Once again the two most successful schoolboy teams in the island, Jamaica College (JC) and St George’s College (STGC), come face-to-face in the final of the Flow Inter Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) at Sabina Park on Saturday, Nov. 28, at 5:00 pm.
JC, the defending champions, for the first time in three years, will start as underdogs but should by no means be taken lightly.
JC will be hunting their third consecutive lien on the Manning Cup and their 27th overall, while STGC are aiming to secure their 23rd title having last won in 2012.
It’s a battle of two powerful schoolboy teams and a repeat of the Super Cup final in which St George’s won 4-0
Sabina Park should be buzzing with excitement as they battle for the corporate area supremacy in schoolboy football.
It’s a clash between two of the oldest schools in Jamaica, formed hundreds of years ago in a fight for bragging rights also.
Having defeated JC 4-0 in their only meeting this season, the Light Blues of North Street will start overwhelming favourites and rightly so.
With the likes of Alex Marshall, who has scored 26 goals in all competitions, captain Shevon Stewart with 14 goals, Hakim Williams, Dominic James, Ronaldo Watson, Akeem Shelton, Stephen Gilzene, Akeem Prawl, Paul Young Jnr, Matthew Wilson and goalkeeper John Wilson, STGC look hard to deny.
However, JC will not be relinquishing their title without a fight, and their poor performance in the Super Cup must be forgotten quickly, as they are a quality team. Despite losing three top players in Junior Flemmings, Raffique Bryan and Akeem Shackleford from the all-conquering team last year, the Dark Blues are back in the final where they belong.
More than half of the winning team is back to defend their title in captain Allando Brown, Zeron Sewell, Donovan Segree, Chawayne Johnson, Jamar Purchell, Ronaldo Brown along with National Under-17 players in goalkeeper Jahmali Waite, Donovan Dawkins and Ajeanie Talbott. This core, forms a powerful force that can beat any team on any given day.
It should be a final worth going miles to see in what is expected to be a bumper crowd at Sabina Park.
Meanwhile Jonathan Grant and Denham Town will battle at 3:00 pm in the third-place playoff.
All matches shall be play-to-finish and should the scores be equal at full time, extra time will be played, followed by penalty kicks if necessary. Extra time shall be two halves of 10 minutes each.
