‘It will be war’
Much-improved Merl Grove promise ‘tooth and nail’ fight against Excelsior
Published:Monday | February 17, 2025 | 9:56 AMGregory Bryce/Staff Reporter
NEO OXFORD, head coach of Merl Grove High, said his players will be fighting tooth and nail in their ISSA Tip Friendly Society School Girls Football season opener today against eight-time defending champions Excelsior High.
The match, set to kick off at 3:30 p.m., will be the second game of the afternoon as Meadowbrook and Tivoli Gardens will open the doubleheader when they face off at the Excelsior High School field at 1 p.m.
Merl Grove’s fixture against the reigning champions will be a baptism of fire for incoming head coach Oxford who joined the school’s programme in November last year.
The last time the two teams faced off against each other, Excelsior battered Merl Grove 24-0 in a staggering display.
Oxford said it will be a much-improved Merl Grove unit this time around when they take to the field.
“We’re approaching the game like any other one as three points are on the table and that is what we’re coming for,” the Merl Grove coach said ahead of the match.
“The girls understand the assignment. They’ve played Excelsior before but what they did last year, I guarantee it won’t happen again this year. It won’t be as easy for them, but as I said, we’re coming to play for three points so it will be war on the field.”
Oxford draws confidence in his charges after their performance in the preseason where they won the inaugural Merl Grove Classics tournament, defeating Immaculate Conception, Kingston Football Academy, and Hillel.
Their opponents, Excelsior, will enter the fixture as the pre-match favourites with their head coach, Xavier Gilbert, backing his team to bring home their ninth straight title.
Gilbert, however, warned this year’s title defence will not be as smooth as it has been in recent years, explaining how young his squad is.
“It’s a new season and we have a different set of players. I think they can get the job done but I know it will take some time for them to really gel and work together,” he explained.
“It is a young unit and I think they are good enough to take home the title but other teams are also good enough to beat us. It’s going to be tough but I think the quality is there to take home the title.”
With his focus on their season opener, Gilbert is expecting a tricky outing against Merl Grove as he is aware it will be a much changed unit since the two teams last played.
“They are a totally different team now. They have a new coach and some new players, so it will be a totally different ball game this time around. I think if we are not smart in terms of what we do on the field, then they will have a chance to beat us.”
The fixtures will open Zone F of the first round with the top two teams of each zone, and the next two best third-placed teams, set to advance to the quarterfinals.
Today’s games
Zone F
Meadowbrook vs Tivoli at Excelsior High (1 p.m.)
Excelsior vs Merl Grove at Excelsior High (3:30 p.m.)