San Juan Secondary Comprehensive football captain Elijah Manners has become a great leader over the past two years.
Manners, a Form Five student, led his team to the British Gas Secondary Schools League East Zone league title, losing only its last match of the season to arch rival St Augustine Senior Comprehensive.
San Juan won eight matches, lost one and drew one from 10 matches for a total 25 points.
And from these matches, the Bourg Mulatresse team tallied 35 goals, 11 of which came off the boot of Manners, to make him the top scorer in the East Zone.
He would have had 16 goals overall, but after St George's was punished at a disciplinary committee meeting (for defaulting two matches against St Augustine Senior Comprehensive and El Dorado Senior Comprehensive respectively) his tally was reduced.
All points and goals involving matches with St George’s were considered null and void. However, the adjustments did not hamper San Juan, who were unbeaten up to that point and emerged the outright East zonal champion.
In San Juan's first clash with St George's, Manners netted a goal in the 13-0 win. The second time round, more opportunities were created for him and he made good four times in San Juan's 18-0 thrashing of George's.
It was also the most goals he had scored in a match this season.
Team manager Phillip Fraser is proud to describe the midfielder/striker as "a good role model."
Manners increased his tally to 12 in last Tuesday's “Big Five” semifinal against Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive.
San Juan won 3-1 and advanced to the final but came up short to Naparima College 1-0.
The San Juan team will look to its skipper to lead them to the InterCol crown.
The competition started on Monday and the East champion play next Monday (Nov 7). It will meet the winner of the Hillview College and Malabar Composite clash.
Manners lives with his sister and grandmother and will write the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) tests next year in business subjects.
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