Call it youthful exuberance if you will, but if the confidence exuded by St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) striker Ronaldo Webster is anything to go by, then they might very well go all the way in the ISSA Champions Cup All-Island Knockout competition.

The bubbly Webster made his predictions clear after STETHS turned the tables on Kingston College with a 6-5 sudden-death penalty victory on Friday’s opening day of competition at Sabina Park to book their spot in the quarter-final.

Both teams had earlier played out a 1-1 score line in full time, in what was an entertaining repeat of last year’s Super Cup final when Kingston College registered a 3-0 win to lift the title.

Kevaun Garwood (28th) got the goal for STETHS, while Jahmari Morrison (56th) converted a well-taken free kick for Kingston College to send the game to dreaded penalty kicks.

Having booted the defending champions, Webster believes his Santa Cruz-based side is well equipped to break the rural area drought and become the first daCosta Cup team to lift the title.

The four previous editions of the tournament, which pits the top-eight Manning Cup teams against their top-eight daCosta Cup counterparts in exciting urban versus rural area ties, were won by urban area teams Jamaica College, St George’s College, Wolmer’s Boys’ and Kingston College.

With their daCosta Cup campaign ending at the quarter-final stage, the nippy left-footed Webster is well aware that the lucrative Champions Cup represents STETHS’s last chance at silverware this season.

“I am very excited that we got the better of KC because we are out of the daCosta Cup and we came into this Champions Cup to give it our all, so I am very elated about my performance and the team’s performance.

“We just came out to show them (KC) which team is the big team because last year they defeated us in the final and I didn’t get a chance to play against them because I was out. So I came in now to show them that we are better than the purple and white,” the outspoken player told reporters, while his teammates and supporters celebrated.

Despite being pitted against Charlie Smith in yesterday’s quarter-final draw, Webster who has 21 goals for the Omar Wedderburn-coached team so far this season, has already prophesied that they will topple all that comes before them.

“We are going to the final and we are going to win the final this year,” Webster declared.

“There might not be much difference in terms of the make-up of the team this year, but we are very committed to this competition because, like I said, it is our last chance at a trophy for this season, so we are going to give it our all,” he added.

Meanwhile, first-year goaltender Devonte Clarke, 18, who also scored a spot kick before pulling off two saves to hand STETHS victory, was overwhelmed with his achievement.

“It was nerve-racking because this is my first year with the team and so it was my first time playing this Champions Cup and I am very happy that I was able to assist my team to victory.

“I am just hoping that we can go all the way, as my teammate said this is our only shot at a trophy now, so we are just going to train hard and leave it all on the field and see what is in store for us,” Clarke reasoned.

The quarter-final double-headers will be played on Saturday with Cornwall College battling Camperdown at 4:00 pm, before STETHS oppose Charlie Smith in the 6:00 pm feature at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Catherine Hall.

Meanwhile, Jamaica College are set to battle Holy Trinity in a repeat of the 2014 final at 4:00 pm, while St George’s College oppose St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) at 6:00 pm at a venue to be announced.

The semi-finals will be contested on November 16 at Sabina Park at 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm, while the final is scheduled for November 24 at 6:00 pm at Sabina Park or the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Catherine Hall.

Tickets will cost $500 and can be purchased at participating schools and on match days at the venue.

– Sherdon Cowan