With the postseason of the ISSA schoolboy football competitions set to get under way this week, the squads for the All-Manning Cup and the All-daCosta teams have been announced.
The two teams will meet in an all-star fixture set for Saturday, January 10 at the St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) field.
Several of the season’s key players have been selected to compete, with the Manning Cup selection dominated by players from Excelsior High School and Jamaica College (JC), and the daCosta Cup selection dominated by players from STETHS and Glenmuir High.
Excelsior, the reigning Manning Cup champions, will be represented by six of their players, chief among them being Manning Cup MVP and golden boot winner Kimarly Scott.
Scott will be joined by his fellow teammates Kivann Salmon, Terrence Williams, Damarley Williams, Shamarie Chambers, and goalkeeper Jamari Gordon.
JC, the beaten finalists, will field five players, with Jamone Lyle, Jabari Howell, and Dontae Logan the standout players among them.
Other noteworthy players to have been given the nod include Mona High marksman, Sean Leighton of Mona High, Kingston College’s (KC) Deshawn Byfield, the St Catherine High pair of Dwight Gentles and Kadean Young and Eltham High’s talisman, Steven Bull.
Manning Cup semi-finalists St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) will see their goalkeeper Jaheime Gray, defender Keeno Levy and midfield engine Stephen-Jon Beckford within the squad.
All-daCosta Cup selection
It is a similar story in the All-daCosta Cup selection as reigning champions STETHS will field six players, with beaten finalists Glenmuir set to field five.
STETHS marksman Kaieem Lewis has been given the nod, alongside his title-winning teammates Jade Lynch, Deandre Barnett, Malachi McMaster, Dantay Hewitt, and goalkeeper Johnoi Steadman.
They will be bolstered by Glenmuir’s attacking partnership in Orane Watson and Orel Miller, who have proven their pedigree in front of goal over the past seasons.
Glenmuir will also see youth international Dunsting Cohen as a pivotal profile in their midfield.
Kemps Hill, the season’s giant-killers, will be represented by striker Shemar Daley, with youth international Carlondo Morris of Cornwall College also among the attacking lineup.
Both teams have also listed two reserve players, with Vauxhall’s Richardo Walker and Tivoli Garden’s Ryan-Oneil Francis selected for the Manning Cup, while Dinthill’s Orane Gayle and Manchester High School’s Jevohntae Gordon listed for the daCosta Cup selection.
The match is set to kick off at 3:30 p.m., with the scholastic teams to take to the field first at 1:30 p.m.
In last season’s exhibition games, the Manning Cup scholastic and the All-Manning Cup teams had swept the wins over their rural counterparts.
