NATIONAL Under-20 representative McKauly Tulloch is aiming to etch his name into St George’s College High School’s rich Manning Cup history by leading them to their 19th lien on the trophy this afternoon against Bridgeport High in the championship decider.

The burly striker, who scored all the goals to help the ‘Light Blues’ to a 3-0 win over Excelsior in last Saturday’s semi-final, is hungry for his first hold on the coveted trophy.

“I really want this Manning Cup… that’s why I made the transfer from Kingston College to St George’s College… not saying that KC could not have won the Manning Cup, but I did it because I wanted a change,” Tullock told Sporting World after last weekend’s semi-final win.

“I told my team that I didn’t do it (score) in the Calabar (quarter-final) game, so I had to come big and show my team and the whole Jamaica that I’m a very senior person in the Manning Cup, national Under-20 player and just stamped my class and it’s great to score three goals in any semi-final of any league,” he added.

Tulloch’s transfer from KC to St George’s has paid dividends. He is currently second in the race for the golden boot race with four second-round goals, two behind leader Darren Mattocks of Bridgeport, who he faces today.

“It’s a great feeling, wonderful feeling to know that I’ve been playing Manning Cup for the past five years and I can’t complain (as) this is my best season in the competition,” he said.

Tulloch leads his team with 18 goals in the tournament.

“It’s been hard team work and without my teammates I couldn’t have scored so many goals so I want to thank them and my coach Neville ‘Bertis’ Bell,” he added.

The player, who boasts of eight passes in CXC subjects, is proud of his performance both on and off the field.

“Academic and sports is very important because I balance it, so it’s a wonderful thing to have eight subjects and to be playing at the highest level in schoolboy football,” Tulloch ended.

— Kayon Raynor