Defending champs in race against time

SCHOOLBOY FOOTBALL is set to resume next weekend after the disruption caused by Hurricane Melissa, with Manning Cup action returning in the Corporate Area on Friday and the daCosta Cup for rural schools kicking off the following day.

While teams in the Manning Cup were spared the worst of the hurricane, it was a different story for many daCosta Cup units, with significant damage being the overarching theme — especially in the western end of the island.

Even teams in central Jamaica, like defending champions Garvey Maceo, were not spared. Head Coach Lester Hibbert made it clear that his squad needed more time to properly prepare for the restart.

“Definitely, we needed more time to prepare for the restart of the competition, as our school was also affected by the hurricane. We had no electricity and water, and there were damages to certain sections of the school,” said Hibbert.

“The boys just got back to camp five days ago after being out for nearly three weeks. After missing training for two to three days, reversibility stepped in, so they’re now back to square one. We still haven’t got back our full squad into training, and not having players close by is a big problem,” he continued.

According to Hibbert, it will be tough to get the boys back to the level they were at before the break, with only a few days left before competition resumes next weekend.

“This is a lot, but it is what it is. We just have to work with what we have. It’s out of our control, as the organisers make the decisions. However, the boys want to finish strong, and just want to go out there and play some good football for the remainder of the season,” Hibbert concluded.