STATHS new crop wants Walker Cup
Published:Saturday | November 23, 2024 | 12:07 AMGregory Bryce/Staff Reporter
HAVING BEEN eliminated at the second round of the ISSA Manning Cup, St Andrew Technical High (STATHS) head coach Phillip Williams said the Walker Cup knockout competition stands as their final push for a schoolboy title with their new generation of players.
STATHS failed to advance past the second round in the Manning Cup for the first time since 2016, finishing third in their group behind Kingston College (KC) and Hydel.
Williams does not view their second-round elimination as a disappointment, saying while his side played well, they did not get the rub of the green.
He said several of the players are making their step up from the under-16 competitions but have still represented STATHS’ football programme well in their first under-19 sojourn.
“The Manning Cup wasn’t what we wanted in terms of where we dropped out of the competition but I wouldn’t say it was a disappointment,” said Williams.
“The programme has basically hit a reset button in terms of the crop of boys we have, so I think they did fairly well in the Manning Cup in terms of how they played. The results didn’t go the way we wanted, but in terms of how we played each game, the boys represented the programme well.”
STATHS are now contesting the Walker Cup and have found themselves in the semifinals after 3-0 and 2-1 wins over Charlie Smith and Campion College respectively.
NARROW DEFEAT
They came close to winning the Walker Cup last season but were narrowly defeated 7-6 on penalties by Jamaica College (JC) in the final.
The Kingston-based school will be hoping they can add the knockout trophy to their school’s trophy cabinet with their only other schoolboy football titles being the Manning Cup and Olivier Shield double they won in 1987.
“It’s the only push that we have now since we’re not in the Manning Cup and definitely we will be giving ourselves the best chance possible by executing on the field and playing some good football,” said Williams.
However, Williams is aware it will not be an easy route to victory as they will face off against last season’s Manning Cup champions, Mona, in the semifinals.
While expecting a tough challenge against Mona, Williams is confident his players will be up to the task.
“Our next opponent is Mona, a top team in the country, so it’s going to be a tough ask for us, but we are up to challenge. To be the best that means you have to beat the best and Mona is one of the best teams operating in Jamaica right now.”
He added, “So we’ll prepare ourselves mentally and our bodies physically for that game.”
The Walker Cup semifinals are set to kick off on Thursday, November 28 with a doubleheader at Stadium East. Excelsior will take on Wolmer’s Boys at 3 p.m. before Mona and STATHS take to the field at 5:15.