Manchester High focusing on rebuilding in daCosta Cup

Just days away from the start of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sport Association (ISSA) daCosta Cup, head coach of Manchester High Donovan Duckie said the team is focused on rebuilding their programme, having lost over two-thirds of their squad from last season.

Duckie said Manchester High will be fielding a young roster when they take to the field in Zone F of the first round of the daCosta Cup.

Due to the team’s overall inexperience, he said the objective is not to lead a title charge this year, but rather, to focus on development for the next few years.

“This year, Manchester High is in a rebuilding phase. The squad is a pretty young as we’ve lost more than two-thirds of the previous squad, so it is starting all over again for us,” he explained.

“In terms of our short-term goal of winning the title, we’re not even close to that. But for our medium- and long-term goals, we’re better able to make a statement in terms of developing these boys. So the expectation for me is nothing to really sing about for this season.”

Lost several players

Duckie explained that he lost several of his players due to ageing out of the competition as well as players choosing to pursue scholarships overseas.

This has left him dependent on the younger players who will be moving up the ranks from the under-16 competition.

He explained that while Manchester High will not be as competitive as prior seasons, the team has not lost their spirit to fight to the end in each game ahead of them.

“I would say we will be a very fighting team and a high-spirited team and one that will never say die in any moment this season. We’ll be taking it one game at a time, and hopefully, our zone will be more competitive so that it can give us an additional boost in terms of our preparation going forward.”

Duckie will be hoping that the remaining senior players can prove to be good mentors for their younger teammates as Manchester High open their campaign against Cross Keys High on Saturday.

He said that while the players are ready to take to the field, he still has concerns regarding his players’ transition from the under-16 competition.

“I wasn’t very pleased with the transition from the under-16 to the senior team, but nevertheless, I think we had adequate amount of players from the under-19 level that has enabled us to put a good foot forward,” Duckie stated.

“Nothing is ideal in this world, and we’re not living in an ideal world, but what I can tell you is I would say we have done enough for the start of the season. The kids are now looking forward to getting the ball rolling in the competitive phase of the season.”

Manchester High will contest Zone F of the first round against Belair, Cross Keys High, DeCarteret College, May Day High, and Mount Saint Joseph’s Catholic High.