‘No walk in the park’
Manning Cup gets going with hot KC-Charlie Smith clash
Kingston College will start the defence of their ISSA Manning Cup title when they take on former champions Charlie Smith High in a Zone B game at Stadium East today at 5:00pm.
The Purples won their 17th title last year by beating first-time finalists St Catherine High 3-1 and will start among the favourites to add to their trophy tally this season.
Also in Group B are Denham Town High, Haile Selassie High, Jose Marti, Kingston Technical, Tarrant High and Tivoli Gardens High.
Forty schools are contesting the Manning Cup, divided in five zones of eight teams each.
Kingston College Head Coach Vassell Reynolds recently said, while they were confident they could retain their title, he understood that it would not be a walk in the park.
“We would have retained 50 per cent of our squad from last season and lost a number of our regular starters — six or seven of them,” Reynolds told the Jamaica Observer. “But we always have players making the transition, based on how our programme is structured, and we are hoping that those who have stepped up are capable enough to replace those who have left.”
Reynolds says defending a title comes with added challenges but he stated that his squad is meeting them head-on.
“We are well aware of what is at stake and are preparing accordingly,” he says. “Our focus is to get everybody within the team to the same level in terms of readiness.
“We are always confident in our abilities because, as I have been saying, defending a title is a little more challenging than winning it. We expect a tough and very competitive season — as many teams have potent squads this year — but Kingston College will be fighting tooth and nail to defend its title.”
Reynolds said “The players are upbeat, and I think everybody understands the challenge at hand and what to expect. We are the defending champions, so the pressure is on because everybody wants to beat you.”
Jabarie Howell (left) of Jamaica College and Andre Langford of Charlie Smith High School tussle for the ball during an ISSA Manning Cup game at Ashenheim Stadium in St Andrew last season. Naphtali Junior
