LUCEA, Hanover — Rusea’s High School’s Leonardo Fogarthy was inconsolable on Saturday night after the final whistle in the ISSA/FLOW daCosta Cup final against Clarendon College at the Montego Bay Sports Complex, weeping openly as his teammates celebrated the school’s 11th title and first since 2011.

Fogarthy scored a brilliant winner in the 80th minute, picking up a pass from Kenroy Campbell which was played over the top of two defenders, and striking the ball sweetly on the half volley past goalkeeper Benjamin Williams as his team came from a goal down to win 2-1.

Asked what was going through his mind on Saturday at Monday’s celebrations in Lucea, Fogarthy said: “A lot.”

“But mostly (I was) thinking about my father… the things that he had achieved and what I was expected to do,” he continued.

The Glendevon, St James, resident is one of several of his family members to attend the Lucea, Hanover school, where his late father Anthony and uncle Roy had been part of winning teams.

On Monday, Leonardo reluctantly admitted he felt his father’s presence during and after the game. “Yes, kinda, I do believe that he was there with me and he helped me a lot Saturday night,” he said.

Clarendon College lead 1-0 at the half-time break, thanks to Nique Daley’s strike, before Daniel Reid’s 55th-minute equaliser set the scene for a fairy-tale ending.

Just minutes after he missed scoring from close range, Fogarthy sent the stadium packed with mostly pro-Rusea’s fans rocking with a goal of pure class and fitting to win a title.

“I was anticipating the ball,” he said, reliving the sequence that led to the goal. “I thought that the defender would not be able to make good contact based on how he was positioned and I thought the ball would beat him and I just stayed patient, and when it beat him, I was there,” he recollected.

Fogarthy was sure that he had scored the winner earlier, but watched in agony as the ball sailed wide of Williams’ far left post.

“It was really close; it was really, really close,” he said of the chance. “I thought it was going in and I stood and watched it. when it went pass the post I was really disappointed.”

He hopes to equal his late father’s success as he takes aim at the Olivier Shield, which his school will go in search of against against Manning Cup champions Jamaica College.

“Winning the daCosta Cup is nice, but it is not enough for me [as] we still want to win the Olivier Shield. that is one thing he won that I also want to win,” said Fogarthy.

— Paul Reid