THE eight qualifiers for the Walker Cup Knockout competition have been decided after the last week of matches in the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/LIME Manning Cup.

Walker Cup holders Wolmer’s Boys’, reigning Manning Cup champions St George’s College, Hydel High, Excelsior High, Charlie Smith High, Jamaica College, Spanish Town High, and Holy Trinity High are the schools to battle for the KO title.

Those quarter-final matches are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at venues to be confirmed.

Minus the odd rescheduled game, the preliminary stage of the Manning Cup is over, and only one place remains to be filled ahead of the next phase, which is set to begin on October 25.

Holy Trinity (28 points) secured top spot in Group G, but Trench Town High (18 from nine matches) and Innswood High (18 from nine) are in a direct tussle to decide the last remaining team to advance to the next round.

The schools were scheduled to meet last Saturday at Chedwin Park in St Catherine, but the match was not played because of a clash in jersey colours. ISSA is yet to announce a ruling.

The other teams in the group are St Mary’s College (10 points), Meadowbrook High (five) and Campion College (one).

Hydel, the 2012 finalists, remain on course for another assault on the Corporate Area schoolboy crown after topping Group A with 23 points.

Former winners Calabar High, who produced crucial wins in the latter stages of the preliminary round, grabbed second place with 22 points, while Ascot High finished with 20 and are the next best third-placed team to progress. Jonathan Grant, on nine points, Edith Dalton James (eight) and St Andrew Technical (two) round out the bottom three teams in Group A.

In Group B, Excelsior (25 points) finished ahead of Norman Manley High (23) as both progressed to the second group stage.

St Jago High, with 19 points, Cumberland High (10), Waterford High (five) and Haile Selassie High (four) were left on the outside looking in.

Wolmer’s, the kingpins in Group C, topped all comers with 28 points ahead of Denham Town High (22), St Catherine High (19), Kingston Technical (seven), Papine High (six), and Clan Carthy High (two).

St George’s, winners of four of the last five Manning Cup competitions, finished atop a hotly-contested Group D on 23 points, only ahead of Charlie Smith due to a superior goal difference. Camperdown High (20 points) took the best third-place spot and also advanced to the second round, ahead of Oberlin High (nine), Vauxhall High (six) and Donald Quarrie High (two).

Many-time winners Jamaica College, the most consistent team during the preliminaries with an impressive perfect record of 10 wins from as many outings, topped Group E with 30 points.

Bridgeport High took the crucial second spot with 22 points, while Jose Marti Technical completed the group (19), Ardenne High (seven), St Andrew College (six) and Tivoli High (four).

In Group F, Spanish Town High (19 points) have completed their eight matches and cannot be caught by Kingston College, who have sealed second place with 13 from seven.

Greater Portmore High’s (12 points) season is over, but fourth-placed Eltham High (six) can close the gap with a positive result against Kingston College in an yet to be rescheduled game. Penwood High (two points) ended at the base of the group.