JC, Holy Trinity to contest inaugural LIME Super Cup final
SCHOOLBOY football kingpins Jamaica College (JC) will seek the first of four titles this season when they tackle Holy Trinity High in the final of the LIME Super Cup at Sabina Park starting at 4:00 pm today.
The Old Hope Road-based JC are the all-island champions, as well as being the most successful school in the nation’s history; they are proven campaigners.
On the other hand, Holy Trinity, based on George Headley Drive, next door to Sabina Park, are novices to big-time football, but are eager to write a little piece of history of their own.
Will it be a ‘David versus Goliath’ situation? Only time will tell, but with a total prize money of $1million at stake, any number can play.
The all-powerful JC juggernaut have brushed everything aside this season, rattling up an impressive 61 goals while conceding just six in 16 games in the Manning Cup, Walker Cup and Super Cup competitions.
The Miguel Coley-coached JC dismissed Cornwall College 2-1, turned back Hydel High 2-1, before easily beating St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) 3-1 en route to the final of the LIME Super Cup.
Holy Trinity, coached by Devon Anderson, though far from being as impressive as their opponents, got the job done scoring 19 times over the three competitions while conceding 21 goals, including a suspicious 0-12 hammering on Wednesday from Excelsior High.
However, with a school budget that is much smaller than most traditional high school sports budgets, Holy Trinity are more than motivated for the top prize.
They have defeated Clarendon College 4-3 on penalties after playing to a 1-1 draw; whipped a Garvey Maceo team that ended with eight men 4-0, before clipping Wolmer’s Boys 1-0.
Holy Trinity face a JC team today that mauled them 4-0 in the Walker Cup, but coach Anderson is not perturbed.
“The walk that we walked to reach the final is the same road we are going to take. We are not coming out of our lane, no matter which team we are playing. That lane carried us to the final and it will carry us through,” Anderson told the Jamaica Observer.
“Overall, it is like the whole Jamaica is behind us right now in the LIME Cup. We can feel the love. All the spectators from whichever side they were, coming over to support Holy Trinity. I am glad for that and I feel proud to see the youths wearing their Trinity ties proudly on the road,” said Anderson.
The likes of goalkeeper Antonio Millington, Renardo Nelson, Jevon Fuller, Tevin Rochester, Joel Sterling, Jordon Foote, Kevan Eccliston, Shevan Dallas, Jamouy Beckford, Shamar Smith and Chevon Bryan will have to play out of their skins to lift the LIME Super Cup.
But it’s not beyond Holy Trinity, as Wolmer’s found out, and JC’s coach Miguel Coley is not taking them lightly, nor is he too happy with the ‘David versus Goliath’ term because he knows the outcome of that particular case.
“When you play football you start level. It’s about inching away from your opponents. But it’s more than just doing the physical. It’s also about mental approach. You have to go out there and concentrate. It’s nothing about David and Goliath,” he noted.
“And I don’t want to use that analogy either because we know what happened in that case. But we have to respect the game and play real hard. We are confident that we are going to win, but won’t take anything for granted,” he added.
“It’s a fantastic occasion and I know my boys are ready to win the inaugural LIME Super Cup. That trophy is very important,” said Coley, who is also the assistant national head coach.
The ever-dangerous captain Junior Flemmings will again lead from in front along with Donovan Dawkins, Raffique Bryan, Donovan Segree, Allando Brown, Hugh George Watson, Courtney Dowdie, Sheldon McKoy, Chadwayne Johnson, Shemar Robinson and Akean Shackleford, and will prove hard to deny.
The Sabina Park gates will be opened at 2:00 pm with a pregame show starting at 3:00 pm.