KC eye U14 title after Manning Cup success

Having seen their seniors claim the ISSA Manning Cup title last week, Kingston College's (KC) under-14 team will be hoping they can replicate their feat when they face off against St George's College (STGC) in the ISSA Burger King Under-14 Urban Area final at Stadium East today at 2 p.m.

St Andrew Technical (STATHS) will take on Excelsior in the ISSA Grace Mighty Malt Under-16 Urban Area final in the second match of the doubleheader at 3:45 p.m.

KC enter the fixture high on confidence after their 7-0 drubbing of Calabar High in the semifinals.

KC head coach Devon Smith said the school's Manning Cup success has inspired his under-14 players to do the same.

"The Manning Cup team had great success and seeing them win motivated us totally. At this point, we are riding on a high based on what we saw," he explained.

KC are confident they can pull off the win as they look back on their impressive goalscoring record en route to the final with an unbeaten record this season.

They have netted 20 goals in their last four games, which included a 3-2 win against today's opponents STGC in the quarterfinals group stage.

STGC, however, will be aiming to halt any further KC celebrations this year as they look to claim bragging rights in the North Street derby.

They will be buoyed with confidence after their semifinals win which saw them dethroning last season's champions Wolmer's Boys 1-0 in a hard-fought contest.

STGC captain Mahlik Solomon had scored the winning goal for his team against Wolmer's and he is expected to play a key role in their bid for the title.

Ahead of the under-16 final, STATHS head coach Anthony Bennett said his players are motivated to bring home the title for their fans.

STATHS last won the under-16 title in 2022 when they had defeated KC 2-1 in the final.

"It has been a while since a trophy has been to Bumper Hall. The last trophy that came was this same under-16 competition and we'd love to take it again because of our fanbase that loves the school, loves the players and puts out their all," Bennett explained.

However, they will have to contend against a stampeding Excelsior who are on a quest to bring home the trophy to Mountain View Road.

The Eagles will be looking to their main man Damarley Williams when they take to the field as the youngster has been making waves in schoolboy football competition this season.

An under-17 Reggae Boyz representative, Williams was one of Excelsior's key players in the Manning Cup season, scoring a goal in their eventual 4-1 defeat in the ISSA Walker Cup final.

Williams has now turned his playmaking abilities to the under-16 competition where he hopes to lead their title charge after scoring the deciding goal which saw them getting the better of STGC 1-0 in the semifinals.

Today's games

Under-14

2 p.m: KC vs STGC

Under-16

3:45 p.m: Excelsior vs STATHS