The ISSA Walker Cup might not be as valuable as it once was, but defending Manning Cup champions Jamaica College (JC) and preseason favourites St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) will be looking to make the final of the knockout tournament in their respective semi-finals today at Stadium East.

In the first semi-final at 3:00 pm, STATHS, who edged Haile Selassie in the quarter-finals, will battle five-time champions Wolmer’s who got the better of Kingston Technical and St Catherine to reach this stage.

Head Coach Philip Williams believes it will be a tough test, but says his boys are hungry as they seek to make up for their disappointment in the Manning Cup.

“This is the only trophy we have a chance of winning. We’re fully motivated, in terms of our training schedule, we still train every day like if we were still in the Manning Cup. Everything is going as planned, it’s not the trophy we wanted but it’s a chance to win silverware which we haven’t done in quite a while, so we’re giving our honest and best effort,” said Williams.

“The only match I watched with Wolmer’s was their 1-1 draw with St Jago by Mico. They seem to be a pretty decent team, they are very direct in terms of how they play and we know the quality of the coach. It’s a matchup we look forward to but in terms of tactical preparation, our focus is on what we want to do,” he added.

In the second semi-final at 5:30 pm, three-time champions JC, who got the better of Jonathan Grant in the last eight, will tackle seven-time champions Excelsior who had impressive wins over St Jago and Tivoli Gardens.

JC Head Coach Davion Ferguson is weary of the threat the Mountain View-based team pose but believes his boys are motivated to end the season on a high.

“I haven’t seen much of them but I know Coach [Keon] Broderick well, we’ve had battles in the past and I know how he operates. I think he has a good idea of how I operate so it will be a keenly contested affair but it’s our only chance at our hands on silverware at the Under-19 level this year so our intention is to try as much as possible to approach positively with one outcome in mind and that is to win the game,” he said.

“Personally, I’m not in support of the new format but it is what it is. It’s a football game, it’s an opportunity to reach in a final and I think that’s motivation for anybody,” Ferguson said.

The winners will advance to the final set for the National Stadium on Friday, December 8.