Ferguson: JC will be very competitive
Published:Thursday | November 4, 2021 | 5:59 AMRobert Bailey/Gleaner Writer
DESPITE NOT having the ideal preparation that he would have liked going into this season due to COVID-19 pandemic, Davion Ferguson, coach of defending Manning Cup champions Jamaica College (JC), is confident that they can retain their title.
The Manning Cup competition is scheduled to kick off on November 12, this after the Government granted approvals to the governing body for high school sports, the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association.
The competition, which usually begins in September, was cancelled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ferguson said that they were able to manage the players well during the pandemic with a lot of virtual training sessions and, therefore, they will be ready and raring to go when the competition kicks off next month.
“I am quietly confident that we will be very competitive,” said Ferguson. “A lot of persons expect a lot from us and so we will definitely be competitive and we will definitely be there when the competition ends.
“We are entrusted with a good crop of youngsters, a good programme and I believe based on that, we are normally quick to do whatever we have to do. But it has been challenging for the most part and we will do our best,” Ferguson said.
He pointed out that they have only retained one starter, Duncan McKenzie, and two squad players from the 2019 winning team that defeated St Andrew Technical High School 5-4 on penalties to win the title. Both teams had played out a 0-0 draw after full and extra time.
Notwithstanding, Ferguson stated that they have assembled a strong unit with a lot of quality young players who are eager to compete.
“We have a very young team and I think that 90 per cent of this team can play again in 2022. However, they have a lot of qualities, they are very disciplined and they want to do well,” he said.
“We haven’t lost anybody to the pandemic, and in terms of academically, they have done well in their recent CXC and CAPE,” Ferguson noted.
“I think what we are trying to do right now is to embed certain principles because for us it is more about the bigger picture and getting them to understand the game at a higher level so that they can make the transition,” he said.