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Manning Cup wide open
Howard Walker, Observer Writer
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Thirty-Six schools will be hunting for Bridgeport High's title as the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup season kicks off today.
Originally 38 schools were slated to participate, but Mona High withdrew a week before the tournament started, leaving Zone B with only five teams. Cumberland, Trench Town, Haile Selassie, Jose Marti, Greater Portmore and Ascot return to the competition, while Oberlin, who made their debut last season, stayed away.
The 87th season of the Manning Cup that was started in 1914 will be a wide-open affair with the usual exciting action throughout and climaxing on Saturday, December 1.
The teams are divided into six groups with Group D consisting of the defending champions and four other former champions, dubbed the 'group of death'.
Bridgeport will be hardpressed by the 1991 winner Ardenne; Dunoon Technical, winners in 1998; three-time champion Norman Manley, who won in 1996, 2000 and 2002 and 17-time winners St George's College, who last won in 1992.
Bridgeport, after their pulsating 3-2 win over Calabar in last year's final will have their hands full, but should emerge as one of the top two teams and advance to the next round.
The champions have lost top playmaker Kenardo Forbes, but have enough depth to give a good account of themselves.
Coach Anthony Patrick thinks if he wins the zone they have a very good chance of going all the way.
The Alrick Clarke-coached Norman Manley will again be difficult to beat. The 2002 winners and 2005 beaten finalist are very consistent and will be right there at the death.
St George's College with Neville 'Bertis' Bell at the helm again, are highly touted, especially by their coach, who thinks this team is the best bunch since they last won the cup in 1992.
STGC have in their ranks the promising Shaemar Shelton - the brother of Reggae Boyz Luton Shelton - who is touted to be more talented than his older sibling, and the hard-kicking Kamal Malcolm.
The 17-time winners will have to show a lot more grit and determination to advance from this group, but should play their part in making it one of the toughest and interesting one.
Dunoon Technical, the 1998 winners are usually tough customers and will be making a bold bid to come out of the group and along with Ardenne High should keep everyone honest.
Nevertheless, Bridgeport and Norman Manley are the favourites to advance, but don't rule out the 'Light Blues' boys from North Street.
Group A with the likes of Innswood, Jamaica College, St Jago, St Mary's College, Tivoli Gardens and Waterford should be keenly contested.
The Portmore-based Waterford have been red hot during pre-season and are touted by most coaches to be the team to beat. They have retain all their players, including last season's top marksman in Mark Walters and should go very far, if not all the way.
The Flloyd Coke-coached boys should easily advance from Group A, but it will be a toss up between 19-time champions Jamaica College, St Jago and Tivoli Gardens for the other spot.
Last season Tivoli Gardens basically took the year off to mould their young team and this year will be a different kettle of fish. Jamaica College will be without Kaemmar Daley and might find things a bit difficult, while the Monk Street boys from St Jago could upset the applecart.
The depleted Group B with only five teams should see Eltham High and 14-time champions Kingston College coming out unscathed ahead of Donald Quarrie, Jose Marti and Kingston High.
Group C should be very interested with two of the perceived top five teams in the Manning Cup paired together. Former champions Calabar and Wolmer's Boys are pitted against Campion, Meadowbrook, St Catherine High, Kingston Technical and Edith Dalton James.
The David Hunt-coached boys from Red Hills Road have enough quality as shown against Jamaica College recently and should pull through easily, along with the dangerous Wolmer's Boys from Heroes Circle.
The likes of Campion College and Meadowbrook are unknown factors and could make life a little difficult for Calabar and Wolmer's.
Group E might be considered the weakest of the groups of which Charlie Smith and Camperdown are favoured to advance. Charlie Smith, winners in 1988, 1990 and 1995, are not considered world beaters by their coach Jerome Waite, but should do enough to get out of this group.
Camperdown, also three times winners in 1978, 1979 and 1982, have been in the doldrums for too long and will want to reverse that. The east Kingston team showed up prominently last season and if they make the expected improvement, they should be a dangerous team.
Denham Town, Ascot, Greater Portmore and Pembroke Hall should not deny Camperdown and Charlie Smith from advancing.
Group F is another weak zone on paper, but should provide some keen contest between Excelsior, Jonathan Grant, Cumberland, St Andrew Technical (STATHS), Trench Town and Vauxhall.
Excelsior, tipped as one of the top five teams in the Manning Cup, are favourites to advance to the next stage along with last year's surprised package Jonathan Grant, although STATHS would beg to differ.
Howard Walker, Observer Writer
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Thirty-Six schools will be hunting for Bridgeport High's title as the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup season kicks off today.
Originally 38 schools were slated to participate, but Mona High withdrew a week before the tournament started, leaving Zone B with only five teams. Cumberland, Trench Town, Haile Selassie, Jose Marti, Greater Portmore and Ascot return to the competition, while Oberlin, who made their debut last season, stayed away.
The 87th season of the Manning Cup that was started in 1914 will be a wide-open affair with the usual exciting action throughout and climaxing on Saturday, December 1.
The teams are divided into six groups with Group D consisting of the defending champions and four other former champions, dubbed the 'group of death'.
Bridgeport will be hardpressed by the 1991 winner Ardenne; Dunoon Technical, winners in 1998; three-time champion Norman Manley, who won in 1996, 2000 and 2002 and 17-time winners St George's College, who last won in 1992.
Bridgeport, after their pulsating 3-2 win over Calabar in last year's final will have their hands full, but should emerge as one of the top two teams and advance to the next round.
The champions have lost top playmaker Kenardo Forbes, but have enough depth to give a good account of themselves.
Coach Anthony Patrick thinks if he wins the zone they have a very good chance of going all the way.
The Alrick Clarke-coached Norman Manley will again be difficult to beat. The 2002 winners and 2005 beaten finalist are very consistent and will be right there at the death.
St George's College with Neville 'Bertis' Bell at the helm again, are highly touted, especially by their coach, who thinks this team is the best bunch since they last won the cup in 1992.
STGC have in their ranks the promising Shaemar Shelton - the brother of Reggae Boyz Luton Shelton - who is touted to be more talented than his older sibling, and the hard-kicking Kamal Malcolm.
The 17-time winners will have to show a lot more grit and determination to advance from this group, but should play their part in making it one of the toughest and interesting one.
Dunoon Technical, the 1998 winners are usually tough customers and will be making a bold bid to come out of the group and along with Ardenne High should keep everyone honest.
Nevertheless, Bridgeport and Norman Manley are the favourites to advance, but don't rule out the 'Light Blues' boys from North Street.
Group A with the likes of Innswood, Jamaica College, St Jago, St Mary's College, Tivoli Gardens and Waterford should be keenly contested.
The Portmore-based Waterford have been red hot during pre-season and are touted by most coaches to be the team to beat. They have retain all their players, including last season's top marksman in Mark Walters and should go very far, if not all the way.
The Flloyd Coke-coached boys should easily advance from Group A, but it will be a toss up between 19-time champions Jamaica College, St Jago and Tivoli Gardens for the other spot.
Last season Tivoli Gardens basically took the year off to mould their young team and this year will be a different kettle of fish. Jamaica College will be without Kaemmar Daley and might find things a bit difficult, while the Monk Street boys from St Jago could upset the applecart.
The depleted Group B with only five teams should see Eltham High and 14-time champions Kingston College coming out unscathed ahead of Donald Quarrie, Jose Marti and Kingston High.
Group C should be very interested with two of the perceived top five teams in the Manning Cup paired together. Former champions Calabar and Wolmer's Boys are pitted against Campion, Meadowbrook, St Catherine High, Kingston Technical and Edith Dalton James.
The David Hunt-coached boys from Red Hills Road have enough quality as shown against Jamaica College recently and should pull through easily, along with the dangerous Wolmer's Boys from Heroes Circle.
The likes of Campion College and Meadowbrook are unknown factors and could make life a little difficult for Calabar and Wolmer's.
Group E might be considered the weakest of the groups of which Charlie Smith and Camperdown are favoured to advance. Charlie Smith, winners in 1988, 1990 and 1995, are not considered world beaters by their coach Jerome Waite, but should do enough to get out of this group.
Camperdown, also three times winners in 1978, 1979 and 1982, have been in the doldrums for too long and will want to reverse that. The east Kingston team showed up prominently last season and if they make the expected improvement, they should be a dangerous team.
Denham Town, Ascot, Greater Portmore and Pembroke Hall should not deny Camperdown and Charlie Smith from advancing.
Group F is another weak zone on paper, but should provide some keen contest between Excelsior, Jonathan Grant, Cumberland, St Andrew Technical (STATHS), Trench Town and Vauxhall.
Excelsior, tipped as one of the top five teams in the Manning Cup, are favourites to advance to the next stage along with last year's surprised package Jonathan Grant, although STATHS would beg to differ.