JAMAICA College successfully retained their ISSA Under-14 title with a come-from-behind 5-2 win over St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS), while 10-man Campion College clipped St George’s College 1-0 to cop the Under-16 crown at Calabar High school on Monday.

It was a tale of two halves for Jamaica College in the 70-minute encounter as they were in danger of being dethroned after conceding two early goals to D’Mari Gouldbourne (9th) and Kelvin Brown (15th).

However, the “Dark Blues” produced a dominant second-half display with Ajani Campbell (31st and 42nd) and the diminutive Jamone Lyle (55th and 66th), both logging a brace. Jaheem Bennett (60th) got the other.

Winning Coach Wayne Palmer praised his team for their determination and fight to ensure the title returned to Old Hope Road.

“It wasn’t an easy one as a coach, knowing we had to come from two goals down. I did what I had to [so as] to rally the boys and they responded well. They maintained their focus and they fought hard to come out on top so I’m very pleased and proud of them,” Palmer told the Jamaica Observer in a post-game interview.

His counterpart Omar Williams took heart from the fact that his team made the showpiece, noting that their programme is still a work in progress.

“We lost focus after going two goals up and it’s unfortunate that we gave up so many goals in the second half, but that’s how it is. They are young and it’s a learning process so we just have to keep working and building our programme at the school,” he said.

Having watched their senior counterparts battle out the recent Manning Cup final with Jamaica College, also coming from behind to eventually win on penalties, STATHS would have been hoping they could make amends at this level — and going 2-0 up at the break added impetus to their charge.

But Jamaica College were not to be denied and pulled one back immediately after the interval when Campbell slotted home from close range.

With momentum in their favour they continued to press and were back on level terms when a blatant error by Descentry Brown in goal got STATHS, gifted Campbell his second.

It was then time for the Jamone Lyle show as, despite being the smallest in stature on the field, Lyle showed that he is by no means short on potential.

Lyle, sporting the number 10 jersey, dismissed two defenders and drove a sweet right-footer past Brown to put Jamaica College in front.

On the hour mark Bennett went on the break down the left channel and fired home at Brown’s near post, before Lyle completed his brace and Jamaica College’s rout five minutes later with another tidy finish.

The Under-16 final was expected to be a much closer affair and so it was, with Kai Myles’ 46th-minute penalty proving the difference in the 80-minute showpiece and giving their surprisingly large fan base much to celebrate.

After strutting their stuff in the Manning Cup competition where they were ousted in the second round, Campion’s confidence got an extra boost when they clipped Jamaica College’s wings on penalties, earning their right for a shot at this title.

Though the first half ended goalless, Campion looked the better team and were in fact more threatening in opening play, creating a number of half-chances, with Myles even rattling the crossbar on one occasion.

The Liguanea-based team suffered a blow when Zidain Smith was given marching orders by Referee Carvel Banton for violent conduct on the stroke of half-time. However the numerical disadvantage mattered little as Campion maintained the momentum on the resumption, with Myles unleashing a stinging right-footer four minutes in and forcing a decent save from Jaedon Thompson in goal for St George’s College.

The resulting corner brought about the decisive penalty as a defender handled the ball inside the danger area and Myles stepped up and comfortably converted.

Try as they did, St George’s College were given very little room to operate in the attacking third, and when they did eventually break through it was too late to find the elusive equaliser.

Campion Head Coach Odane Walters believes taking the scalp of two proverbial big wigs in Jamaica College and St George’s College was a fitting way to capture the school’s first schoolboy football title in a while.

“We made up our minds that we were coming for this title because things didn’t go how we wanted it to in the Manning Cup so we were determined to pull this one off — and we did! It’s about time we have a change in the guard. Too many times we had JC and St George’s College going to finals and winning; now it’s our time,” an emotional Walters told the Observer.

Both Jamaica College and Campion College will travel to Santa Cruz on Thursday to do battle with St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) in the respective all-island finals.