Massive showdown for Champions Cup

When Glenmuir High and Jamaica College (JC) meet in the final of the ISSA Champions Cup today at the National Stadium, both teams will be hoping to draw from their own experiences at the pinnacle of schoolboy football in the past.

Defending champions Glenmuir are hoping to become the first team in schoolboy football history to successfully defend their Champions Cup crown and claim their second-ever hold on the title.

The Clarendon-based school booked their spot in the final after clipping Kingston College (KC) in a late 2-1 win in the opening round before thumping Ocho Rios High 5-1 in the semi-finals.

Their title chase has been spearheaded by the prolific Orane Watson who has scored 33 goals this season and will be one of the key names to watch in the final.

Andrew Peart, head coach of Glenmuir, hopes they can draw from their experience as defending champions to make the difference today.

“The important thing is that this is not a new step for us,” he stated.

“We have made this step before last year and I think importantly, is that we treasure and respect that experience because we know that once we go into a final, we have to play and have to try to win.”

Standing in their way, however, is the winningest school across all schoolboy football competitions, JC, who have amassed a record 58 titles in their history.

Among JC’s trophy haul are two Champions Cup titles, the first coming in 2014 - then named the FLOW Super Cup - and their latest coming two seasons ago.

The boys from 189 Old Hope Road found their way into the final with an inspired 2-0 win against McGrath High despite playing a man down for the most of the game before edging Hydel High 1-0 in the semi-finals.

The story of their campaign, however, has been the suspension of their starting goalkeeper Taywayne Lynch who was shown a red card in their game against McGrath.

That red card would have been a one-match suspension, but Lynch was then handed a further two-match suspension by ISSA after the ruling body adjudged him to have used ‘foul, abusive and insulting language to the match officials’.

The suspension will see him missing the final, but JC have found their solace in his replacement, 16-year-old goalkeeper Adriano Kitson who had already kept five clean sheets in the Manning Cup this season.

Davion Ferguson, head coach of JC, is looking forward to the final and said the school is no stranger to high-pressure moments.

“It’s always exciting to play for tangible success at the end of the season,” Ferguson said. “We’re used to these occasions and we’re used to these moments. As I said, it won’t be an easy one, but we’ll be ready.”

The match is set to kick off at the National Stadium at 5 p.m.