LUCEA, Hanover — There were a lot of raised eyebrows when Vassell Reynolds walked away from what was a successful stint at Wolmer’s Boys’ and took over the football programme at daCosta Cup giants Rusea’s High at the end of last season.

Both programmes seem headed in different directions — Wolmer’s Boys’ were the Flow Super Cup champions a year after winning the Walker Cup KO and were a fixture in the semi-finals of the Manning Cup.

Further West, Rusea’s High’s last success came in 2011 when they won their 10th daCosta Cup title, but had only a quarter-final placing in the FLOW Super Cup to show for their efforts.

Today, Rusea’s High are in the final of the daCosta Cup after losses in the semi-final of the Ben Francis KO and another FLOW Super Cup quarter-final showing, and the fans are once again excited.

Reynolds conceded on Wednesday that even before the first whistle today, his first year in Lucea can be seen as a success.

“This has been a successful season based on short and long term objectives that we would have set; I think it would have been very successful so far,” he said.

The team, he said, has “grown” and is “peaking at the right time”.

“We are now figuring and assessing our chances and we think our chances of winning are as good as Clarendon’s,” Reynolds said.

He noted the adjustment in returning to the rural area competition has been good, but there were big boots to fill.

“As far as adjustments in terms of accepting the fact that I would have taken over a very large pair of boots to fill, thinking about what (former coaches Emerson “Diggy” Henry and Anthony Williams), and more recently Aaron Lawrence, and what they have achieved. Plus, when you think about the passionate fans and the legacy here, it is still a work in progress.

“I have coached in rural areas before but this is new and it would take a while, but I am almost fully there,” Reynolds ended.

— Paul Reid