In the Youth Football League (YFL) Junior Cup U-11 joust that pits top local preparatory and primary schools against each other, it was Hillel Academy that came out on top, pulling a minor surprise to get the better of the highly fancied Lannaman’s Preparatory in the all-island finals at Constant Spring field.

Twelve teams — six primary and six preparatory — progressed to the YFL All-Island Finals after results from the three regional tournaments, which were held over the past few weeks, with eastern champions Lannaman’s Prep and Hillel Academy, whom they had defeated in the regional semis, muscling their way to the title decider.

The final on Saturday was a nerve-racking test of mettle and determination, with both teams giving as much as they got, even if Lannaman’s had the slight edge in terms of chances created.

Lannaman’s started strong and almost immediately forced a save out of Hillel’s custodian Harrison McIntosh, but they found themselves picking the ball out of their own net when mercurial winger Nugent Walker spotted the Lannaman’s goalkeeper Tamari Richards off his line and lobbed his long range effort into the goal to stun the large Lannaman’s contingent.

It was the first and only goal conceded by Lannaman’s on the day, with the Haron Martin-coached team bagging 13 of their own in their five matches.

Hillel were then forced back by Lannaman’s, who eventually got their equaliser through Rushawn Edwards, who made the most of his opportunity after finding himself unmarked at the back post on a corner kick.

Members of the Hillel Academy under-11 team celebrate their Junior Cup triumph.

Both teams traded blows in what was largely a tense battle in the middle of the park, with the odd straightforward or speculative attempt in between. In the end, neither team could find another breakthrough and it took sudden death penalties to separate them, with Hillel eventually coming out on top with a 5-4 score line from the spot.

It was an interesting precursor to what might come in the JISA Alberga Cup season, with both teams — Lannaman’s being the 2022 champions and Hillel losing in the final last year — also considered among the contenders for that title.

Hillel ended the tournament with 14 goals and conceded three.

Technical Director Sean Fraser lauded the entire coaching staff and the players for their show of force and noted that the win coincides with the school’s ambitions.

“This was a historic tournament for the school, coaching staff, players, parents; everyone that is associated with Hillel. The vision that we have is to make Hillel more competitive and the coaching staff, which includes, Mr Dexter Bennett, Nicholas Locke, and John Ross Daley. I think what we managed yesterday was truly remarkable. It shows everyone that Hillel is not just here to participate in tournaments anymore, we are here to compete,” said Fraser.

“I think that the players showed a lot of guts, heart, and determination. We lost to Lannaman’s a couple weeks ago in the regional tournament and the boys made up their minds that they did not want to lose and they wanted to do it for themselves, their parents, and their coaches. We have the Alberga and Henriques Cup competitions and this preparation will help the team itself and the school,” he added.

Lannaman’s Assistant Coach Stanley Edwards added: “I think the tournament was an excellent one and a very good learning experience for all the kids that took part.”

Walker was named as the tournament’s MVP and also shared the top goalscorer award with his teammate Rocco Barnes after both bagged five goals.

Paula Pinnock, managing director of Free Your Image Consultancy Group, the agency behind YFL, underlined the growth of the competition and its participants and believes the competition will continue to have a positive impact on the development of the sport in the country.

“This year’s Youth Football League All-Island Championship, now in its third year, has possibly been the most intense and competitive we’ve seen. Returning to Kingston for the second time, we are incredibly proud of the team’s growth and the development level within youth football,” said Pinnock.

“Hillel Academy’s journey from an early exit in 2023 to emerging as champions this year, after facing some of the toughest competitors, is a testament to the resilience and talent we nurture through this tournament. It’s exciting to witness the impact of this four-week competition and the bright future of football in Jamaica. We now look to 2025 and the rest of the football season,” added Pinnock.