Excelsior High School and Eltham High meet in the quarter-finals of the ISSA/Digicel Walker Cup competition at Stadium East at 2:00 pm today. In the second match of the double-header, last season’s Manning Cup champions Mona High will face St Jago High at 4:15 pm.

Excelsior, who won the tournament seven times, are confident as they are the only team to defeat Eltham this season. They recorded a 3-2 victory in the quarter-final round of the Manning Cup competition. However, both teams failed to progress to the semi-finals of that tournament and were placed in the Walker Cup.

Excelsior Head Coach Keon Broderick acknowledges that Eltham is a quality team but he is confident that his side will come out on top in this game.

“We are feeling confident, seeing that we won the first encounter against them, which was in the round of 16 in the Manning Cup competition,” he said. “However, they are a pretty good team and a quality opponent, especially since that was the only time they suffered defeat this season.

“We know they will come out more motivated than the first time, eager to get one over us. They are a quality unit and we are not taking them for granted or lightly because we are fully focused on this fixture.”

Broderick says this is Excelsior’s final opportunity to win a trophy this season and his players are determined to give their best.

“This is not the competition we wanted to be in, but it’s a competition nonetheless,” he said. “We are fully focused on the Walker Cup and bringing one more piece of silverware to Mountain View. Excelsior has won more than any other school, and we plan to continue that tradition.”

Excelsior will rest their hopes on striker Kimarley Scott, who is the leading goal scorer in the Manning Cup this season with 29 goals, along with Shadeko Williams, Terrence Williams, and Damarley Williams.

The Jamaica Observer sought a comment from Eltham coach Gregory Allen but calls to his phone went unanswered.