DEFENDING champions Papine High will take on Excelsior High today at 3:00 pm to determine who will challenge unbeaten St Andrew High School for Girls in the final of the ISSA/JHF Under-19 School Hockey League on Wednesday.

St Andrew High have shown no mercy in the preliminary round of the competition, scoring 40 goals and conceding none from their six matches. Kamille Griffiths, the league’s leading goalscorer, and Demi Nicholson have run through the defence for the early finalists, scoring 13 and 11 goals, respectively.

Tenneisa Jackson and Kimberly Shaw share another eight goals for the Cecelio Avenue-based school, which seems determined to crush any and all opposition this season.

However, Papine High girls have proven astute at crunch time, but Samantha Jones (12 goals) and Chakira Airey (11 goals) will have to lead them past Excelsior High, who have kept their hopes alive through the efforts of Cyrinn Watt, Chante Bennett, and Doneque Menzies.

Meanwhile, for the boys, unbeaten Jamaica College are waiting comfortably for the other semi-finalists after scoring 15 goals from five matches in Zone B, and like St Andrew High, have yet to concede any goals.

Kemar Mitchell, the leading goalscorer among the boys, spearheaded the attack for JC with nine goals. His teammate Jonte Johnson has shown solid support scoring three goals.

Papine High boys have set themselves up to join JC in the semi-final from Zone B, but will have to get by cellar team Excelsior High today at 2:00 pm.

In Zone A, Munro College, Tivoli Gardens Comprehensive and St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) are fighting it out for the other two semi-final places. Defending champions Munro will play two matches tomorrow, against Tivoli Gardens at 1:00 pm and against Mona High at 3:00 pm. With STATHS already completing their fixtures with seven points from four games, Munro need only one win from the two matches to advance, while Tivoli have to win tomorrow to book their semi-final place.