JC seeking national U14 and U16 double

The ISSA All-Island Schoolboys Under-14 and Under-16 finals will take place today at Ashenheim Stadium, Jamaica College (JC).

Football lovers can look forward to an exciting Under-14 clash, where JC will square off against Garvey Maceo High at 2 p.m.

The action will intensify in the Under-16 final where JC will face Cornwall College at 4 p.m.

Wayne Palmer, U14 coach at JC, noted the importance of winning the trophy.

“We know this game is gonna be a tough one. We know that we need the trophy, so it’s going to be a ‘ding dong battle’,” Palmer said.

The veteran coach stated that the mood is good in his camp despite a last-minute change to the game date.

“This one is a very important because we are playing this game at home for the first time in the school’s history. It will be good if we can win it in front of our home supporters,” added Palmer.

JC defeated Kingston College to crown themselves U14 Pepsi and U16 champions.

For Lester Hibbert, coach of Garvey Maceo, the focus is on their team’s resilience and ability to perform well in any setting.

“They are the urban champions and we are the rural champions, so it’s two champions battling. They are tough and we are tough, we are going into the game with a winning mentality,” said Hibbert.

The Clarendon-based Garvey Maceo defeated William Knibb Memorial High 4-2 to claim the rural crown.

“We are undefeated all season and the boys are up for the task because they are here to play football and they are here to showcase their talent. We just have to try to nullify their (JC’s) threats and work on our strengths and try our best to come out victorious at the end of the day,” added Hibbert.

Meanwhile, Cornwall’s U16 coach Tevin Applewhaite acknowledges the support JC will receive from their home crowd but insists that the key to victory is maintaining mental preparedness and focus among the players.

“We just want to keep these boys focused and get the job done,” said Applewhaite.

Cornwall cruised through the season unbeaten and dismantled Glenmuir High 4-1 to secure the rural title.

“I know JC have home advantage, so they will have their school support. However, at the end of the day, I know our boys are mentally prepared for the game, so we are not thinking about any advantage or anything,” added Applewhaite.

– Ashley Anguin