Champs JC, freescoring ‘Charlie’ eye final
Reigning champions Jamaica College (JC) and 1995 winners Charlie Smith High will clash in today’s semi-final of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Gatorade/Digicel Manning Cup competition at the Constant Spring football field.
The match is scheduled for a 2:45 pm start.
The winner will face St George’s College, who clipped Womer’s Boys 1-0 at Constant Spring yesterday in the first semi-final.
Today’s encounter is expected to be a closely fought encounter between two teams which have largely been dominant throughout the season.
The Jerome Waite-coached Charlie Smith coasted through the preliminary stage, scoring 42 goals and conceding just seven in 10 matches.
The Arnett Gardens-based team continued their free scoring ways in the second round and averaged three goals a game, in becoming the first qualifiers for the semis.
The team’s only flaws this season came in a 0-1 loss to Kingston College in the Walker Cup Knockout competition and a 2-2 result against surprise package Ascot High in the first of the Manning Cup.
Charlie Smith will rely on ace marksman Michaelos Martin and talismanic captain Javoni Simms, who is back in the team after serving a one match ban due to yellow card accumulation. The crafty Vishunal Harris is expected to pull the strings in midfield.
Jamaica College, 23-time winners of the Manning Cup competition, started the defence of their 2010 title shakily in a 0-1 loss to Camperdown High, but rebounded to top the first round group on goal difference.
Their only other serious blemish came in a shocking 1-5 loss to Calabar High in the Walker Cup.
The Old Hope Road-based team, guided by head coach Alfred Henry, brushed aside the disappointment and romped to three wins in as many matches in a tough-looking second round Manning Cup group, which consisted of three other former champions in Excelsior High, Kingston College and St Andrew Technical.
JC’s hopes are expected to rest on the shoulders of Nicholas Scott, tricky wide player Taval Whittaker and Raheem Manning, who was a two-goal hero in the 3-1 win over Kingston College in the team’s previous outing.
Inspirational attacker Junior Flemming will miss the game after picking up a red card in that match.
