Champions refocus

Keon Broderick, head coach of defending ISSA Manning Cup champions Excelsior, says his players have recovered mentally and emotionally from their recent setback and remain confident of retaining their title this season.

The Mountain View-based school had six points deducted by the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) during the second round after being charged with fielding an ineligible player. They were also removed from the all-island Champions Cup knockout competition.

However, Excelsior have responded impressively on the field, opening their quarter-final campaign with three convincing victories. They defeated Charlie Smith 5-0, thrashed Holy Trinity 6-0, and then outclassed former champions Mona 6-1.

They will be seeking a fourth consecutive quarter-final victory when they take on St Catherine High School today.

Broderick said the team has put the controversy behind them and is fully focused on winning a second successive Manning Cup title.

“We have moved on from the whole incident, and the mindset now is to just do our best in the Manning Cup and retain our title. So that is a mindset that is positive and one that is more focused on the Manning Cup, because we don’t have a choice to focus on anything else,” said Broderick.

“Of course, they are going to feel down from being eliminated from the Champions Cup, and so it was difficult to get them focused on the Manning Cup. But we have shown them the pros and cons of playing in only the Manning Cup, and we would have compared it to what we did last year, not playing in the Walker Cup and just focusing solely on the Manning Cup and the advantages that would have come with it. So they are in a better place now.”

He added that the team’s performances since the points deduction are evidence that the players have regained their confidence and are responding positively to the challenge.

“The results from games after those six points would have been deducted are really good. We won 5-0 against Charlie Smith, we beat Holy Trinity 6-0, and then we defeated Mona 6-1,” he said.

“So, if you are going by the results alone, it tells you that they are in a better place mentally, because they are playing good football. It is just for them to focus mentally and get the psychological aspects at a higher level again. So far, over the past three games after the incident where the six points were deducted, they have been doing really well.”

Broderick also believes Excelsior have the quality required to successfully defend their crown, though he remains mindful of the threat posed by the other teams still in contention.

“We are confident of retaining our title because we still have a good team. However, we are not overly confident, because we understand the quality that a lot of teams do possess in this competition. But we are confident enough to know that we have the ability to retain the title,” he said.

Today’s Games

Excelsior vs St Catherine at Stadium East (2:30 p.m.)

KC vs Camperdown at Stadium East (4:30 p.m.)

Wolmer’s vs STATHS at Drewsland (3 p.m.)

St Jago vs Hillel at Prison Oval (3 p.m.)

Vauxhall vs Calabar at Winchester Park (3 p.m.)