KINGSTON, Jamaica — Charlie Smith High rebounded from their 0-3 loss to Kingston College in their opening game in the ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup quarterfinals with a come from behind 2-1 win over Excelsior High on Tuesday to give themselves a chance of making the semifinals.

Their win over Excelsior High coupled with a Kingston College (KC) win over Kingston Technical High School (KTHS) blew the group wide open.

KC has six points and a goal difference of +6, while Charlie Smith and Excelsior High have three points each. Charlie Smith have a goal difference of -2 while Excelsior have a goal difference of +1. KTHS are yet to secure a point and have a goal difference of -5.

Despite losing their opening quarterfinal game, Eugene Williams, the head coach of Charlie Smith, has maintained that his team has a lot to offer.

“The aim for us is to finish in the top two in the zone. The aim is to prove that we are worthy opponents for any team that we come up against.

“We keep on surprising each and everyone. But I am the coach, I know the talent that they have. We saw them perform and I know that they can do it.”

Most of the boys who play for Charlie Smith come from inner city communities and that comes with a different set of challenges.

“Sometimes you have to understand that we are dealing with schoolboys. They are going through a lot of adversity. A lot of people don’t know about this, but the performance speaks volumes.

“Saturday after the Kingston College game I told them to hold up their heads high because they had nothing to be ashamed of. The emotions that they showed after the game told me that they would turn up and perform and they did.”

Rallying from a goal down to win the game against Excelsior came as no surprise to Williams, based on what he saw in his boys when they played against the group leaders.

“They proved and showed me from the KC game what they are about, so I knew that they would come here and deliver,” he said.

As for their final quarterfinal game today, it is more than just another game, it is a final for Charlie Smith, according to Williams.

“We have to approach it how we approach each and every game. Every game that we play is a final, so we have to prepare to play a final, so that game is a final,” he insisted.

A win over KTHS will not guarantee a spot in the semifinals, but Charlie Smith will be aiming to do their job and hope that the group leaders KC continue their winning ways and defeat Excelsior High.

-Dwayne Richards