We're building a dynasty - Wilson, Hyde

It was sheer excitement and thrill inside the Stuart Hall auditorium yesterday at Clarendon College (CC) as students blew vuvuzelas in celebration of the team's 1-0 victory over Kingston College in the ISSA Olivier Shield at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday.

Captain Taja Brown told The Gleaner that he was mentally ready for the match and that the only thing he needed to do was "stick to the master plan".

His sentiments were shared by goalkeeper Alton Cork, who said he went into the match with the mindset to win.

Cork, in his final year at CC, said he does not yet know what his next move will be, but he is still looking for the school to achieve great things in the next football season.

The celebration was so intense that at times it was hard to hear well-wishers at the podium, which included the manager of the team, Richard Palmer, and acting principal Lilith Wilson.

Palmer thanked the students for their "solid representation" at the National Stadium on Saturday, something he said aided the team in being successful.

Wilson expressed confidence in the team as she told them she is expecting great things from them going forward.

"We have the best footballers in the island," she said. "This is just the beginning. After about five years we loaned it out. Now, it is back home, the cup will remain here," were the confident words coming from her. Reminding them that they have the discipline and the talent, she encouraged them to make the words prophetic.

Greater yet to come

A very happy coach Lenworth Hyde is already looking ahead to next season with the promise that the team will be coming "wickeder".

"We will miss some of our players, but the future is pretty. We are looking forward to next season because we are trying to build a dynasty here," he shared adding that the school is focusing on not just football, but cricket, and looking to strengthen its athletic programme.

Hyde said the approach being taken is a holistic one and emphasis will be placed on studies and sports alike.

"We don't want when they leave school, we leave them by the roadside if they don't go overseas to study. We can get them into GC Foster or UTech (the University of Technology)," he said.

Commenting on the team's victory, Hyde said their mood going into the match was a "nice one" as he had given them a motivational speech before the match.

"We weren't playing our best football, but we found a way to win," he said, sharing that next year, better Under-16 to Under-13 players will be coming in .