KINGSTON, Jamaica — New head coach of Kingston College (KC), Raymond ‘Stampy’ Watson, says he is looking forward to leading a relatively new team in the defense of their Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Digicel Manning Cup, which kicks off on Saturday.

The North Street-based side won their second Manning Cup title in four years last season.

KC’s title defense will begin against rivals Calabar High, who will also boast a new head coach in Andrew Price, and Watson is ready to match wits with the well-known Premier League coach.

“I am feeling very excited,” Watson told OBSERVER ONLINE. “The youngsters have been ensuring that they are learning and they are coming together nicely as a group. I can’t wait until Saturday. I’m really looking forward to Saturday,” he added.

The encounter, which starts at 5:00pm, will be the second match of a triple header inside Sabina Park, and Watson is looking to make his mark at a school which demand excellence.

“I am looking for fast, attacking, good quality football from the boys, goals and three points. I am very confident of victory,” he said.

Watson was assistant coach to Ludlow Bernard during a very successful period in the school’s history where they won six titles in five seasons. He has seen it all and knows the type of expectations that comes with leading the “Famed Purples”.

He said, also, that he is ready to lead the transitioning team for a school that always has high expectations.

“People always mention the word pressure. I laugh, I live for these moments. When the going gets rough, I live for these moments.

“Whenever KC is in difficult situations, that’s when I get going. I appreciate these moments. These are the moments that I really want to be in. I’m always smiling. I just take it as it comes and I know that there are always difficult situations, especially being inside Kingston College, you will encounter difficult situations. It’s nothing to me,” he assured.

In addition to the difficult opening day encounter against Calabar High, KC will also face North Street rivals St George’s College (STGC) in what many have deemed the group of death in the Manning Cup.

A calm and assured Watson said that he is expecting to not only qualify for the next round, but to also end the group stages as the sole leader of Zone A.

“This term ‘group of death’, we are Kingston College, we are not dying. We are here to live. We have a target, firstly to get out of the first round and to be on top of the group,” he stated.

KC will meet the boys from Red Hills Road on Saturday, September 10, while the “Battle of the North Street Giants’ against STGC is slated for Saturday, September 24, at Winchester Park.