EVER wondered how it feels losing to the same team over and over? Just ask Waramadong Secondary School.
The school from Region 7 (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) will play three-time defending champions Christianburg/Wismar Secondary (Multi) in the semi-final of the 2015 Digicel Schools Football tournament today at the Leonora Track & Field and Football Facility from 19:00hrs. In the opening encounter of the planned double-header, Chase Academy will come up against Region 9’s powerhouse Annai Secondary in the other semi-final from 17:00hrs.
This is the fifth year the telecommunication giant is hosting the tournament and Waramadong and ‘Multi’ are actually meeting for the second time at the semi-final stage, dating back to the inaugural year (2011).
In 2011 the Lindeners went on to lose 5-3 to GTI in the final but have won every final played since then which, ironically, was also against Waramadong.
The defending champions disposed of Annandale Secondary 6-0 in their quarter-final while Waramadong trounced Berbice High School (BHS); the school from the Ancient County, 6-1.
“We’ll have to use our speed, which is a factor for us, used in all our games” said head coach of Christianburg/Wismar Secondary Anthony Stephens.
Stephens was at the time speaking to Chronicle Sport after his school’s victory at the Wisburg Secondary School ground on last Sunday and after receiving news that Waramadong will be their opposition in the semi-final.
“We’re going to have to be forceful because we know that it’s a team that’s technically intact. They base their games on build-up, knocking the ball around and keeping position and we will have to try to at least get that away from them,” Stephens said.
The ‘champs’ will turn to Kendolph Lewis who netted a hat-trick in their quarter-final win as well as Jovon Bobb and Omar Brewley who have all saved their school from elimination with their profound goal-scoring ability.
In the midfield, Multi will depend heavily on the expertise of Duquan Hercules while defensively, Amaniki Buntin and Seon Barrett Jr will man the fort.
Meanwhile, the Annai Secondary/Chase Academy clash is setting up a story of its own – two teams who have never reached this far in the tournament.
Behind coach and national player Vurlon Mills, Chase Academy is Georgetown’s only hope of bringing the trophy back to the city for the first time since GTI won the initial tournament.
Chase played their best football in the tournament during their 8-1 win over Charity. Annai Secondary, the school many consider as the ‘team to beat’ this year, showed exactly why that sentiment is being expressed with their 13-0 win over Dolphin Secondary.
“What I know is that it’s going to be a good game and we will come out on top,” exclaimed Mills, who added, “The advantage we have is speed. They are a good bunch but we can get around them. We will have to defend well also because they have two forwards who can really shoot the ball.”
The forwards Mills spoke of are the Daniels brothers, Garville and Sherral, who both scored six goals in their school’s mammoth quarter-final total.
The final will be played at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, on Sunday August 2.