Photo: St. Georges College captain Shevon Stewart will play a big part in any success that the defeding champions have today as they begin the quest to retain the Walker Cup title.
Defending Walker Cup champions St. Georges College will begin the defense of their title on Friday when they go up against Excelsior High School at 1:00pm at the Constant Spring Field before their North Street neighbours Kingston College take on the boys from Monk Street, St. Jago High, at 3:00pm.
Both games promise to be blockbusters and a full house is expected, as the Corporate Area Schoolboy Knock Out competition begins.
STGC made hard work of what was expected to be an easy Group C in the Manning Cup and did not secure qualification to the Walker Cup until Tuesday, when they beat Eltham High and Innswood High lost to Denham Town High.
All that will be behind the ‘Light Blues’, and they will be looking forward to begin their title defense with a bang. Neville ‘Bertis’ Bell will have his team mentally prepared for this game, but he knows it will be no cake walk against the team from Mountain View Avenue.
For their part, Excelsior too did not secure qualification to the Walker Cup until Tuesday from what was a very tricky Group F. They too will be looking to make a deep run in this competition but will be aware of just how tough a task it will prove to displace the champs.
The second game of the double header is also expected to be a treat for the spectators. Upstarts Kingston College defied all the odds to comfortably win Group G ahead of the much vaunted Camperdown High. Seven wins and a draw has seen the Ludlow Bernard coached team ease into the second round of the Manning Cup as well as qualify for both knock-out competitions.
Their true ability will be tested by a determined St. Jago team that finished second in Group E behind the fancied Wolmers’ Boys team. There is a dearth when it comes on to teams from the old capital winning trophies and St. Jago is determined to change the statistics. This game, like the first, is expected to be close and a large contingent is expected to travel with the team to battle with the usually large band of Fortis fans in the stands.
The other two quarter finals will be contested at the same venue on Saturday. Beaten finalists from last year, Jamaica College, will do battle with Charlie Smith High in a rematch of the 2014 Manning Cup final at 1:00pm before Hydel High and Wolmers’ Boys do battle at 3:00pm.
All the games must produce a result and extra time of 10 minutes each half and penalties will be used to decide the outcome of games if required.
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