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Offline Tallman

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #90 on: November 16, 2022, 03:28:36 PM »
San Juan, Trinity advance to East Intercol final
By Walter Alibey (T&T Guardian)


San Juan North Secondary advanced to the East Zone Coca-Cola Intercol final on Tuesday from the penalty spot, 7-6, over Championship Division campaigners Arima North at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar, Arima.

They will now meet Trinity College East, another Premier Division team that prevailed over St Augustine 3-0 in the earlier match of a doubleheader. The Arouca lads got goals from Khaleem Prince, Jeremiah Frank-Williams and Jaheim Faustin to clear the way for a showdown for the title against San Juan North next Wednesday at the same venue from 3.30 pm.

In Tobago, Signal Hill upset Speyside High 2-1 to set up a final contest with Mason Hall, which defeated Bishops High School.

Arima North, unbeaten throughout their campaign to date, was hoping for an upset against one of the giants of the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL), and under coach Lyndon Andrews, they made a brave start with an attempt to play open football.

However, San Juan flexed its muscles with the opener in the 12th minute, courtesy of a quickly taken free-kick in the centre of the Arima half. Skilful San Juan midfielder Lindell Sween caught Arima goalie Isaiah Diaz napping with a thunderous drive from some 25 yards out that bounced awkwardly in front of him before flying into the back of the net.

The goal appeared to have been the start of early San Juan's dominance, despite Arima's battling effort. Still, with Arima midfielder Jemaul Ashing attempting to spur his team on, Sween nearly pushed his team further ahead from another long-range shot that cannoned off the crossbar before bouncing to safety in the 28th minute.

Larry Noel, the scorer of more than a dozen of the San Juan North's goals this season, was kept at bay for most of the half until Sween released him into the Arima danger area but he could not find his goal-scoring touch, firing the ball just wide of the opened goal in the 39th minute.

The teams went to the half-time interval with Premier Division powerhouse San Juan leading by a solitary item and upon the resumption, Arima North received renewed energy that led to the equaliser in the 55th minute.

Ashing in the centre of the park, picked out Malachi Noreiga on the right side, who then delivered perfectly for the unmarked Ricardo Jones to turn the ball into the net for a 1-1 scoreline.  

San Juan, appearing to have lost the sting which saw them qualify for the semifinal of the Tiger Tanks Premier Division play-off last month, restored their advantage courtesy of a build-up between Sween and Kedell Jones, that eventually landed at the feet of an unmarked Noel in the Arima area. But this time, Noel took his time and placed the ball beyond the advancing Diaz into the Arima goal for a 2-1 margin in the 71st minute.

However, it did not spell the end for the "Dial Dynamos", as the Arima team is called. A through-ball aimed Ashing, was cleared by defender Joshua Lewis, but only as far as substitute Devin Seales, who composed himself and slotted the ball into an empty net in the 77th minute for a 2-2 tie.

The match was then settled from the penalty spot where both teams were tied at 5-5 after the first five kicks, before Arima's Nicholas Torres scuffed his shot in sudden-death, to enable Kent Guy to score the winner.

In the sister isle, meanwhile, Signal Hill and Mason Hall will contest the final after respective victories. Premier Division contender Speyside was edged 2-1 by Signal Hill, while Mason Hall and Bishop's High got double strikes from Rickeldi Williams and Aaron James, respectively, in a 2-2 tie before Mason Hall prevailed 4-3 from the penalty spots.

In the South Zone on Wednesday, Tiger Tanks Premier Division champion St Benedict's College will go after their second title this afternoon when they take on Moruga in the first match of a doubleheader at 1.30 pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Balmain, Couva. In the other match from 3.30 pm, Presentation College, San Fernando, Tiger Tanks Cup winner at the beginning of the season, will come up against Naparima College. 

Results

East Zone

Trinity College East 3 (Khaleem Prince 22nd, Jeremiah Frank-Williams 39th, Jaheim Faustin 69th) vs St Augustine 0

San Juan North 2 (Lindell Sween 12th, Larry Noel 71st) vs Arima North (Ricardo Jones 55th, Devin Seales 77th). San Juan won 7-6 on penalties.

Tobago Zone

Signal Hill Sec 2 (D'Reem Taylor, Khyllon Des Vignes) vs Speyside High 1 (Jaheim Trimm 25th)

Bishop's High 2 (Aaron James 2) vs Mason Hall Sec 2 (Rickeldi Williams 2). Mason Hall won 4-3 on penalties.
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Offline Tallman

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #91 on: November 17, 2022, 03:27:13 PM »
Benedict’s, Pres Sando set up Battle of the Lions in South intercol final
By David Scarlett (T&T Newsday)


AFTER two long years since the last competition, the Coca-Cola Intercol's South Zone semifinals returned in roaring fashion as two feisty prides of Lions devoured their helpless prey at the Ato Boldon, Couva, on Wednesday evening.

The La Romaine Lions – St Benedict’s College – and the Pres Lions – Presentation College (San Fernando) – both advanced to the South Zone Intercol final after defeating Moruga Secondary and Naparima College 10-0 and 1-0, respectively.

In the first game of the afternoon, the current Tiger Tanks Premiership champions, St Benedict’s College, mauled the boys from the depths of the southland without mercy.

Leading by example, captain Tarik Lee opened the scoring in the 13th minute as he cheekily rolled the ball past the Moruga goalkeeper, and viscously banged the ball into the empty net.

Nine minutes later, the La Romaine Lions doubled their lead as Lee attempted a shot towards goal, which the goalkeeper saved, but the ball ricocheted onto Moruga defender, Justin Ochoa, and flew in between the posts.

It only took 16 seconds after the break for St Benedict’s to net a third. Mercurial striker, Nicholas Bobcombe, muscled his way through the Moruga defence and clinically placed the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper.

Derrel Garcia made it 4-0 to the Lions in the 50th minute when he received a one-two pass from teammate Josiah Ochoa, and he rifled the ball into the top right corner.

Ochoa made it 5-0 just two minutes after when he headed in a cross delivered by Bobcombe from the right flank. Lee scored his second in the 58th minute via a smart left-footed finish from 10 yards out to make it 6-0.

Ochoa headed in St Benedict’s seventh of the afternoon from a right-sided corner kick in the 72nd minute. He then turned provider seven minutes later as he played a well-weighted through-ball to Jaden Grant, who coolly slotted home to make it 8-0.

The Lions scored yet again from a corner kick in the 80th min as Rayshawn Crichlow found himself in open space and tapped the ball in from six yards out for St Benedict’s ninth goal.

Eight minutes from full time, Bobcombe capitalised on a defensive mistake from the Moruga backline to make it a resounding ten goals to nil, as the La Romaine Lions comfortably marched on to their first South Zone Intercol final since 2014.

The second semifinal showcased the San Fernando Derby between bitter rivals Presentation College and Naparima College. It was a fixture that proved to be tight as both teams struggled to break each other down.

Naparima’s Omari Campbell was close to opening the scoring in the 10th minute when he received an excellent pass from Kanye Francis and fired a shot towards goal, but Presentation goalkeeper, Kanye Lazarus, pulled off a brilliant save – one of many – to deny the Naparima striker.

In a feisty game that seemed like a chess match, the match-winner came in first-half stoppage time as Presentation captain, Dantaye Gilbert, powerfully headed the ball into the back of the net from a right-sided corner kick.

Expressing their discontent after the goal, the Naparima players believed that the corner kick should not have been given in the first place, as it seemed like the ball was last played by the Presentation attacker.

To add to the controversy, assistant referee Yarin Gosine initially signalled for a goal kick. However, referee Kerwin Colley overruled his colleague and awarded Presentation the corner kick.

The teams went into the break with Presentation leading 1-0.

Referee Colley was in the midst of the storm once again in the 59th minute when he waved away a penalty appeal by the Naparima players after Nathaniel O’Garro was impeded by Presentation’s Cody Cooper in the penalty area. Television replays suggested that Naparima had a solid case as Cooper was seemingly guilty of fouling the Naparima number nine.

Colley denied Naparima another penalty in the 71st minute when he declared no foul against Joel Maitland-Wilson on Kanye Francis in the penalty area. Maitland-Watson attempted a challenge where his boot made contact with Francis’ shin, and felled the Naparima attacker. However, the challenge was deemed fair enough to play on as Francis seemed to have already been falling.

Despite heavy Naparima pressure, Presentation, the current Intercol champions, held off their resilient rivals to give themselves an opportunity to defend their South Zone title in next week’s championship match.

In a rage-filled post-match interview, Naparima coach, Travis Mulraine stated, “The team fell short because of the referee. The referee decided the game and he didn’t allow the players to decide the game.”

“Of course, we didn’t finish our chances, but referees should never make mistakes that cost a team the game.”

He continued, “They (the referees) are only human, but their mistakes must not influence the outcome of the game – and that is what happened today.”

In his post-match interview, the winning coach, Shawn Cooper, expressed, “I told you all (the media), that late October coming into November, you will start to see the best of this young team; we are starting to go in that direction.”

“It will be a large mountain to climb against St Benedict’s, (which shows that) the south zone is the most difficult zone to qualify from. We have to regroup, do a lot of work (to prepare for the final).”

The two Lions will meet for the second time this season on November 25 to compete for the coveted crown. In the previous fixture, St Benedict’s defeated their rivals 5-3 in the Premiership semifinals earlier this season.

The Coca-Cola Intercol South Zone final will be played at the Ato Boldon, kicking off at 3.30pm.
The Conquering Lion of Judah shall break every chain.

Offline Deeks

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #92 on: November 17, 2022, 10:32:08 PM »
Friday, I hope my Alma Mater all the best. Ah Boom Alack, Ah Boom Alack. Who are WE. We are the Boys from QRC. No No No Fatima No! QRC We Want ah (friggin) Goal!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D.

Honestly, this year Fatima has the better team by far.

Offline maxg

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #93 on: November 18, 2022, 09:33:02 PM »
Friday, I hope my Alma Mater all the best. Ah Boom Alack, Ah Boom Alack. Who are WE. We are the Boys from QRC. No No No Fatima No! QRC We Want ah (friggin) Goal!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D.

Honestly, this year Fatima has the better team by far.
Salt !

Offline Flex

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #94 on: November 19, 2022, 01:52:48 AM »
Fatima blasts nervous QRC 5-0 for North Intercol title.
By Walter Alibey (T&T Guardian).


A plethora of defensive blunders by the QRC defence, coupled with an unquenchable thirst by the Fatima attackers, gifted the latter the North Zone Intercol title on Friday 5-0 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo in Port-of-Spain.

The Royalians, expected to be no match for their more superior opponents, appeared to have been unsurprisingly eager to hand the title to their Mucurapo Road counterparts, courtesy of basic blunders in their defence for a team in the Premier Division of the Tiger Tanks Secondary Schools Football League.

The game was just two minutes old when Fatima took the lead. Christian Bailey raced on to a lifted pass on the right flank and whipped the ball in for the unmarked Michael Chaves. However, a mix-up between goalkeeper Christiano Austin and defender Phillip Gray, gifted an almost surprised Chaves the ball to steer into an empty net for the 1-0 Fatima advantage.

Thereafter, it was all Fatima, dominating all departments of the game. In the 15th minute, Bailey was again the architect of his team's second goal. He picked out Chaim Williams lurking at the back post with a lifted pass and the latter, under no pressure from the QRC defence, calmly slipped the ball under the legs of the advancing Austin at his first post for a 2-0 lead. 

By then the game had been dead and buried, as the Royalians struggle continued. Their attempt to convert defence into attack in the 24th minute cost them dearly. Phillip, on the right side of QRC's defence, was then robbed of the ball by Bailey as he lazily approached a back pass. 

Bailey then raced into the QRC penalty area and slipped the ball past the hapless Austin for a 3-0 advantage.   

The Royalians, credited for twice winning after going behind against Tranquility and Malick recently, thought they could have had a repeat when a one-two down the left flank saw Kaylon Tuckett centre for the oncoming Nathan Quashie. But with all the time in the world, Quashie failed to control the ball as he hit it high over the crossbar.

Four minutes from the half-time interval, Chaves added his second goal of the game. Austin, from the goal kick, lashed it to Zakari King, who in return sent the ball back to him. Austin then handed the ball to Chaves under pressure, and the talented Chaves just had to hit the ball into the empty net for the 4-0 lead, as they went to the break.

Coach Kenwyne Jones employed a more defensive strategy in the second half and it helped QRC stem the flow of goals from the constant pursuit of the Fatima men.

However, the Royalians could not prevent the fifth goal in time added on, when Austin went low to keep out Bailey's shot but pushed it into the path of Alijah Nunes to complete the rout.

Afterwards, Fatima coach Hutson Charles said they are aiming at the national Intercol title and they will be ready to take on anybody they come up against.

Results

Fatima 5 (Michael Chaves 2nd, 41st, Chaim Williams 15th, Christian Bailey 24th, Alijah Nunes 90+2) vs QRC 0

RELATED NEWS

Fatima thump QRC for North Intercol title
By Jelani Beckles (T&T Newsday)


THE agony of a second-place finish in the Secondary Schools Football League premiership tournament was used by head coach Hutson Charles to spur on his Fatima team ahead of the North Zone Intercol final on Friday. It seemed to work as Fatima defeated Queen’s Royal College (QRC) 5-0 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo.

Fatima lost to St Benedict’s College 3-1 in the final of the premiership league competition on October 26 at Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.

Charles knows the North Zone Intercol title is not as illustrious as the premiership crown but is satisfied his team got their hands on silverware.

“I just showed them the second-place medal. (It was) just a reminder…I told them we don’t want to get this type of feeling again. Today is a different vibe. These guys went out there and played their heart out and they deserve it.”

Fatima was out the blocks quickly as Michael Chaves gave them the lead in the second minute. Defender Philip Gray and QRC goalkeeper Christiano Austin got in each other’s way trying to make a clearance, and the ball fell kindly to Chavez who scored from a few yards out.

The QRC goalie continued to show signs that it would be a rough outing for him as in 14th minute as he misjudged a shot from distance that hit the post.

A minute later it was 2-0 as Chaim Williams chested the ball in the box and with Austin running out to narrow the angle, Williams slotted home.

QRC struggled to create quality chances on goal, unlike their opponents.

In the 25th minute, Fatima captain Christian Bailey made it 3-0. He intercepted a QRC pass, which caught their defence out of position, and ran into the box to slot past Austin.

In the 29th minute, QRC had some solid build-up play before the ball fell to Musaddiq Mohammed, but his shot was blocked. QRC had their moments, but their final shot let them down repeatedly.

In the 41st minute, Austin made another blunder. After receiving a pass from one of his defenders, Austin tried to dribble his way out of the box but Chavez stole the ball and completed his brace and made it 4-0 at half-time.

Chaves continued to shine for Fatima after the break, dribbling goalbound from half-line, but his shot went wide in the 61st minute. Fatima continued to dominate possession with QRC trying to hit on the counter attack. Both teams had strong support with students, parents and alumni in attendance.

It was the Fatima contingent who went home smiling as Alijah Nunes rounded off the scoring in the 92nd minute, tapping home a rebound to make it 5-0.

“I am elated, I am happy,” Charles said. “Happy just for the fact it has been a while since Fatima College, the senior team, has not won a trophy. For the boys to bring it home today it is very good.”

Charles said they had a plan for QRC coming into the contest. “We watched QRC play a couple times and we devised a plan, and that plan worked to perfection tonight.”

Charles said QRC prefer playing from the back line, but believes their defenders are not that composed on the ball, so Fatima pressured the defenders which led to errors by the Royalians.

« Last Edit: November 19, 2022, 02:14:02 AM by Flex »
The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline Flex

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #95 on: November 28, 2022, 01:45:27 AM »
Chaguanas North win Central Intercol as 'Caps' stripped.
T&T Newsday Reports.


CHAGUANAS North Secondary School have been awarded the Coca Cola Intercol Central Zone title after Carapichaima East Secondary were stripped of their title for fielding an ineligible player in the final on November 21.

The player in question is "Caps" goalkeeper Nicholai Rivers, who saved a penalty in the school’s 7-6 victory via kicks from the penalty mark in last week’s championship match.

Rivers, who passed for Chaguanas North Secondary in 2015, attended that school up until the 2020/2021 academic year.

In his final year, he was enrolled as a sixth-form student. However, he was marked absent for all of his term exams and did not show up at school for the 2021/2022 academic year. His appearance on the field for "Caps" raised eyebrows.

According to the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) regulations, a player must have at least one A Level pass for a form six transfer repeat. Rivers did not meet the competition’s requirements.

A complaint was filed by Chaguanas North.

Following a committee meeting, SSFL’s assistant secretary, Gerald Elliott, released a statement on November 26 saying, “The registration of the student did not reflect that the boy was a lower-six transfer and therefore the committee was not able to pick it up.

“(The) penalty for (the) infringement (will be the) suspension of (the) school from further competition in the division for the remainder of the season. Therefore, the school will lose the Intercol match and (the) game (will be) awarded to Chaguanas North Secondary with three points and three goals.”

Carapichaima East were given 72 hours to appeal the decision.

Carapichaima also faces possible relegation from the SSFL Premiership.

St Augustine, who ended the season without a single point, finished bottom of group A in the Premiership while Carapichaima sat second-from-bottom alongside Pleasantville with four points each. However, the south team edged ahead of Caps owing to to a greater goal-difference.

This season’s league format sees the last-placed teams from both groups automatically relegated and the second-to-last teams battle each other in a playoff to claim a spot to stay in the competition.

Carapichaima’s stripped title and suspension from all SSFL competitions can open a door for both St Augustine and Pleasantville to avoid relegation.

However, a decision is yet to be made by the SSFL regarding this situation.

As things stand, Chaguanas North are the 2022 Intercol Central Zone champions and will face the Premiership and South Zone champions, St Benedict’s College, in the national quarterfinal on Monday.

That fixture will be held at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, and is scheduled to kick off at 3.30pm.

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline Peong

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #96 on: November 28, 2022, 08:52:50 PM »
Check out this Jamaica secondary school semi final. Some quality goals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB4_2OTd10c&ab_channel=SportsMaxTV

Offline Tallman

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #97 on: November 29, 2022, 06:34:17 AM »
Signal Hill wear Tobago InterCol crown
T&T Express


November 23, 2022

SIGNAL HILL SECONDARY (Tobago Zone), Carapichaima East Secondary (Central Zone) and Fatima College (North Zone) have already been crowned Coca-Cola SSFL Zonal InterCol champions.

Joining that trio today will be either be Trinity College East or San Juan North Secondary, who meet in the East Zone final at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar, from 3.30 p.m.

Signal Hill booked their place in the National InterCol series after a 4-3 shoot-out victory over Mason Hall Secondary, following a 1-1 draw in regulation time at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet, yesterday.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the Central Zone final was won by Carapichaima East Secondary 6-5 -- via decisive kicks from the penalty spot-- over Chaguanas North Secondary, following a 2-2 tie after 90 minutes, with all goals coming in the opening half.

Yesterday, Signal Hill took an early lead, but were under pressure for long periods in the second half and conceded a late goal. Signal Hill goalkeeper Kareem Warner produced a ‘man of the match’ performance, by making two saves in the subsequent shoot-out, having previously also kept an attacking Mason Hall at bay during the regulation period.

Having been tested in the early stages, Signal Hill forged ahead in the 23rd minute with Judea Phillip scoring directly from a deep free-kick, after benefitting from an error by Mason Hall custodian Naquan Walker, who misjudged the flight.

Following a relatively even first half, Mason Hall turned up the pressure in the second session, but were thwarted by keeper Warner. However, ten minutes from the end of regulation time, Mason Hall were level at 1-1 after a free-kick which was delivered from an identical position from where Signal Hill had scored earlier.

Keeper Warner hesitated in going for Omari Daniel’s long punt, thus leaving Yaswah Muammed free to collect and square a pass to Requilme Williams, who rolled the ball into an unguarded net, bringing Mason Hall level at 1-1.

InterCol results:

(Yesterday)

(Tobago Zone final)

Signal Hill Secondary 1 vs Mason Hall Secondary 1

Signal Hill won 4-3 on kicks from the penalty spot.

(Monday)

(Central Zone Final)

Chaguanas North Secondary 2 vs Carapichaima East Secondary 2

‘Caps’ won 6-5 on kicks from the penalty spot.

(Today)

East Zone: Trinity College East vs San Juan North, 3.30 p.m. @ Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar

(Friday)

South Zone: St Benedict’s College vs Presentation College (Sando), 3.30 p.m. @ Ato Boldon Stadium
« Last Edit: November 29, 2022, 08:16:46 AM by Tallman »
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Offline Tallman

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #98 on: November 29, 2022, 08:16:30 AM »
New kings in East Zone, Trinity edge champs San Juan in final
T&T Express


November 24, 2022

Trinity College East won their first-ever Secondary Schools Football League East Zone Coca Cola InterCol title yesterday, following an upset 1-0 win over the favourites San Juan North Secondary at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar, Arima.

On a day when the sports world was still reverberating over Japan’s shock 2-1 win over Germany at the FIFA World Cup and an identical loss for Argentina against Saudi Arabia two days earlier, Trinity East created a shake-up of their own and in so doing booked a national InterCol quarter-final spot against Fatima College, to be played on Monday.

The East final was largely uninspiring, without goal-mouth activity for the most part and only came alive in the 69th minute when Trinity East scored. Jaheim Faustin’s goal was a combination of both grit and a calm finish.

San Juan centre-back Joshua Lewis let a routine back pass slip under his feet, thus allowing the speedy Faustin to get to the ball. Desperate, Lewis impeded Faustin, who quickly bounced back up off the turf and hit a low shot past goalkeeper Xavion Haynes for the only goal of the match.

Having lost just once previously, San Juan played probably their worst match of the season, with neither of the school’s stars, striker Larry Noel nor midfielder Lindell Sween, rising to the occasion. Sween probably had the only memorable first half moment, with a long, curling free-kick which forced Trinity East keeper Brandon Dalrymple to turn the ball aside.

Having gone behind, San Juan only finally awoke in the final quarter-hour, pressing intently. However, having defended well throughout the match, Trinity East withstood everything their opponents threw at them and ended the final with an historic first zonal title for the school.

RESULTS:

East Zone:


Trinity College East 1 (Jaheim Faustin 69th) San Juan North Secondary 0

UPCOMING ZONAL FINALS:

Tomorrow

South Zone: St Benedict’s College vs Presentation College (Sando), 3.30 p.m., Ato Boldon Stadium
The Conquering Lion of Judah shall break every chain.

Offline Tallman

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #99 on: November 29, 2022, 08:19:23 AM »
St Benedict's clinch South Intercol crown
By David Scarlett (T&T Newsday)


November 26, 2022

THE South Zone of the Coca-Cola Intercol competition has a new champion, after St Benedict’s College defeated Presentation College (San Fernando) 4-3 via kicks from the penalty mark, to end a tense affair at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva on Friday afternoon.

St Benedict's College, the SSFL Premiership champions, are now in the hunt for the national Intercol crown – their third title of the season.

Going into the match, Presentation College were enjoying a three-year reign – owing to the pandemic – as defending South Zone and national Intercol champions.

The "Battle of the Lions" was hyped as both sides had high-scoring games in the previous rounds. However, the two prides cancelled each other out.

In a match of few highlights, the game ended 0-0 at the end of regulation time.

Prior to the final whistle, though, Presentation goalkeeper, Kanye Lazarus, kept up his excellent form in the competition as he pulled off a string of impressive saves to keep the score level.

Presentation had the game’s best chance in the 54th minute when Dantaye Gilbert squared the ball into the penalty area but Levi Jones wildly skewed his shot wide from point-blank range with St Benedict’s goalkeeper, Ja-ar Buckmire, stranded.

In the latter stage of the game, St Benedict’s applied heavy pressure upon Presentation’s defence through Jeremiah Niles, Nicholas Bobcombe and Derrel Garcia. However, Lazarus consistently made himself big on every occasion to deny the flamboyant attackers in green.

After four minutes of stoppage time, referee Kwinsi Williams blew his whistle and sent the teams to the decide the final from the penalty mark.

St Benedict’s Nesean Alexander successfully opened the shootout, blasting the ball into the bottom-left corner. Captain Dantaye Gilbert then saw his penalty saved by Buckmire as Presentation went into the next round of kicks at a disadvantage.

In similar fashion, Tarik Lee was denied by Lazarus and Maitland-Wilson capitalised on Lee’s miss to make it 1-1 after two kicks.

Josiah Ochoa put St Benedict’s back in front before Levi Jones kept the score level at 2-2.

The La Romaine Lions then retained their lead via Keanu Morean but Duhrell Young confidently silenced the green and yellow celebrations with a clinical finish past Buckmire.

With one kick remaining and the scores tied at 3-3, Ephraim Brown stepped up for the La Romaine Lions and calmly converted his penalty to put immense pressure on their fierce rivals.

Striker Caleb Boyce, who was one of Presentation’s best players this season, took the responsibility for the fifth kick.

However, Buckmire anticipated correctly and saved Boyce’s kick to crown St Benedict’s as the new South Zone champions.

Deservedly, the St Benedict’s goalkeeper was named Man of the Match by SportsMax and Coca-Cola for his excellent performance both in regular time and in penalty kicks.

In his post-match interview, the shot-stopper said, “The game was a well-fought game, to be honest. It was very intense; very anti-climactic. I feel very excited! Thank God for the win and we’re looking to move forward from here now.”

Speaking about the penalty shootout, he said that he was “very confident” because of his time on the training ground.

“I normally save about three penalties in every practice, it wasn’t a mental struggle for me.

"I was very comfortable and was able to show what I can do.”

Winning coach, Randolph Boyce, was elated in his post-match comments, “It feels great. The feeling is wonderful. I’m glad for the players – they’ve been working hard all season; putting in the work.”

“The (Presentation) coach did some tactical adjustments. They played a low block and very compact, so it was difficult to unlock those doors today. But we kept playing.”

He added, “If football continues like this, it could only be good for Trinidad and Tobago.”

St Benedict’s will now go on to play Central Zone champions, Carapichaima East Secondary, in the national Intercol semifinals on November 28.
The Conquering Lion of Judah shall break every chain.

Offline Tallman

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #100 on: November 29, 2022, 09:54:22 AM »
Madison Campbell fires Signal Hill to Tobago Intercol title
T&T Newsday


Signal Hill Secondary beat Bishop's High 1-0 on Sunday in the Coca Cola girls Intercol Tobago final at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet.

The refereeing was stern in the extremely wet conditions, and the teams were predominantly reliant on long balls to threaten their opposition, in the tightly contested affair.

The drenched surface favoured Signal Hill, as their superior physical presence was evident on both ends of the field.

Signal Hill's defenders easily nullified Bishop’s strikers who were constantly bumped off the ball.

The first half ended goalless and it took a special moment to break the deadlock.

A right-sided corner from Madison Campbell, in the 61st minute, left her boots and sailed into the roof of the net, giving the goalkeeper no chance.

Campbell’s goal proved to be the match winner, and presented a double celebration for Signal Hill, as the boys had earlier celebrated their intercol title.

Signal Hill’s coach Ray Mitchell said it was satisfactory performance and credited the extra work on set plays as a key factor in the result.

“We were constantly practising free-kicks, corners and penalties, because our plan was to wear them down from set plays.

With respect to the playing conditions Mitchell added, “We were comfortable with the conditions. Our training ground has been heavy for a long period due to rain – the stadium ground is actually better – so it was normal for us.”

The Bishop's supporters did have their moment to savour, as the boys rebounded from their opening 2-1 loss to St Mary’s College in the Tiger Tank Big 5, to settle a 3-2 win over Siparia West Secondary, in the second match of the doubleheader.

Siparia struck first with a firm shot from a counterattack rebounded off the goal keeper, and Brandon Ramgarid was in the right spot to tap home in the 18th minute.

The set-back for Bishop's only lasted 11 minutes, as Malik Wilson capitalised on a quick free-kick, which caught the Siparia team off-guard, and made them pay in the 39th minute.

The two minutes added-on time at the end of the first half was fruitful for Bishop's, as Aaron James gave them the lead just before the whistle.

Akel Vesprey partially silenced the rhythm section of partisan home support with Siparia’s equaliser on 66 minutes.

Malik Wilson turned out to be the toast for Bishop's on the day, as his second goal in the 70th minute secured the victory for the Tobago Secondary Schools Football League champions.

Bishop's sit third on the standings and will next play Miracle Ministries in Trinidad on Wednesday and Arima North in Tobago on Sunday.
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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #101 on: December 01, 2022, 12:43:59 PM »
Holy Name Convent completes North Girls SSFL double
T&T Guardian


Holy Name Convent, Port-of-Spain, completed the double in the Tiger Tanks Secondary School Girls Football League’s North Zone when they whipped long-time rival St Joseph’s Convent, Port-of-Spain, 3-1 in the Coca-Cola zonal Intercol final at St Mary’s College Ground, Serpentine Road, St Clair on Wednesday.

Team captain Jessica Harrigin scored the team’s first two goals to close the first half with a 2-0 advantage. In the second half, Emily Vincent reduced St Joseph’s deficit before substitute Emily Nanton restored the lead to secure victory.

Last Thursday, in the semifinals, Holy Name Convent edged Tranquillity Government Secondary 2-1 at St Joseph’s Convent Ground, Federation Park, St Clair, while St Joseph Convent hammered Bishop’s Anstey High School 7-3 at Diego Martin Central Secondary Ground.

Today, San Juan North Secondary and Five Rivers Secondary will meet in the East Zone Intercol final at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar, on Thursday from 3.30 pm after contrasting semifinal wins yesterday.

In the semifinals on Tuesday, Five Rivers, led by two goals from Luann Craig, and one each from Trishell Charles and Janella Walcott, strolled to a 4-0 triumph over St Augustine Secondary, while at Trincity, San Juan North Secondary edged past host Bishop Anstey East High, 2-1.

And in the other final card for today, the Central Zone decider, Miracle Ministries, 14-0 victors over Chaguanas North Secondary in their semifinal, comes against Holy Faith Convent (Couva), who trashed Carapichaima East Secondary 10-0 in their final-four encounter at St Mary’s College Ground, Serpentine Road, St Clair, from 3 pm.

The South Zone final was decided without a ball being kicked with Pleasantville Secondary being awarded a default over Fyzabad Secondary, who opted to forfeit the decider due to school commitments.

The semifinals were also decided without a ball being kicked with Pleasantville and Fyzabad being handed wins against Moruga Secondary, and Fyzabad Anglican, respectively, by default.
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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #102 on: December 01, 2022, 12:59:37 PM »
Grant, Webb braces put St Benedict’s into National InterCol semis
By Walter Alibey (T&T Guardian)


St Benedict’s College got double strikes from Malacai Webb and Jeremiah Grant to cruise into the semifinals of the Coca-Cola National InterCol play-offs on Wednesday with a convincing 6-0 triumph over Chaguanas North Secondary at Fatima College Ground, Mucurapo.

The win means they will now face Signal Hill Secondary in the second match of a doubleheader at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo from 5 pm, while Fatima College will be up against Trinity College East in the opening match from 3 pm.

Chaguanas North, coming into the quarterfinals of the InterCol as a replacement for Carapichaima East Secondary which played an ineligible player, met one-way traffic at Fatima Grounds, despite calls by coach Anson Raymond to close down St Benedict’s key attackers and play on the counterattack.

Instead, captain Tarik Lee, one of the dangerous St Benedict’s players made his presence felt when he collected a left side Jeremiah Niles centre unmarked in the Chaguanas penalty area and blasted it into the roof of the net and past the stranded goalkeeper for his team’s first goal early in the first half.

The goal came courtesy of Niles, operating down the Chaguanas right side.

The southerners, winners of the Tiger Tanks Premier Division League and South Zone InterCol titles could only get the lone item to take to the half-time interval after 45 minutes, and afterwards, there were no changes to the direction the traffic headed.

Nicholas Bobcombe this time was the provider of the second goal when he picked out Grant with a pin-point right side cross to head past goalkeeper Aidan Raymond in the 51st minute.

With little to no resistance coming from the central lads, St Benedict’s piled on the pressure by scoring their third goal. Niles again with another of his dangerous runs down the left flank was allowed to pick out Ephraim Brown at the far post to head past an out-of-position Raymond for the 3-0 advantage in the 70th minute.

Grant then got his second goal of the match with another of his trademark headers from Malacai Webb in the 75th.

And before the central men could regroup, Webb got his first item by slapping a low into the far post from the left side for a 5-0 lead in the 76th minute. And he (Webb) completed the rout with a header from Tyrique Lucas’s left-sided cross 10 minutes from the end.

The action continues today with the Girls East and Central Zones finals.

In the central zone - Miracle Ministries will take on Holy Faith Convent from 3 pm at St Mary’s College Grounds, while in the east zone final Five Rivers Secondary will be up against San Juan North Secondary at the same time at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar, Arima.
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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #103 on: December 03, 2022, 08:56:58 AM »
CIC return to SSFL Premier Division
By Ian Prescott (T&T Express)


ST MARY’S COLLEGE (CIC) will return to the Premier Division of the Tiger Tanks Secondary School Football League in 2023, having picked up a third win in the Championship Division Big Five playoff on Wednesday.

Also in celebratory mood were Signal Hill Secondary, who won the Tobago Girls’ InterCol title after defeating Bishop’s High 1-0 on Sunday at the Dwight Yorke stadium, while Holy Name Convent are North Zone Girls’ champions after defeating St Joseph’s Convent, Port of Spain, 3-1 at St Mary’s College Ground Wednesday.

Newly-promoted CIC travelled to a bumpy Siparia Recreation Ground where they scored a 5-2 victory over Siparia West Secondary, the South Zone Championship Division winners, who are coached by former national defender Dexter Francis. St Mary’s got goals from Elijah Wong (23rd), Kyle Phillip (62nd & 77th), Josiah Connell (penalty, 45+2 ) and Harrison Parks (60th), while Israel Mascal (27th) and Kamali Peters (90+3) replied for Siparia West Secondary.

Elijah Wong opened the scoring from close-up after Siparia goalie Dimitrie Borneo failed to hold on a free-kick sent into the penalty area by CIC captain Harrison Parks. On a grass-bare surface, the home team Siparia were level at 1-1 just four minutes later when a deep free-kick picked out Israel Mascal who put the ball high in the net at the back post. With the teams looking set to go in level, Wong was brought down and St Mary’s awarded a penalty, which Josiah Connell was lucky to roll under the grasp of the goalkeeper.

St Mary’s dominated the second half, extending the lead to 3-1 through Parks’ 25-yard grounder, which somehow eluded Siparia’s goalkeeper, followed by Kyle Phillip’s brace. Phillips’ volley from close-up after a corner kick, was again not handled well by the Siparia defence. He then enterprisingly got between the defender and goalkeeper to put a low shot into Siparia’s net for the fifth goal. Peters reacted first to a free-kick and was able to pull a goal back for the home team deep into added-on time. Big Five action resumes Sunday.

Results:

GIRLS

TOBAGO FINAL


Signal Hill Secondary 1 Bishop’s High 0

NORTH FINAL

Holy Name Convent 3 St Joseph’s Convent 1

BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION BIG 5

(Wednesday)

• St Mary’s College 5 (Elijah Wong 23rd, Kyle Phillip 62nd & 77th, Josiah Connell, 45+2 penalty, Harrison Parks 60th) Siparia West Secondary 2 (Israel Mascal 27th, Kamali Peters 90+3)

• Bishop’s High School 2, Miracle Ministries PHS 0
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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #104 on: December 04, 2022, 08:46:11 AM »
Five Rivers, Miracle Ministries cop Girls’ Intercol zonal titles
By Jonathan Ramnanansingh (T&T Newsday)


FIVE Rivers Secondary lifted the 2022 Coca-Cola Girls Intercol east zone title after trumping San Juan North 3-0 at Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar on Thursday.

Two goals from striker Luann Craig, in the 20th and 52nd minutes, and another from Janella Walcott in the 74th, were good enough to shut out San Juan North and crown Five Rivers zonal champions.

Additionally, Miracle Ministries also hoisted the tournament’s central zone title after ousting Holy Faith Convent Couva 3-1 in Thursday’s final at Ato Boldon Stadium, Balmain, Couva.
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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #105 on: December 08, 2022, 05:52:22 PM »
Fatima break St Benedict’s hearts in Intercol final
By David Scarlett (T&T Newsday)


THE Boys’ Secondary Schools football season has ended with a dramatic spectacle as a new winner of the National Coca-Cola Intercol competition was crowned. Fatima College, with grit and determination, edged Premiership champions St Benedict’s College 1-0 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, on Wednesday afternoon.

Both teams previously met in the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premiership group stage and in the Premiership final – drawing 1-1 in the first game of the season before St Benedict’s defeated Fatima 3-1 to lift the first major trophy of the campaign.

Fatima's last appearance in the National Intercol final was in 2013, losing out to a powerful St Augustine team 4-1. For St Benedict’s, they last competed for the coveted trophy in 2014 but they suffered a 1-0 defeat to East Mucurapo.

This season has proven to be a fairytale for Fatima as they were a newly-promoted team from the SSFL Championship whose initial target was to survive relegation. But they exceeded all expectations finishing as Premiership runners-up, North Zone Intercol winners and now National Intercol winners.

In a "revenge" match against the La Romaine Lions, Fatima started the match strongly, putting pressure on their La Romaine opponents while keeping them at bay.

The boys from the north took the lead in the 12th minute when Joshua Mason capitalised on a crucial mistake by St Benedict’s goalkeeper, Ja-Ir Buckmire. The goalie intended to clear a back-pass from his team-mate, but miserably failed as his sliced kick was headed in between the posts by the Fatima striker.

The match was starved of chances as both teams cancelled each other out with tight, tactical football which resembled a chess match.

But Fatima went close to doubling their lead in the 53rd minute when Khiba Romany attempted an acrobatic bicycle kick which flew inches wide past the upright.

St Benedict’s had a chance to equalise five minutes later as Derrel Garcia viciously fired a free-kick on target that initially troubled Tristan Edwards in the Fatima goal. However, the goalkeeper quickly recovered to claim the ball before the prowling attackers could have pounced.

A defensive and disciplined Fatima unit continued to stifle the flamboyant St Benedict’s attackers who have been lighting up the league all season, and they held on to their slender lead to claim victory and lift the National Intercol trophy for the first time since 2005.

Fatima defender, Jaden Williams, was named Man of the Match for his excellent performance at the back. Amidst his team’s celebration, he delightfully expressed, “I’m very happy that the boys were able to stick it out and bring home the win. It’s our first National Intercol title since 2005, so it’s great to bring back something to the north.”

“My mindset, personally, was that we played them twice in the league – we drew in the first game and, due to unfortunate circumstances, we lost in the second game because we weren’t playing as a unit. We went back to drawing board and when we came back, we were able to beat them with our game plan.”

The winning coach, Hutson "Baba’ Charles" in extreme ecstasy said, “I said it before: I will be back (for the final) and I wanted Benedict’s. So my dream came true. I thought we played a beautiful game. We did our homework and you can surely see what happened (in the game).”

“(Our success was due to) belief. Before the season, the plan was just to survive (relegation) but I told them I am a winner – I love to win – and I think they went with that belief, and you can see the result (of it). For a team that got relegated, came back up and did this, it’s unbelievable!”

Naparima College remain the only school to win the treble (Premiership, Zonal Intercol and National Intercol) having achieved the feat twice (2015 and 2018).

Both Fatima and St Benedict’s will travel to Jamaica in January for the Caribbean High School Championships to face Jamaica College and Clarendon College, the top two schools in the country. The tournament will begin on January 13 and conclude on January 15 as the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) and the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) reignite the partnership and rivalry between TT and Jamaica.
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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #106 on: December 08, 2022, 10:10:15 PM »
F-A-T-I-M-A!!!!!!   ;D ;D :beermug: :beermug: :beermug:
VITAMIN V...KEEPS THE LADIES HEALTHY...:-)

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #107 on: December 09, 2022, 05:26:53 AM »
Five Rivers silence Holy Name to seal Intercol finals spot.
By Jelani Beckles (T&T Newsday).


FIVE Rivers Secondary School silenced a vociferous Holy Name Convent crowd to advance to the final of the Coca-Cola Girls Intercol competition.

Holy Name had the majority of the support in the semi-final match played at the St Mary’s College Ground in St Clair on Thursday as the ground is just minutes away from Holy Name.

Five Rivers won on penalties 4-3 after the match ended in a 2-2 tie. Five Rivers made a shaky start in the shoot-out as only one of their first two kicks found the back of the net. However, Five Rivers converted their last three kicks to prevail with the victory and clinch a spot in Sunday’s final.

In regulation time, Holy Name captain Jessica Harragin gave her team the lead in the 22nd minute, but Lue Ann Craig got the equaliser for Five Rivers before half-time with a goal in the 34th minute.

Janella Walcott put Five Rivers in front early in the second half with a 46th-minute item. Five Rivers had chances to put the game to bed, but a 25-yard effort from Harragin with three minutes remaining meant the match had to be decided by penalty kicks.

Following the win Five Rivers coach Desiree Sargent, said, “I am overwhelmed. We trained so hard all week for this and these moments are what you live for. Thank God it bore fruit today.”

Asked if playing in front of a large Holy Name contingent was tough to cope with, Sargent said, “It does (affect you) somewhat, let’s be honest. You on another team’s ground and on unfamiliar territory. They took a while to settle and I am just thankful they were able to settle and get back into the game.” Holy Name had a rhythm section at the ground.

On what improvements she wants for the final, Sargent said, “I will just like to see a little more maturity, a little more discipline because at times we were kind of indisciplined, but it is expected at this level (because) you away from home and your supporters are not here. All in all, I am just thankful that we were able to cross the hurdle and they are in a final (for) the first time, so I am just so thrilled for that.”

Sargent was satisfied that her players held their nerves in the penalty shoot-out.

“You can practise penalties how much you want...at the end of the day you still have to put them away and it is a nerve-racking thing for anybody at any level, so thank God we were able to come out victorious in the penalty shoot-out.”

In the other semi-final played on Thursday, Signal Hill Secondary defeated Miracle Ministries 1-0 at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.

The final between Five Rivers and Signal Hill will be played at Ato Boldon Stadium at 3 pm on Sunday.


Holy Name Convent’s Isabella Ramdeen (R) controls the ball as Five Rivers Secondary’s Odella Wilson tries to defend during the SSFL Girls Intercol semi-final, on Thursday, at the St Mary’s Grounds, St Clair. - ROGER JACOB

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #108 on: December 10, 2022, 12:25:30 AM »
F-A-T-I-M-A!!!!!!   ;D ;D :beermug: :beermug: :beermug:

Congrats VB👍🏿

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #109 on: December 10, 2022, 08:52:19 AM »

Both Fatima and St Benedict’s will travel to Jamaica in January for the Caribbean High School Championships to face Jamaica College and Clarendon College, the top two schools in the country. The tournament will begin on January 13 and conclude on January 15 as the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) and the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) reignite the partnership and rivalry between TT and Jamaica.
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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #110 on: December 11, 2022, 08:51:16 PM »
Up and down times, SSFL coaches reflect on season out of Covid
By Roger Seepersad (T&T Express)


After two years of inactivity due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Secondary Schools Football League action resumed in September and while the standard of play could have been better, some of the coaches in the league are confident it will improve significantly next year.

The Express spoke to coaches Randolph Boyce (St Benedict’s College), Hutson Charles (Fatima College), Jerry Moe (San Juan North Secondary) and Dwayne Davis (Trinity College East) coach and they all agreed that the standard of play was inconsistent with some teams doing well and others struggling badly.

Fatima College won the National InterCol title; St Benedict’s the National League title; San Juan North topped Group B in the Premier Division competition while Trinity East placed third.

“To be honest, some of the standard of play was high, some was medium and some was average and a lot of work needs to be done still,” Boyce told the Express.

“Coming back from Covid when players were inactive and development didn’t take place with a lot of kids, we saw (during the league) that some were hampered in terms of adjusting and adapting at a faster pace than other kids. So we are in a situation where we might need to go on a development drive,” he added.

Losing two seasons of schools football also forced teams to use younger players on their roster which Boyce said would have helped their development for next season but at the same time would have put them at a disadvantage in the current season.

“When you look at the league, some of the teams fielded U-16, U-15 and even U-14 players in certain instances and you have to remember that the league is an Under-20 league, so there would have been a big gap in some areas in some schools and that would have put them at a disadvantage in terms of the competitiveness against the other schools who would have had more mature and developed players.

“But definitely next year God willing, I hope to see a better developed league in terms of players, coaches and organisation and better planning and preparation time. This year some teams would have rushed down certain things and would have lost players as well and would have had to work with what they have. I am hoping to see a lot of improvement in a lot of areas.”

Charles agreed that some teams were better prepared than others leading to some lop-sided games in the top flight.

“I think when you look at the league, you can see only a handful of teams that were organised. The majority of the teams were not fully prepared hence the reason you would have seen some ridiculous score lines. I think I will probably blame it on the pandemic and the teams did not get time to prepare and some of them started late to prepare. The results some of those teams got were because their preparations were not up to par,” he said.

Next year he expects a more balanced competition.

“Now that the teams have started back playing, they will have enough time to prepare for next year, so I think we will see a more balanced level of play between teams and the competition will be a lot harder as well,” Charles explained.

Full schedule next season

The former national player and national team coach is also looking forward to a full schedule of Premier Division matches next season.

“I think the change in format back to the full league instead of the two groups will be the better way to go. With the two groups, teams could not afford to slip up because there really are not enough games to catch up, so I expect the games to be a lot more competitive next year,” he added.

As for Fatima’s performance this year, Charles described it as “remarkable” given the fact that they only came back into the top flight in 2019.

“It was an unbelievable season,” he said. “We got relegated and I brought them back up in 2019 and then the pandemic hit so what we did this year in terms of finishing second in the league and winning the North Zone and National InterCol, I think it has been a really remarkable season for Fatima College.” Meanwhile, Moe said although it was inconsistent, the standard of play was higher than he expected coming out of the pandemic.

“From that standpoint, a lot of the teams tried to play organised football and fellas on the teams tried to be disciplined on the field as much as possible ...The standard of play was better than I expected,” Moe added.

“In terms of San Juan North and a lot of the other teams, coming out of Covid, they would have had to reshuffle. There were a lot of young guys and you didn’t have the continuity from last year or the year before because there was no football. For everyone it was a new season and I think a lot of the teams adapted well, unfortunately some teams had to be demoted,” he pointed out.

In terms of next season, Moe is hoping to see a lot of improvement.

“I would hope the standard of play will improve next year because all the teams had a lot of 15-year-old and 16-year-old players on the roster and with the experience they would have gained this year, hopefully they will be in good stead and they will know what to expect next season and they will have a certain level of confidence knowing that they would have played this year. So I think we will see a better end product from the teams next season,” he explained.

The veteran coach added:“I have been looking at the qualifiers with Arima North and St Mary’s and the Tobago Zone, so the competition is going to be good with the new teams coming in. It makes for good competition.”

For Davis, the standard of play was “okay.”

He said one of the issues faced was the lack of proper grounds to train on, while the excessive rain didn’t help the situation.

However, Davis didn’t see anything out of the ordinary throughout the season despite a few players standing out in the early part of the competition.

“I think some of the teams were even because coming out of Covid some of the teams would not have been able to do the level of drafting that they would normally do because there was no football for two years,” he also noted.

“Next year, I expect to see some of the traditional teams go back to their drafting policies and strengthen up and that could work two ways, where it could raise the standards in some teams but it could also deplete others,” he added.

“What I would hope to see is some sort of restriction on the amount of transfers but I don’t think everyone may share that view.”

Davis also felt that this season, “the officiating was a bit inconsistent as well, so that is another area that can improve in terms of the use of technology to assist the referees,” Davis concluded.
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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #111 on: December 12, 2022, 08:10:30 AM »
Arima, Bishop’s back in Premier Division
T&T Express


A 1-0 win over Siparia West Secondary has returned Arima North to the Premier Division of the Tiger Tanks Secondary Schools Football League for 2023. They will be joined by also promoted St Mary College (CIC) and Bishop’s High School, Tobago.

The three promoted teams will fill the space left by three teams demoted from the Premier Division. Moruga Secondary were automatically demoted having finished last in their group, while Carapichaima East Secondary are also demoted, having used an ineligible player throughout the season. The final team to take the drop will come from tomorrow’s Premier Division demotion clash between East Mucurapo Secondary and St Augustine Secondary, the “Green Machine”, taking place at St Mary’s College ground from 3.30 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Championship Division Big 5 series ends today, with unbeaten leaders Arima and CIC meeting to decide the tournament winners. Both have nine points and identical +8 goal difference, but the North champions St Mary’s need just a draw, having scored more goals.

On Thursday, the Dial Dynamos needed just a point at the Manny Ramjohn stadium to clinch promotion, and got all three following a fortuitous goal which saw the ball go in off winger Devin Seales in the 23rd minute, after a Siparia defender attempted to clear the ball.

Initially, Arima midfielder Jemaul Ashing had put a powerful shot off the Siparia West crossbar, and in attempting to clear, a defender sent the ball in off a very close-up Seales. Siparia needed a win to also gain promotion, but their defeat ensured that Bishop’s will go up instead.

FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP

DIVISION BIG 5 MATCHES:


Sunday

Arima North Secondary vs St Mary’s College, Arima Old Road, 3.30 p.m.

RESULTS:

Arima North Secondary 1 Siparia West Secondary 0.
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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #112 on: December 12, 2022, 08:26:55 AM »
Signal Hill crowned Girls Intercol champs
By Jelani Beckles (T&T Newsday)


SIGNAL Hill Secondary School lifted the Coca-Cola Girls Intercol title on their third attempt in recent years with a 3-1 victory over Five Rivers Secondary School at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva on Sunday.

Signal Hill, who also played their semi-final match last week at Ato Boldon Stadium, made their trip to Trinidad worthwhile.

Signal Hill coach Ray Mitchell was proud of his team. He said, “It was in the making. This is the third time we made it to the final as Signal Hill Secondary, so the third one had to be lucky. In the beginning of the season it was a bit tough seeing the majority of the girls are Under-15 and they will be playing in the Under-15 final.” Mitchell said before the covid19 pandemic Signal Hill lost in two finals.

Mitchell said time was lost during covid19 and everything came to a standstill. “The covid left a void in women’s football (and) age group (football). They got left out because of covid, no practice, nothing. It is the Under-15s we have and we try our best to work with them. We did a great job (and) they worked hard.”

Mitchell said he saw the determination in his players following their semi-final victory last week. “A couple days after the semi-final I saw that they wanted this one. The training session was very high, the intensity was the highest I have ever seen in training.”

Mitchell thanked the Secondary Schools Football League and the TT Football Association for accommodating the team. Signal Hill stayed at the Home of Football over the past few days, which is on the same compound as the Ato Boldon Stadium.

“Thanks to SSFL…I want to say thanks to the Home of Football because without them (it would not have been possible). The accommodation is 100 per cent. It is designed to stay for football and to prepare for football.”

Mitchell said belief in themselves and belief in God helped Signal Hill lift the crown.

Signal Hill’s Madison Campbell got the first solid attempt on goal when her free kick from 30 yards went over the crossbar. In the first ten minutes, most of the play was in the centre of the field as the teams did not create clear chances on goal.

The match took a turn for the worse for Five Rivers as in the 15th minute Janella Walcott received a red card after handling the ball in the 18-yard box.

Alexandria Stewart converted the penalty to give Signal Hill the lead in the 16th minute.

Five Rivers did not get dejected following the red card as the match continued to be evenly contested. Trishell Charles came close for Five Rivers when her shot struck the crossbar.

The crowd was small but lively. Around the 30-minute mark, the Five Rivers supporters started shouting, “Five Rivers we want a goal” and “Let’s go Rivers, Let’s go.”

It seemed to inspire the team as Lu Ann Craig’s powerful shot found the back of the net in the 35th minute as Signal Hill goalkeeper Kenisha Taylor had no chance.

The Signal Hill contingent was not outdone, screaming, “Compre we want a goal.” Their request did not work immediately as the teams were tied 1-1 at half-time.

In the 49th minute, Twinkle Thomas gave Signal Hill the lead. A tame effort from outside the box beat Five Rivers custodian Mercedes Balthazar.

Balthazar redeemed herself with a couple of quality saves after the blunder.

Five Rivers started to struggle to come out of their own half as playing with ten started to take a toll. Craig continued to be one of the standout players for Five Rivers and had a chance to level the contest, but Taylor made the save at the near post.

In the 79th minute, Craig scored an own goal to put Signal Hill 3-1 up. In an attempt to head the ball clear following a corner kick she could only manage to score past Balthazar. The final whistle came shortly after as Signal Hill celebrated the title.
The Conquering Lion of Judah shall break every chain.

Offline Tallman

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #113 on: December 13, 2022, 10:06:38 AM »
‘Green Machine’ gone, East Mucurapo knock St Augustine out of Premier Division
By Garth Wattley (T&T Express)

The “Green Machine” have shut down. For the first time in their 43-year history in the top flight of secondary schools football, St Augustine Secondary have been relegated and will not be playing in the Premier Division next season. But East Mucurapo Secondary will.

In a long and stressful afternoon for both schools, East Mucurapo, ‘Compre,’ rallied from behind twice to snatch a 3-2 victory in the Secondary Schools Football League relegation playoff yesterday.

At the final whistle on St Mary’s Ground, players on both sides dropped straight to the ground. In the St Augustine penalty area, goalkeeper Tyrese Sealy was stretched out, his face buried in the turf. There he remained, a lonely figure until a female supporter came to offer consolation.

The agony of the moment had consumed the youngster. And last night, he may have had nightmares about the three goals he conceded, two of which were put away by Maalik Jarvis.

“We always believe in the boys and we have seen the improvement,” and elated Mucurapo coach Dale Saunders said at the end. “We have Maalik Jarvis (who) now knows where the goal (is); he’s putting the ball in the net. Zion Harley who is dong a fantastic job and basically everybody understanding their role and function.”

Striker Jarvis took advantage of some straightforward opportunities gifted him by a St Augustine defence that just could not keep out the goals this season.

Keeper Sealy had a nervy time.

After his striker Jamell Cooper had got the better of the last Mucurapo defender and spanked a left-footer in off the crossbar against the run of play in the 34th minute, Sealy found himself in no man’s land five minutes later, following a right side cross which Jarvis had the simple task of heading into an empty net.

The teams went in level, at half-time.

Nine minutes after the break though, St Augustine with no wins in the league and just one in InterCol, found themselves ahead again through Elijah Gravesande, via the penalty spot after a foul by Al-Kaliipha Henry on a team-mate.

At that stage, it was a case of the Green Machine taking advantage of the few opportunities they had and Compre wasting most of theirs.

However, the match swung decisively the way of the boys in maroon in one three-minute spell, 14 minutes from full time.

A long ball from midfield to the centre of the penalty area was not dealt with decisively by the St Augustine defence and Jarvis was on spot again to stroke the ball under Sealy’s body.

Before the St Augustine keeper and his mates could process that setback, disaster struck.

Mucurapo won a free-kick which their captain Khidir Atiba lobbed straight to Sealy. It seemed a simple take for the custodian; but he failed to make a clean catch and the ball rebounded straight onto substitute Jemon Gulston who just tapped the ball into the net.

For the first time, Mucurapo were in front and the St Augustine boys just didn’t have a third goal in them.

The final whistle did not just bring the end to the match for Sealy and company, it also halted St Augustine’s four-decade long, trophy-winning presence in the top tier of schools football.

“It’s tough,” admitted their schoolteacher coach Tacuma Jones, who took over from Trevor Spicer this season. “The guys feel it; you can see it from their expressions.”

For the chanting Mucurapo players however, watched by former Compre star and current Fatima College coach Hutson Charles, this was a big test passed.

“A lot of pressure was on them,” noted coach Saunders, “but they had to mature early for this game and I think they have done a fine job.”
The Conquering Lion of Judah shall break every chain.

Offline Tallman

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #114 on: December 14, 2022, 07:44:44 AM »
Scarborough Secondary girls lift ‘Big 5’ trophy
By Ian Prescott (T&T Express)


TOBAGO teams have dominated the 2022 Secondary School Football League (SSFL) girls’ competition.

Yesterday, Scarborough Secondary won the Tiger Tanks SSFL National Girls ‘Big 5’ title when defeating highly-fancied Pleasantville Secondary 3-1 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.

On Sunday, another Tobago school, Signal Hill Secondary, won the Coca-Cola InterCol title with a similar 3-1 victory over Five Rivers Secondary.

Scarborough Sec came to Trinidad confident while cheered on by vociferous supporters, whom chanted: “Nobody ain’t beating we.” And so it proved. The Tobago lasses were comfortably ahead 2-0 at half-time, both goals coming from their star Tobago Chicas striker J’elisha Alexander in the 10th & 42nd minutes, while Kaleah Duke extended the lead to 3-0 in the 57th minute. Pleasantville got a consolation item in the dying stages through Nathalia Gosein in the 80th minute.

Blessed with blinding pace, Alexander blew past three defenders, racing goalward, and put a low shot past the goalkeeper to open the scoring. She was again clear of defenders and putting a low shot past the Pleasantville custodian for the second goal. Duke forced in the rebound from close-up for 3-0, after her initial shot was parried by the goalkeeper.

With only injury time left, Gosein got on the scoresheet with a close-up, side-foot strike, after a free-kick had sent the ball into the penalty area.
The Conquering Lion of Judah shall break every chain.

Offline Tallman

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #115 on: December 15, 2022, 07:54:50 AM »
Fatima dominate SSFL age groups
T&T Express


FATIMA COLLEGE have added the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) National Under-16 title to the National Under-14 crown which they won last month.

Having a great overall season, Fatima also contested the SSFL Senior Division final against St Benedict’s yesterday. Fatima also finished second to St Benedict’s in the Premier Division final, before defeating the same rivals for the boys’ National Coca Cola InterCol title. The only division Fatima did not contest was the Form One final. They lost out to North rivals CIC, who played Speyside High of Tobago at Calder Hall in Monday’s national final.

On Tuesday, Fatima dominated the National Under-16 final when defeating Tobago’s Scarborough Secondary (4-1). Levi Smith’s cross eluded goalkeeper Theo Bruce and ended in the back of the net for 1-0; Tom Deckle slid the ball in early in the second half from a ball played across the face of goal; and Smith got a second when his angled shot squeezed in at the near post, aided by a goalkeeper error. A fourth Fatima goal came when Scarborough defender Hassani Robley awkwardly redirected Michael Chavez goal-bound shot for the own-goal. Carl James (70th) got a consolation for Scarborough with a low shot from within the penalty area.

Fatima had shut out East Under-16 champions San Juan North 4-0 to win the Trinidad leg for the Under-16 crown, Fatima’s Jaheim Bailey voted the Most Valuable Player. At the semi-final stage, Fatima scored a 3-1 win over South champions Presentation College San Fernando, using several of the players, who also play with their senior team.
The Conquering Lion of Judah shall break every chain.

Offline Tallman

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #116 on: December 20, 2022, 01:40:17 PM »
KFC Goodwill International Schools Football tournament: St Benedict’s score 5-1 victory over Golden Grove Secondary
Guyana Times

Trinidad & Tobago schools football champions St Benedict’s College have received their first taste of Guyanese competition on Sunday, December 18, but have nevertheless opened their account in this KFC Goodwill International Schools Football tournament on a high note, by thumping Golden Grove Secondary 5-1.

Playing at the Ministry of Education (MoE) Ground on Carifesta Avenue in Georgetown, Jerell Griffith got the Trinidadian team off to a stellar start with a brace in the 16th and 24th minutes, and Jeremiah Ottaway netted his first goal in the 33rd minute, to push St. Benedict’s tally to 3-0.

Just before the half expired, Shamar Warton evinced hope in the Golden Grove camp by scoring a goal in the 44th minute. However, St. Benedict’s took possession of the game upon resumption of play, when Ottaway made it a 4-1 affair in the 59th minute and St. Benedict’s Raheem Nelson underscored his team’s dominance by scoring their fifth goal in the 67th minute. Thus the 5-1 win.

In the other game of the day, Suriname’s SVB Academy and Christianburg Wismar Secondary School (CWSS) played to a draw – the second such for CWSS.

After near-misses on both ends for much of the first segment, Amani King of CWSS eventually found the back of the net in the 40th minute to put CWSS in the lead.

However, CWSS could hold on to the 1-goal lead for only so long, as Darrel Sijpenhof found the equalizer for SVB in entertaining fashion in the 60th minute of play.

Despite their individual best efforts, neither side could produce the game-winning goal, and these teams were forced to share points.

The round-robin stage of the KFC Goodwill tournament concluded on Monday evening. Results therefrom would be published in tomorrow’s edition of Guyana Times Sport Meanwhile, the tournament’s semifinal stage is expected to take flight on Wednesday, December 21, before the grand finale and third-place playoff are held on Friday, December 23, 2022.

All remaining games are likely to be played at the MoE Ground on Carifesta Avenue in Georgetown.

The KFC Goodwill tournament is also supported by MVP Sports, Guyana Beverages Inc, Tiger Rentals, Trophy Stall; the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS); and the Ministry of Education (MoE).
The Conquering Lion of Judah shall break every chain.

Offline madness

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #117 on: December 22, 2022, 03:40:32 AM »
I love the idea that Intercol is being shown on YouTube. I was happy to see my friend's son playing for Fatima, and they had a very successful season. However, I am concerned about these teams' playing styles at a young age.
1) ball movement in the duration of the game was poor
2) some of the players on the field look clueless.
3) I watched the QRC game, in which KJ is the coach. I was unhappy.

Offline madness

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #118 on: December 22, 2022, 03:53:36 AM »
For example, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crR_ENMQmBw&t=5037s, my friend's son, looks very good (Bailey).  KJ, the senior coach for the women's national team, needs to do better. It appears that he needs to show experience to the boys. He has been out of the country and played a high level of football. I know coaching is tough, but you need complete knowledge of training or teaching students.

Offline Flex

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Re: 2022 SSFL Thread
« Reply #119 on: December 30, 2022, 03:17:37 AM »
St Benedict's coach: KFC Goodwill Cup a 'cultural experience'.
By Jonathan Ramnanansingh (T&T Newsday)


NOLAN BERNARD, coach of St Benedict’s College’s Under-16 football team, applauded his squad’s recent runners-up finish at the KFC Goodwill U-18 tournament in Guyana and hailed the trip as a “cultural experience” for the young footballers.

Despite the team losing 1-0 in the final on Friday against DC Caesar Fox Secondary School, Bernard said the journey to South America served as much more than a lesson in sport.

The "La Romaine Lions" U-16 team played against opposition from Guyana and neighbouring Suriname. They topped their group to advance out of the first round, did well to get past the knockout round but were unable to claim the overall title.

However, coach Bernard credited the experience shared by the bunch.

“It was a young group of boys from our school, predominantly U-16s. They, some of them from lower income and socio-economic households, got a chance to experience the first time having their passport and getting to fly. It was special for them.

“We played against two Amerindian teams from the interior (of Guyana). It was a cultural experience for all of us,” he said.

Bernard is one of the school’s physical education teachers.

“The boys were surprised to play against Amerindian teams. One team had to fly to get to the tournament while another had to drive 15 hours each day. It really was an eye-opening experience for them to witness different cultures,” he added.

This past season, St Benedict’s U-16 lost the south zone final against Presentation College San Fernando. However, their senior team won the Secondary Schools Football League title and finished as runners-up, to Fatima College, in the 2022 Coca Cola Intercol.

Bernard however, believes the senior team’s recent dominant run of form has inspired his younger players to work harder and recognise that anything is possible.

“The SSFL win was good for football in south and at the school. It was amazing for us to experience success at the senior level. I know they would have wanted to win the Intercol as well but that’s how football is.

“For the new season, we’re looking forward as we have a good crop of boys, a young team. About six of them couldn’t make the trip with us since they are currently in training with the national U-17 team.

“All in all, I’m sure the senior team and U-16 teams, this year, experienced something great and gained some knowledge. We look forward to a new season in both divisions,” he added.

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

 

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