It promises to deliver good football and bring back the big crowds to secondary schools football. Today, the 14-team BGTT First Citizens Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) kicks off. It’s exciting time for schools football, a return to the days when the best teams all played each other.
St Anthony’s College, for instance, head to La Romain on Saturday to play St Benedict’s, the same time East Mucurapo take on Arima in the East. It is a nostalgia moment remembered by those who played then, including San Juan North Secondary coach Jerry Moe.
‘’When I was young growing up it had that kind of atmosphere in school football. We had to travel all over Trinidad,’’ stated Jerry Moe, now coach at his former alma mater. ‘’It good that the school chose to go back in that direction.’’
The first day of Premier Division action takes place in the north with a double-header at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, featuring East Mucurapo and St Benedict’s College at 3.30 p.m., followed two hours later by a repeat of last season’s Big-5 semi-final clash between defending InterCol champions St Augustine Secondary and finalist St Mary’s College.
Below are a look at the four teams playing today. The Express will also feature some of the other teams tomorrow.
St Augustine the team to beat
Last season’s InterCol champions St Augustine Secondary are aware that everyone will be coming to beat them. The champions kick off the new Premier Division against St Mary’s College, the team which knocked them out of the Big 5 semis 6-5 on penalty kicks last season, following a goalless draw.
Coach Michael Grayson says defence will be his team’s strong point. He no longer has some of his big name players, but is confidence is not lessened. ‘’We have essentially a new team, but we expect to do just a good as last year,” Grayson said. “We not underrating ourselves, we not overrating ourselves either, but we aiming for the highest. If we fall short, we hit the stars.’’
The old team is gone, including former top players Ricardo John, the top-scorer in the SSFL last season, Shanon Gomez and Aiken Andrews. But Grayson thinks he has talented replacements. ‘’We had a pretty vibrant Under-16 and we had a number of incoming transfers into sixth form,’’ Grayson said. ‘’But we are not underestimating anyone. The difference with the league is that it have no weak side. Every game will be like a final. ‘’
Special brand from East Mucurapo
Selris Figaro, head coach of East Mucurapo, said he would love to see his team win the league and go further, but this season his charges are pretty young and are still developing. ‘Mucurapo has always been about development over the years and the reality is that most of the time players leave, some of them walk out of the system so my team is really a young team as most of them are 16-year-old.
They have been together for 2 1/2 months but like all the team have had difficulty gathering players.
‘’Everybody wants to win and win at all cost but at Mucurapo we try to play a special brand of football because that’s the direction football is going on the international stage.
St Mary’s lose players
St Mary’s College is another team hit by the loss of several key players and coach Jason Edwards said he would be happy with a top half finish for the ‘Saints.’ ‘’Last season was a real watershed for us and this season we are without the services of players like captain Miles Yorke, Rashad Hyacinth and goalkeeper Christian Attong who were all key players but have completed their final year of schooling.’’
Edwards said their departure is a big loss to the ‘Saints’ but there are some youngsters stepping in to fill the void so hopefully the team will not be as adversely affected. He identified last season’s promising striker Chinua Bernard as an improved player and one to note. He also mentioned midfielder Aaron Noel as well as senior defenders Rikhail Dickson and Marcus Wattley as being key to the ‘Saints’ line-up.
Benedict’s optimistic
St Benedict’s College coach Dexter Cyrus, while not overly confident was enthusiastic and optimistic about his team chances in the inaugural Premiership Division of the SSFL despite the ‘’La Romain Lions’’ having lost his entire attacking line-up, including promising striker Yaseu Rougier, who got a full scholarship.
Cyrus said the youngster held their own well to emerge victorious when placed against bigger boys in a series of pre-season friendlies against south zone teams. Cyrus said that because they will now face teams they may normally have met only at Intercol or Big-5 his main aim is to get the team to stay organised and keep its formation whether going forward or coming back.
SSFL GROUPINGS PREMIER DIVISION:
St Anthony’s College, East Mucurapo Secondary, St Mary’s College, Fatima College, Presentation College, Shiva Boys Hindu School, St Benedict’s College, Naparima College, Chaguanas North Secondary, Carapichaima East Secondary, Trinity College East, St Augustine Secondary, Arima North Secondary and San Juan North Secondary.
CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION:
Bishop’s High, Speyside, Scarborough, Signal Hill, Pentecostal Light and Life, Goodwood and Roxborough (Tobago); Diego Martin Central, Diego Martin North, QRC, Tranquility, Trinity (North); Pleasantville, Mayaro, Princes Town West, Fyzabad, Vessigny, Point Fortin East (South); Vishnu Boys, Presentation Chaguanas, Miracle Ministries, ASJA Boys, Tabaquite, Couva East (Central); Valencia Secondary, Barataria South, El Dorado East, Five Rivers, Sangre Grande and Arima Central (East)
SSFL FIXTURES: (Premier Division)
WED 3rd
3:30pm, East Mucurapo v St. Benedict’s, Hasley Crawford Stadium
5:30pm, St. Mary’s College v St. Augustine, Hasley Crawford Stadium
THUR 4th
3:45pm, Trinity College v St. Anthony’s, Trincity
3:45pm, Carapichima East v Chaguanas North, Carapichima
3:00pm, Presentation San F’do v Arima North, Guaracara Park
5:00pm, Shiva Boys H.C. v Fatima College, Guaracara Park
3:45pm, San Juan North v Naparima College, San Juan
SAT 6th
3:45pm, St. Benedict’s v St. Anthony’s, La Romain
3:45pm, Carapichima East v Trinity College, Carapichima
3:45pm, Arima North v East Mucurapo, Arima
3:45pm, Shiva Boys H.C. v Chaguanas North, Guaracara Park
3:45pm, St. Augustine v Presentation San F’do, St. Augustine
3:45pm San Juan North v Fatima College, San Juan
3:45pm Naparima College v St. Mary’s College, Lewis St. San F’do
16