Kingston College’s main mission this schoolboy football season is to capture a 16

^th

Manning Cup title.

According to coach Ludlow Bernard and captain Jemone Bartley, the players are prepared and motivated to reclaim the title KC last won in 2018.

They are confident that despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, KC are well prepared to battle defending champions Jamaica College (JC) and other favourites for the crown.

“Well if I am not ready I guess it doesn’t make any sense to participate,” Bernard said with a wry smile when asked about KC’s readiness.

“Yes, we would be ready. We would have known that the competition was going to be held and we were very hopeful that it was going to start pretty soon. It started a bit later than we would have expected but we have to be ready for the competition.

“This programme would have been disrupted because of the absence of football from 2019, so the time period in which we have to work would have denied us the ability to prepare the team to the fullest, but the stage at which they are at right now, I think it is sufficient enough for them to compete in this competition because I am sure that other schools would have been faced with a similar problem,” Bernard said.

Bartley added: “Preparation has been good over the summer. We have been training very hard to prepare for the season so I think we are good.

“Most of the players played Under-14, Under-16 together, so we have been playing with each other. So there is a certain level of chemistry in the team and unity so we are good,” Bartley said.

According to Bernard, because of the challenges of COVID-19, KC had to remodel the programme, in terms of days and times for training, to comply with protocols.

He said that he believes that the players have been receptive to the training, although he believes that they have shown a decreased level of competitiveness because of the absence of football for one year.

Bernard, however, stated that KC would have “about five” players who were a part of the Manning Cup squad from 2019. He said there are also players who, although not playing in the competition before, are 19-year-olds and can only play for this season.

“Although they are mature in age, they clearly would be inexperienced with the competition. Of course, the demands of the Manning Cup is such that you have to have the experience under your belt, but of course, I am depending on their maturity to carry them through,” Bernard said.

He is expecting Khalifah Richards, Gavin Burton, Christopher Pearson and winger Bartley to be the key players for KC.

He emphasised that “KC will respect all teams and fear none”, but believes that from Group C, which KC is in, defending Walker Cup champions St Catherine High, Mona and Wolmer’s are expected to be the main threat.

The other teams in the group are Clan Cathy, Papine and St Mary’s College.

KC’s victory in 2018, was the first since 1986.