Walker Cup semis move to Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex for showdown
The semi-final of the Walker Cup has been shifted to the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex and will see defending champions Mona High take on Charlie Smith at 2:00 pm before Kingston College tackle St Catherine High at 4:15 pm on Wednesday.
The four semi-finalists have all won the Walker Cup with Kingston College (KC) the joint most successful school with nine titles along with St George’s College.
They will be hunting a record 10th title while their opponent, St Catherine High have won it twice in 2019 and 2021. Both schools started the season as favourites for the Manning Cup and now see the Walker Cup as the only silverware available.
KC last won the Walker Cup in 2016 and since the format was changed in 2018, this will be the first time since 2017 that they are competing in it.
When the format changed to exclude the top four Manning Cup teams, St Catherine capitalised and won two titles and are hunting their third.
It should be an interesting game between the two teams that contested the Manning Cup final in 2024 which KC won 3-1. The Fames Purples should feel confident of repeating that success but St Catherine is a talented team; it’s just a matter of consistency.
KC will be looking toward top scorer Deshawn Byfield and Shareef Ricketts, both hitting over 20 goals, to lead them to victory. Kadean Young, Dwight Gentles and Antwone Marshall are the leading lights for St Catherine High.
KC would be buoyed by their win over fierce rivals Calabar and should be bubbling with confidence and might just have that little bit more quality than St Catherine.
Meanwhile, champions Mona High are hell bent on retaining their title but face an improving Charlie Smith team bubbling with confidence following their 6-1 demolition of rivals Tivoli Gardens.
Mona has in their ranks one of the most lethal strikers in Sean Leighton, with 28 goals to his name and Charlie Smith must be at their defensive best to stop him from getting on the scoresheet. Savi-K Morton, Javade Wallace and Franklyn Mitchum are the supporting cast for Mona High.
Charlie Smith will be looking towards live wire George Pringle, Anthony Bryan and Neyo Drummond for victory and especially with the home crowd expected behind them, they could make life difficult for Mona High.
— Howard Walker
