‘This has been our dream’ - JC captain: The COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity for players who started at seventh grade to get a chance to taste success

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January 12, 2022

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Tarick Ximines (left) and Marlon Pennicooke of Jamaica College celebrate after Ximines scored his team’s second goal against Charlie Smith High during yesterday’s ISSA-Digicel Manning Cup semi-final match at the Stadium East field.

Duncan McKenzie, Jamaica College’s Manning Cup captain, dribbles the ball during yesterday’s ISSA-Digicel Manning Cup semi-final match against Charlie Smith High at the Stadium East field.

On the cusp of back-to-back ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup titles, Jamaica College captain Duncan McKenzie says they owe their success to the faith placed in a group that has risen through the age ranks.

JC defeated Charlie Smith 3-0 in yesterday's semi-final at the Stadium East to advance to yet another Manning Cup final for the Old Hope Road-based institution. Dwight Merrick (36th minute), Tarick Ximines (67th minute) and Giovanni Mitto (92nd) were the goalscorers.

For McKenzie, who was a member of the 2019 championship team as a 15-year-old, yesterday's win was the validation of the faith placed in members of the team who, like him, started from first form hoping for an opportunity to be part of a championship winning team.

"This has been our dream for quite some time. We saw several other players winning and it was a bit different then because they were bringing in players and those who were playing Pepsi (Under-14 or Colts (Under-16) would rarely get the chance to represent JC at the Manning Cup level," McKenzie told STAR Sports.

JC head coach Davion Ferguson said that playing for a title with this group is the ultimate reward for the work done in moulding the team.

"A lot of people wrote them off coming up from Under-16. But we knew that they had something. What we did was to supplement that and I think that makes it a lot sweeter in terms of seeing the youngsters coming up, matriculating into the system and being in the final of the Manning Cup," Ferguson said.

Compared to past victories where the top players would be recruited, McKenzie said that the COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity for players who started at seventh grade to get their chance to taste the success that their predecessors have enjoyed.

"I have to thank coach for giving everyone the opportunity to play at this level. It would mean everything if this group could win," McKenzie said.

Jamaica College will face Kingston College in the final after the latter defeated St Andrew Technical High 4-2 in yesterday's other semi-final.