Defending champions Jamaica College (JC) will be hunting their fourth consecutive title when they tackle Wolmer’s Boys’ School in the FLOW/Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Manning Cup final set for the National Stadium at 6:00 pm today.

Today’s match-up pits together two of the oldest schools in Jamaica and the Caribbean against each other, hunting the 107 year-old prestigious Manning Cup crown.

JC won the first schoolboy football title that was played in 1909. Then the Manning Cup trophy was donated in 1914 by Sir William Henry Manning, who was the Governor of Jamaica between 1913 and 1918.

The 227-year-old JC, which was formed in 1789 by Charles Drax, went on to dominate the tournament, winning nine of the first 10 titles, and are the most successful school today with 27 titles overall.

JC’s school crest is made up of two mythical yellow creatures called Griffins, which are known for guarding treasures and priceless possessions and with their beady red eyes, they will have to work overtime to protect the Manning Cup from Wolmer’s grasp.

Formed in 1729, the 287-year-old Wolmer’s Boys’ School — the oldest school in the country — first got their hands on the Manning Cup in 1923 and have since won the title 10 times. They last won it back in 1994, some 22 years ago.

The first 13 years of the Manning Cup competition was won by either JC or St George’s College (STGC) before Wolmer’s intervened and won the 14th edition. In the last nine years since 2007, the Manning Cup has been won by either JC or STGC. Can history repeat itself with Wolmer’s putting an end to their dominance once again?

Vassell Reynolds, the head coach of Wolmer’s who ended both JC’s and STGC’s dominance of the three-year-old FLOW Super Cup, is confident of doing the same in the Manning Cup.

“It’s the Manning Cup at stake and certainly we need it more than them, that I can tell you!” said Reynolds, as JC’s coach Miguel Coley shook his head in disagreement.

“I think we are going to win. It’s two good teams and one thing for certain we will have to go with our A game come Saturday,” Reynolds added.

He continued: “They are two good teams so I expect a very good game. They would have watched us, we would have watched them. But we didn’t play a game before Saturday coming, so based on that, it is going to be a very competitive game.”

Meanwhile, JC’s Coley was also oozing with confidence that his team is ready to defend their title and gain their 28th lien on the Manning Cup.

“When we started out preseason, winning the Manning Cup title was always on our agenda and being in the final it gives us the best chance to go out there and achieve our objective,” said Coley.

Coley, who was assistant head coach for the Reggae Boyz under the Winfried Schaefer regime, also played down the notion that his team has not faced any “big guns” leading to the final.

“That cliché changes every week. Last week when we had the semi-final, I heard that Holy Trinity is a big team, a tricky team and they are going to defeat us, so I don’t understand. So each time we cross a hurdle we realise that the team we played depreciated somewhat,” he said.

“We respect every single team. It’s a game of football, 90 minutes, every team starts even. We have a final in front of us and in terms of saying big team, we have Wolmer’s in front of us and that’s the most important thing,” he added.

“They are a good competitor. They are in the final and we respect every single team. They have won one competition so far, so we have to give respect to that. But Jamaica College, we know ourselves, we know our strengths, we know our determination and we know our fight and we know what we are all about,” said a confident Coley.

“It’s about character, it’s about determination and it’s about the whole Jamaica College spirit,” he declared.

Despite their somewhat low-keyed season, JC have been very efficient as usual, reaching the Walker Cup final and will start favourites to defend their title and their remarkable unbeaten run dating back to 2012 in the competition.

JC will be looking to captain Oquin Robinson to again lead from in front and will be backed by a talented bunch of youngsters in Ajeanie Talbott, Malique Howell, Chavaun Willis, Donovan Dawkins, Orlando Brown, Ronaldo Brown, Tyreke Magee, Kajay Johnson, Geraldane Bennette, Javoy Belnavis and Duhaney Williams.

A very strong team and one which opposing coach Reynolds described as a “very balanced” team. “One thing for certain is they have a structured system that they play to, well-coached. I would have known the coach for a number of years and I know his style, I know his philosophy.”

But Reynolds believes his team is capable of producing something special despite the defensive team label attached to them.

Said Reynolds: “We strive on playing what we call an effective system. We are always of the view that if you defend well with good defensive structure you can maybe win a title. But if you look at the stats, we are possibly one of the better teams in attack also. So there is some balance there and we do our tweak based on situations during the game, before the game and also the opponents that we are coming up against.

“Some teams are of the view that we are a defensive team, but I think the mistake they are making is the belief that we don’t attack. We have scored 50-odd goals, so we are doing pretty well in attack,” he added.

“I saw my team playing against Montego Bay United in late August and I did say to them after that match, if they can repeat a performance like that I doubt if any schoolboy team can beat them. They have not produced that, but hopefully they can Saturday, and if they do, the Manning Cup will be at Heroes Circle,” said Reynolds.

Wolmer’s have arguably the best backline in the competition led by the outstanding goalkeeper Shamar Jamieson, the towering captain Jahwani Hinds, Scott Williams, Tajay Anderson and Calvin Lewis. Plus formidable attacking options in Alphanso Gooden, Rivaldo English, the son of noted footballer Irvino English, Yonnick Elliott, Ramone Lewis, Andrew Daley and Mickel Graham.

It should be an intriguing match-up between the two best teams in urban schoolboy football.

JC have won five of the last nine titles and they know what it takes to succeed. But Wolmer’s are no strangers to winning, having won the Walker Cup the last two years, and this year added the FLOW Super Cup. Thus, the stage is set for an epic battle inside the National Stadium.