed in an August 6 statement that its 2025 figures measure healthcare utilisation, not newly diagnosed infections. They include beneficiaries screened, treated, monitored or receiving follow-up care, including people diagnosed previously.
“Increased utilisation of these services should be viewed as a positive development,” NHIA said.
The Authority pointed to “greater enrolment and use of NHI, improved access to screening and testing, continued treatment and monitoring of existing conditions, and increased willingness to seek medical care.”
The development comes amid a mixed three-year HIV picture. New diagnoses rose from 130 in 2023 to 156 in 2024, before declining to 142 in 2025.
NHIA said increased utilisation demonstrates that more beneficiaries are accessing needed healthcare and actively managing their health, reinforcing the importance of screening, early diagnosis and continued treatment.
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor is proud to announce the launch of Monument Beverage Co., its newest 100% locally produced ready-to-drink alcoholic cocktail.
Monument, “Made to Celebrate”, perfectly encapsulates everything the brand represents. Created and distributed by CWS, Monument is
inspired by culture, crafted with excellence and bursting with innovation.
This unique beverage celebrates island living with three bold flavors, Ginger Lime, Peach Passion and Melon Fizz. All of which can be enjoyed at an ABV of five-point-two percent.
The brand’s creativity really shines through each can’s packaging. Bold colored stripes, cherished native flora and fauna and of course, national monuments can all be found on each can.
The beverage’s two year plus development is a testament to CWS’ dedication to quality and innovation. Countless hours of tastings, reformulations, focus groups and package design reviews all paid off with the creation of Monument.
Karla Wells-Lisgaris, Chief Commercial Officer of Caribbean Wines & Spirits and Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers of Coca-Cola and Dasani products, shared what this authentically Bahamian made product launch means for the company.
“When we were conceptualizing Monument, we wanted to create a product that not only tasted like The Bahamas but would be an ode to the
nation as well. With those two thoughts in mind, I, along with a team of experts, created three incredible flavors we believe really connect with and celebrate the essence of island living,” she said.
“Additionally, being that Monument is the first product to be 100% manufactured by Caribbean Wines & Spirits, we really wanted to ensure that both the flavors and packaging honored our rich heritage. On each of the cans, you can find various monuments such as the Nassau Public Library in New Providence, the Garden of the Grove in Grand Bahama and the Hatchet Bay Silos in Eleuthera; all of which pay homage to our diverse Bahamian heritage.” Wells-Lisgaris concluded.”
The historic monuments found throughout our islands are more than places we pass every day; they are reminders of who we are, where we’ve come from and the stories that connect us as Bahamians.
Monument is perfectly formulated with quality ingredients, and each can celebrates a collection of these cultural icons from across The Bahamas.
Whether chilling solo beachside, gathered around a family table or backyard a grill with friends, make Monument your sip of choice. Monument is made to celebrate, visit www.cwsbahamas.com today for more details.
NASSAU, Bahamas —– Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers of Coca-Cola and Dasani products, is proud to crown Lady
Kayla of Exuma as this year’s annual Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup winner.
CBC created the Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup to further the advancement of sailing and Bahamian culture through monetary and social support. The competition judges the skipper’s performance across three regattas, The Best of the Best, the National Family Island and Long Island Regattas.
The winning sloop led by Kianno Hutchinson and Joss Knowles showcased their skillmanship in the E-Class category across each round of competition. In addition to winning the trophy, the skippers were awarded a $5,000 donation, an $8,000 stipend to the junior sailing club of their island and a limited-edition Lady Kayla Bahamas Goombay Punch commemorative can, which will be released soon.
Jonathan Thronebury, Marketing Director of CBC shared the significance behind The Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup.
“The Bahamas Goombay Punch is more than a beloved local brand; it’s a vibrant part of our cultural fabric. Just like sailing, our national sport, it carries a rich legacy that spans generations. Recognizing this shared history, we’re proud to support initiatives that celebrate and advance Bahamian culture,” he said.
Hutchinson and Knowles shared what this win meant for them.
“I felt super proud when I realized we won. I am grateful and thankful to God, for good coaches and Joss. It was really an honor winning the
Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup,” Hutchinson expressed.
“I am very honored to have been able to compete in the Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup, I think it is a great concept and idea for a competition and really adds a new motive throughout the regattas. The whole championship was super competitive, and every single race was a fight. Alvington McKenzie was extremely competitive and had us until the Long Island regatta, which made it a very fun and tough competition. Very excited to have been the winner of a super close championship,” Knowles revealed.
Lady Kayla’s owner, Dallas Knowles, shared the team’s winning strategy.
“In sailing consistency is key and our guys in Lady Kayla are some of the best in the business at staying near the top. In the end, that was enough to secure their first Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup win. We are so proud of Joss and Kianno for what they have done in Lady Kayla. Thank you to Caribbean Bottling Company for such an amazing and forward-thinking initiative,” Knowles shared.
The Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup is proud to continue its impact on sailing and community building through clean and fair competition.
For more updates on the Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup and Caribbean Bottling Company visit the website www.cbcbahamas.com today.
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