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Favourites for daCosta Cup title
Paul Reid
Saturday, September 15, 2007
MONTEGO BAY, St James - Defending champions Glenmuir will be the team to beat this season and despite mild protestations from coach Patrick 'Jackie' Walters, must wear the favourites tag.
Glenmuir, who upset Frome Technical in last season's final, retain the core of their team which includes a powerful midfield and solid defence anchored by goalkeeper Kristopher Lewis.
National junior representative, James Thomas, will lead the team in the quest for a first back-to-back title and the likes of Trevol Smith, Nevon Brown, Ricardo Webb and new starter Clovel Dinnal will give the May Pen-based school lots of hope.
Rusea's
Rusea's made it past the first round last season for the first time since the 2004 season and according to assistant coach, Anthony 'Follies' Williams, the aim is to get to the semi-finals this season after getting knocked out in the quarter-finals last year.
The former many-time champions have been tagged by a number of coaches as one of the teams to beat this season, but Williams said they would prefer not to focus on that. "I am not so sure we want to accept that." he told Sporting World yesterday.
While admitting they had a strong team and had enjoyed a fairly successful pre-season, Williams said the first goal is to get out of Zone B and then take it from there.
Among the approximately "90 per cent" of players they have retained from last season are national Under-20 representative Damain Thompson and national Under-17 invitee, Nicholas Ebanks, who will captain the team. Both will be playing their third season.
Godfrey Stewart
The 2005 champions will have a "young but experienced" team this season and coach Carl 'Long Life' Palmer has "high expectations".
The team failed to advance past the first round last season, but Palmer says they hope to rectify that this season.
Palmer said with the exception of a couple of tournaments at Mannings and at Frome, they played against mostly adult teams in the pre-season and he was pleased with what he saw.
He stressed, however, that while he expects to do well, the results would be determined by the players whom he said must keep focus in each game.
Zone C has been one of the most competitive in the past few seasons and Godfrey Stewart will be up against Petersfield and Grange Hill who both advanced last year as well as a Mannings team that will be hoping to rebound from a disappointing season last year as well.
Munro College
Munro College have not won a senior football title in 43 years, but Hopeton Gilchrist will be hoping to work the magic he did at Mannings two seasons ago at the St Elizabeth school.
In the first of his two years at Mannings, Gilchrist took the Westmoreland school to their only semi-finals and given the number of experienced players in the team this year, a top four spot is a definite possibility.
Before they can get to the semi-finals, however, Gilchrist said the team must first learn the new systems he is trying to put in place.
The team is "coming along nicely" Gilchrist reported, but pointed out their form in the pre-season was inconsistent, but once the season gets going he says they should do well.
Among those Gilchrist expects to lead the team are the experienced goalkeeper Errol Reid, who is in his fourth season, central defender Suane McLeash, midfielder Mark Lyn and striker Moses Watkiss, who scored five goals last year, the second most on the team.
Garvey Maceo
Having lost five players from last season and then having his pre-season interrupted by the passage of Hurricane Dean last month, Garvey Maceo's coach, Jeffrey Hewitt, is optimistic the team will do well this season.
Garvey Maceo advanced to the quarter-finals last season where they won just one of their three games and Ashton Bennett, who had a total of 23 goals last season will return to torment defenders and goalkeepers.
Andre Lindsay will be back as well as Romaine Medley and Hewitt is hoping they can get over the lack of preparation and make a run for the semi-finals. First he said they had to try and get out of Zone I where they will go up against champions and favourites Glenmuir High, Vere Technical, Old Harbour, Tacius Golding and Bustamante.
Glenmuir's Jon-Ross Doyley (left) controls the ball as Alrick Griffiths of Clarendon College rushes in during Mannings School pre-season schoolboy one day tournament earlier this month. At right is Glenmuir's James Thomas.
Paul Reid
Saturday, September 15, 2007
MONTEGO BAY, St James - Defending champions Glenmuir will be the team to beat this season and despite mild protestations from coach Patrick 'Jackie' Walters, must wear the favourites tag.
Glenmuir, who upset Frome Technical in last season's final, retain the core of their team which includes a powerful midfield and solid defence anchored by goalkeeper Kristopher Lewis.
National junior representative, James Thomas, will lead the team in the quest for a first back-to-back title and the likes of Trevol Smith, Nevon Brown, Ricardo Webb and new starter Clovel Dinnal will give the May Pen-based school lots of hope.
Rusea's
Rusea's made it past the first round last season for the first time since the 2004 season and according to assistant coach, Anthony 'Follies' Williams, the aim is to get to the semi-finals this season after getting knocked out in the quarter-finals last year.
The former many-time champions have been tagged by a number of coaches as one of the teams to beat this season, but Williams said they would prefer not to focus on that. "I am not so sure we want to accept that." he told Sporting World yesterday.
While admitting they had a strong team and had enjoyed a fairly successful pre-season, Williams said the first goal is to get out of Zone B and then take it from there.
Among the approximately "90 per cent" of players they have retained from last season are national Under-20 representative Damain Thompson and national Under-17 invitee, Nicholas Ebanks, who will captain the team. Both will be playing their third season.
Godfrey Stewart
The 2005 champions will have a "young but experienced" team this season and coach Carl 'Long Life' Palmer has "high expectations".
The team failed to advance past the first round last season, but Palmer says they hope to rectify that this season.
Palmer said with the exception of a couple of tournaments at Mannings and at Frome, they played against mostly adult teams in the pre-season and he was pleased with what he saw.
He stressed, however, that while he expects to do well, the results would be determined by the players whom he said must keep focus in each game.
Zone C has been one of the most competitive in the past few seasons and Godfrey Stewart will be up against Petersfield and Grange Hill who both advanced last year as well as a Mannings team that will be hoping to rebound from a disappointing season last year as well.
Munro College
Munro College have not won a senior football title in 43 years, but Hopeton Gilchrist will be hoping to work the magic he did at Mannings two seasons ago at the St Elizabeth school.
In the first of his two years at Mannings, Gilchrist took the Westmoreland school to their only semi-finals and given the number of experienced players in the team this year, a top four spot is a definite possibility.
Before they can get to the semi-finals, however, Gilchrist said the team must first learn the new systems he is trying to put in place.
The team is "coming along nicely" Gilchrist reported, but pointed out their form in the pre-season was inconsistent, but once the season gets going he says they should do well.
Among those Gilchrist expects to lead the team are the experienced goalkeeper Errol Reid, who is in his fourth season, central defender Suane McLeash, midfielder Mark Lyn and striker Moses Watkiss, who scored five goals last year, the second most on the team.
Garvey Maceo
Having lost five players from last season and then having his pre-season interrupted by the passage of Hurricane Dean last month, Garvey Maceo's coach, Jeffrey Hewitt, is optimistic the team will do well this season.
Garvey Maceo advanced to the quarter-finals last season where they won just one of their three games and Ashton Bennett, who had a total of 23 goals last season will return to torment defenders and goalkeepers.
Andre Lindsay will be back as well as Romaine Medley and Hewitt is hoping they can get over the lack of preparation and make a run for the semi-finals. First he said they had to try and get out of Zone I where they will go up against champions and favourites Glenmuir High, Vere Technical, Old Harbour, Tacius Golding and Bustamante.
Glenmuir's Jon-Ross Doyley (left) controls the ball as Alrick Griffiths of Clarendon College rushes in during Mannings School pre-season schoolboy one day tournament earlier this month. At right is Glenmuir's James Thomas.
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