JC, STETHS clash for Olivier Shield

The traditional battle for all-island schoolboy football supremacy will take place at the Stadium East field today.

ISSA-FLOW Manning Cup champions Jamaica College (JC) will square off against ISSA-FLOW daCosta Cup winners St Elizabeth Technical (STETHS) for the Olivier Shield. Kick-off time is 2:30 p.m.

The Miguel Coley-coached JC, unbeaten in the Olivier Shield since 2012 will be seeking three titles in a row to go with the Manning Cup three-peat they completed two weeks ago.

JC enter today's match in a very confident mood after their 1-0 win over arch-rivals St George's College in the Manning Cup final. JC lack the stars of last year but have made up for that with supreme team play.

"I love to design systems and stuff. I am a personality coach. This year, we probably didn't have any superstars, but we have persons who can play football and with the management team to back it we just go out there and give it our all, Coley told The Gleaner recently.

Today is expected to be another tactical battle for the Shield with some of Coley's key charges including Donovan Dawkins who led the way with a semi-final brace and a superb title-winning goal in the Manning Cup, goalkeeper Jahmali Waite and captain and defensive rock Allando Brown.

Meanwhile, the well-oiled blue and yellow STETHS machine will be seeking to claim their first Olivier Shield since 1999. Tactician Omar Wedderburn will be looking to pull out all the stops to no doubt win one of the trophies which has eluded him.

He has so far won the 2010, 2013 and 2015 daCosta Cup and the Ben Francis KO six straight times from 2010 to 2015.

Among their key players today will be midfielder Shawn Genus, forward Romario Wright and defender Neville Graham who will no doubt be looking to put in a team effort in the absence of leading goal scorer Michael Kerr who will miss today's final due to injury. Kerr has scored 32 goals this season with 29 coming in the daCosta Cup.