KC eye quarter-final momentum

Reigning Walker Cup champions Kingston College (KC) will look to extend their good run of form in the ISSA Manning Cup when they face Mona High today in Group B quarter-final action.

KC will take on Mona in the first game of a double-header at Stadium East at 2:30 p.m., before defending champions Excelsior High face Wolmer’s Boys’ School at 4:35 p.m.

KC enter the contest as slight favourites after a perfect run through the round of 16, where they picked up three wins, scoring 11 goals and conceding only twice.

KC head coach Jermaine Miller said the aim is to maintain that momentum as his team continues its quest for an 18th Manning Cup title.

“We want to keep the momentum going. Looking at the quarter-finals, you know, it will be difficult,” Miller said.

“We’re looking forward to the challenges. We know in order to be champions, you have to beat quality teams on the way, so we’re looking forward to each and every match-up.”

It will be the second meeting between the teams this season after KC edged Mona 2-1 in the Walker Cup final.

Mona will be hoping to reverse that result and enter the contest in high spirits after advancing to the quarter-final round as runners-up in their round-of-16 group.

They suffered a shock 6-1 drubbing by Excelsior in their opening group game, but rebounded with emphatic 8-1 and 4-0 victories over St George’s College and St Catherine High, respectively.

In Group A action, Excelsior will face Wolmer’s in a rematch of their Walker Cup quarter-final encounter.

Excelsior won that contest 2-0 on the field, but the result was later overturned and awarded 3-0 to Wolmer’s after Excelsior were found to have used an ineligible player.

The Eagles are flying high after a perfect round-of-16 campaign in which they scored 11 goals and conceded only three.

They will enter today’s fixture as favourites against a young Wolmer’s outfit that qualified for the final eight after finishing second in its round-of-16 group.

Also in Group A, Eltham High will look to continue its impressive campaign when it takes on Calabar High at Waterhouse Stadium in the first game of a double-header at 2:30 p.m.

Eltham are unbeaten in the Manning Cup this season and have dropped points only once, in a 2-2 draw with Jamaica College (JC) in the previous round.

Calabar, meanwhile, will be hoping to derail Eltham’s charge as the Red Hills Road-based school seeks an early points boost.

JC and St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) will renew their growing rivalry when they meet in the second game at Waterhouse Stadium at 4:35 p.m.

STATHS enter the fixture as favourites after producing a flawless campaign to date, winning all eight of their Manning Cup matches while scoring 34 goals.

They also boast the competition’s best defensive record, conceding only once, in a 2-1 win over Wolmer’s.

JC, meanwhile, have struggled for consistency this season and have not looked at their dominant best.

The Old Hope Road school has recorded four wins from eight matches, along with three draws and one defeat.

Today’s Games

Mona vs KC at Stadium East (2:30 p.m.)

Excelsior vs Wolmers at Stadium East (4:35 p.m.)

Eltham vs Calabar at Waterhouse Mini Stadium (2:30 p.m.)

STATHS vs JC at Waterhouse Mini Stadium (4:35 p.m.)