Twenty-four secondary school football teams will be involved in riveting action over the next ten weeks after the Milo Under-18 Football Tournament kicked off yesterday at the Ministry of Education Ground on Carifesta Avenue.
The scorers from East Ruimveldt SecondaryBeepats’ Shellona David takes the official kickoff in the presence of Petra’s Troy Mendonca and Jackie Boodie
Prior to the commencement of the real football action, an official kickoff ceremony was conducted wherein Co-Director of the Petra Organization, Troy Mendonca, urged the youngsters to make the most of this golden opportunity to ascend on the football food chain.
Representing the sponsor, Shellona David highlighted that the company is always elated to sponsor the tournament, thus being involved in local football development.
The first game of the day and the 2020 tournament was a one-sided affair wherein President’s College enjoyed a comfortable 4-0 victory.
Their opponents, Queenstown Secondary, began ‘hot and sweaty’ challenging the President’s College forwards. However, a few near misses showed PC’s strength that was yet to be manifested through a goal.
It seems as though all President’s College needed was some hydration, as their first goal came minutes after the water break. It was scored off the boots of Montel McCalmont in the 25th minute. Three minutes later, Jeremiah Johnson made it a 2-0 game with a goal of his own.
In the second half, Shalom Chisholm netted a brace in the 41st and 69th minutes to push the score to 4-0, sealing an opening win for PC.
The encounter following this match pitted the fairly new St. Joseph’s High against Marian Academy, who have been steadily working to improve their football department. At the end of regulation time, it was the boys from Marian who were rejoicing, following a collective team effort.
Initially, the teams seemed evenly poised, with a few strong players on each side showcasing their skill, so much so that after the first goal was scored by Roland Hamilton in the 17th, no other player came close to the nets, and the score was 1-0 by the half.
In the second half of play, Chad Henry added his name to the score sheet after finding the back of the net in the 46th. Marian’s celebrations were short-lived because St. Joseph’s consolation goal came off the boots of Khalil Gittens in the 48th.
Looking as though they were about to spur a fight back St. Joseph’s upped the tempo but it only made way for more mistakes on their part.
Ricardo Percival capitalized and extended the score for Marian with a goal in the 50th. Marian won 3-1.
There were shots firing from both sides in the third game of the day, wherein St. Stanislaus College and East Ruimveldt Secondary locked horns.
East Ruimveldt controlled the encounter in the first half, with the majority of their goals coming in this segment. Cleon Wray began the scoring proceedings early with a goal in the 4th, and the next came in the 17th, from Keion Marques. Donavon Pyle netted the first of his two in the 21st, and Jermaine Harris joined the party in the 24th with a goal of his own.
Devonte Cummings later found the back of the net in the 31st for a 5-0 score by the half.
When play resumed in the second, Donavon Pyle complete his brace in the 42nd. However, a minute later Isaiah Jackson netted Saints’ first goal.
Although they have not been the best team around, St. Stanislaus has shown vast improvement and gave a glimpse of their steady progress in the latter minutes of the game.
Jodel Fernandes (49) and Shawn Robertson (54) each had one to save face for Saints in the encounter, which ended in East Ruimveldt’s favour 6-3.
Action in the eighth edition of this Milo tournament will continue today at the same venue, when the Bishops’ High School will take on Cummings Lodge in the first game at 12:00hrs; followed by defending champions Christianburg-Wismar Secondary coming up against Golden Grove at 13:45hrs, and 2019 runners-up Lodge Secondary doing battle with Ann’s Grove at 15:00hrs. (Jemima Holmes)
