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2024 Secondary Schools Football League boys' Big 5 championship division playoff winners Carapichaima East Secondary.
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CARAPACHAIMA East Secondary (six points), Scarborough Secondary (five points) and Trinity College Moka (six points) sealed promotion for the 2025 season of the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) premier division on a dramatic final day in the boys' Big 5 championship division playoffs on January 21.

Heading into the final two matches in the five-team competition, four schools still had hopes of gaining premier division promotion. When the dust settled, Central championship division winners Carapichaima claimed the Big 5 crown via a superior goal difference after playing to a 1-1 draw with Scarborough, with East winners Hillview College being the odd school to miss out on a promotion spot.

At St Mary's recreation ground in Freeport, the Tobago championship division winners had their fate in their hands when they met table-toppers "Caps East" – needing at least a draw to secure a top three spot.

After a tense, goalless first half, the hosts Carapichaima took the lead just after the hour mark when Damarion Boswell scored from just inside the area with a thumping right-footed shot into the top corner.

Scarborough wasn't about to back down, though, and they got a precious equaliser in the 75th minute through Jesuron Woods. The goal could arguably be the biggest in Woods' young career as it will now guarantee his school a spot in the SSFL's top flight, with Scarborough now set to replace relegated Tobago outfit Speyside Secondary.

At the Manny Ramjohn Stadium training field in Marabella, the cellar-placed Pleasantville Secondary were playing for pride and also had the chance to dash the promotion dreams of their opponents Trinity.

With Hillview (five points) on a bye and still in promotion contention before kickoff, the interest of their fans and players would have been piqued when Enesio Williams scored to give Pleasantville a 1-0 lead by the end of the first half.

With Pleasantville still leading by a 1-0 margin, the game was turned on its head in the second half when referee Cecile Hinds sent off two players from the southern school for their involvement in an off-the-ball incident. Pleasantville's Jelani Roberts took exception to the antics of a Trinity player after making a challenge, and the incident soon escalated into a fracas as teammate Jahiem Phillip also got involved.

After the officials calmed things down, both Roberts and Phillip were given their marching orders as Pleasantville were reduced to nine men.

With the numerical advantage, Trinity took the ascendancy as goals from Jaeden Samuel and Jashon Forde gave them a 2-1 lead and put their promotion pushback on track.

Still, Pleasantville went down with a fight as a late goal from Ahjahidi Noray earned them a 2-2 draw to see them finishing the competition on two points.

Trinity finished second behind Carapichaima, with Scarborough finishing third. Unfortunately for Hillview, their five-point tally was only good enough for fourth spot.

SSFL boys' championship division Big 5 playoffs:

Teams*GP*W*D*L*GF*GA*GD*Pts

Carapichaima East*4*1*3*0*5*3*2*6

Trinity Moka*4*1*3*0*5*4*1*6

Scarborough Secondary*4*1*2*1*6*5*1*5

Hillview College*4*1*2*1*4*4*0*5

Pleasantville Secondary*4*0*2*2*3*7*-4*2


SOURCE: T&T Newsday