Thirty-nine teams started in quest of lifting the Inter Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Wata Manning Cup, now it’s down to just four as Jamaica College (JC), Eltham High, Excelsior High and St Andrew Technical High (STATHS) hunt two spots in the grand finale set for Friday inside the National Stadium.

Jamaica College (JC), the most successful school with 28 titles, face a STATHS team seeking their second line in the feature encounter at 4:15 pm.

In the curtain raiser at 2:00 pm, Eltham High and Excelsior High clashed in a repeat of the 2006 semis.

STATHS’ only triumph in the Manning Cup was 38 years ago in 1987 when they beat Excelsior in the final 6-1. But in recent times, they have been to three Manning Cup finals, losing all three to JC in three heartbreaking penalty shootouts.

Tuesday, they meet not in the final, but in the semis, hunting a spot in the final. For both schools, this could be their final game in the Manning Cup season.

The law of averages would suggest that STATHS should get some level of revenge, but this JC team is one of the most solid and talented teams in ages.

The dark blue juggernaut from Old Hope Road will be hard to stop and another heartbreak is in store for the boys from Bumper Hall.

They met once this season in the first round and battled to a 0-0 on September 27, but in the return game scheduled for October 16, both schools decided that they would not honour that fixture after it was rained out and rescheduled.

ISSA agreed and destroyed the integrity of the competition as the teams basically chose which second round group they wanted to go into, as a result could change their group placing had the match been played.

Now they meet again and someone will be eliminated. It’s all on the line this time around.

JC is the only unbeaten team in the Manning Cup, and with the likes of Jabarie Howell, Jamone Lyles, Jamoy Dennis, Dontae Logan, Donald Stewart, Keshaun-Lee Chin, Duwayne Burgher and Giovanni Taylor, they should prove too hot to handle.

Head coach Raymond Watson said history has nothing to do with the current situation and is expecting another tough game.

“New players (both teams), new season, so these players are here to write their own history. I think it is going to be an epic game,” Watson pointed out.

“STATHS basically were pre-season favourites and JC is finding form at this moment. After 90 minutes, I expect JC to win, but it will be hard against one of the best teams in the league,” he added.

“This will all come down to how STATHS decide to approach the game. Whether they show us respect or disdain, the onus is on them to take the game to us or let us take the game to them. They are the favourites, they are the ones who have been grabbing the headlines,” said Watson.

STATHS, on the other hand, will be depending on Kennardo Gordon, Marvin Henry, Shankeno Grant, Zaheim Clarke, Keeno Levy, Kevin Hall and Justin Johnson for victory.

They toiled hard against Vauxhall High on Saturday and they are expected to be at it again against the well-oiled JC juggernaut.

STATHS’ head coach Philip Williams said based on their preparation, they are confident of victory.

“The boys believe in their abilities and they are just looking to go out there and give a good showing of themselves, no matter who the opponent is,” said Williams.

“This is a new team and they don’t care much about history but focus on what they can achieve in the present,” he noted.

The second semi-final pitted two teams making a return to the semis for the first time in 19 years when they clashed in 2006. Excelsior won then and are fancied to repeat.

Excelsior showed that they can mix it up with the best as they matched JC in every department in their quarterfinal round but lost 1-2.  They will be hard to beat with the likes of Kimarly Scott, Damarley Williams, Kivann Salmon, Terrence Wiliams and Nicwayne Patrick.

But Eltham cannot be taken lightly, as they quietly went about their business efficiently all season and will be dangerous.

Santana Headley is expected to lead from in front along with Steven Bull and Jevaughnie Rowe. It should be an intriguing encounter as the National Stadium should be buzzing with excitement with two quality games.

— Howard Walker