Calabar High School and Camperdown High signed off the preliminary round of the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Digicel Manning Cup on a positive note as they played out a 1-1 stalemate in their final Zone D encounter at Red Hills Road on Saturday.

Jahreem McKenzie fired Camperdown in front in the 25th minute, but that effort was cancelled out by Jayden Perry (30th), who ensured Calabar remain upbeat heading into the second round for the first time in seven years.

With the point, Calabar ended second on 23 points, two points behind STATHS, who blanked Haile Selassie 5-0 in the other group contest. Vauxhall (13 points) ended third ahead of Camperdown (12 points), Haile Selassie (12 points) and Kingston Technical (zero).

Calabar’s Head coach Andrew Price was pleased with the effort of his fringe players.

“It was basically an audition for some of the players that didn’t get any playing time throughout the round. So we took a look at them as we go into the second round, and I must say well done to the team for this round, but the work just begins now; we have to be steadfast and resolute in our preparation for the second round because we know we are going to come up against tougher opposition,” Price said in a post-game interview.

Despite already being through to the next round of the competition, Calabar were in no mood to relent, as they were spirited at the start and looked more threatening in open play of the early exchanges. They created a few half chances but couldn’t get on target.

That allowed Camperdown to break the deadlock against the run of play when McKenzie got on the end of a through pass and confidently finished his third of the season.

However, the lead was short-lived as Calabar pulled level when Camperdown’s goalkeeper Roshawn Gilroy failed to advance to a loose ball and Perry capitalised with a close range finish to also register his third of the season.

The second half offered very little to write home about, though Calabar asserted their authority on the contest and bossed possession. Still, chances were at a premium, as the Red Hills Road boys only had a couple half looks on goal, which amounted to nothing.

The stalemate left Camperdown’s coach, Karume Huie, beaming with pride at the strides made by his young team, though they missed out on the second round.

“Yes, disappointed that we didn’t make the next round, but in live you see a light at the end of the tunnel and so I am proud of my boys. I gave some 13- and 14-year-olds a chance to play in this game, so it’s a work in progress, and we will bounce back stronger next year,” Huie declared.

Saturday’s results

Calabar 1, Camperdown 1

STATHS 5, Haile Selassie 0

Mona 1, Charlie Smith 0

Vauxhall 6, Kingston Technical 2

Jamaica College 7, Bridgeport 1

As the battle for top spot in the highly competitive Group A continues, Hydel High positioned themselves well for an ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup second round berth, after coming from behind to edge Calabar High 2-1 at Red Hills Road on Saturday.

Not only did the win propel Hydel ahead of Calabar on goal difference, with both sitting on 12 points behind leaders Kingston College (18 points), but the manner in which it came, added impetus to their ambitions that they can challenge for the title.

Omario Henry (29th) and D’Sean Henry (73rd), with his fifth goal of the season, saw the Ferry-based team –which ended with 10 players after Kailand Smith picked up a second yellow in the 56^th minute –to the points. Isaac Clarke (15th) gave Calabar an early lead.

Winning coach Devon Anderson was delighted by the grit and character demonstrated by his team.

“It was a hard-fought game, we went down to 10 players, but we didn’t panic because I know the ability of the kids and I know we could have pulled it off. We started the season with a goal to win the Manning Cup and no matter how difficult it seems that goal hasn’t changed, but we take it one game at a time,” Anderson said in a post-match interview.

Despite falling behind when Clarke’s shot from a distance somehow eluded the goalkeeper, Hydel continued to show purpose and eventually found the equalizer when D’Sean Henry broke down the right channel and played a cross in for Omario Henry to finish.

The score remained unchanged at the break and Calabar, like they did at the start, were more spirited on the resumption and seemed well poised for victory when Smith was given marching orders.

However, the Red Hills Road boys failed to make the numerical advantage count on home soil and later paid the price when D’Sean Henry on the break, lobbed a left-footed effort over the head of the advancing keeper, who left his line and was caught in no man’s land.

Try as they did, Calabar couldn’t find the elusive equalizer which left their Head coach Andrew Price, somewhat disappointed.

“I think we gave up an opportunity to collect all three points, the game was decided on a goalkeeping error, but these are young players so they will learn. We are not going burden them with too much pressure we just have the get it right the next time. I think we gave as much as we got from this Hydel team so, all in all, it was a good game and it will serve us well for the rest of the season,” Price shared.

Saturday’s results

Calabar 1, Hydel 2

Jose Marti 0, Campion College 1

Waterford 0, St George’s College 3

Ascot High 0, St Jago 4

Andrew Price has been appointed as Head Coach of Calabar’s Manning Cup team, the school announced in a statement on Friday.

Price is a seasoned coaching professional with over 30 years of experience as a player and coach.

He was the National Premier League’s Coach of the year in 2012 and was the assistant coach of the Reggae Girlz team that participated in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.

Additionally, Price continues to mentor and support youngsters through the Boys’ Town Football Club, with whom he has been associated for the past 20 years.

According to the statement released by Calabar on Friday, Price will be “responsible for the overall football programme and for coaching the Under-19 football team to develop students’ skills so that they may excel in football.”

The statement continued: “He is expected to deliver a competitive programme that contributes to the holistic development of the students in keeping with the school’s objective of producing rounded, capable young men with excellent leadership skills.”

Calabar are three-time winners of the Manning Cup with their latest triumph coming in 2005.

Corey Bennett has been appointed the head track and field coach at Calabar High School, the school announced Wednesday.

Bennett replaces Michael Clarke, whose tenure at the Red Hills Road high school, ended with his resignation in March. Clarke led Calabar High to nine of their 28 titles at the ISSA Boys and Girls’ Championships.

Bennett was head coach at Hydel High School, transforming them into a perennial contender challenging Edwin Allen’s dominance of the championships over the last decade. He was also an assistant coach at St Jago High School and Wolmer’s Boys.

Bennett has big shoes to fill at Calabar, the second most successful high school at Boys Champs if he is to equal or surpass Clarke’s legacy.

According to a statement released by Calabar on Wednesday, the new head coach will be responsible for “leading and managing the track and field programme and for coaching the team within the established school guidelines.”

The statement continued: “It is expected that he will build on the well-established foundation laid by his predecessors to hone and execute, along with his team, a competitive programme that is marked by exemplary sportsmanship, athletic excellence and unquestioned integrity while safeguarding the educational welfare of the student-athletes, all within the framework of  the school’s mission.”

In recent years, Bennett has been instrumental in the development of some of jamaica's most outstanding junior athletes including NCAA 400m silver medallist Charokee Young, Carifta 2022 200m champion Brianna Lyston, Kerrica Hill and Alana Reid.

Bennett was recently the head coach of Jamaica's team for the 49th edition of the Carifta Games held in Kingston in April.

Jamaica won a record 92 medals at the championships including 45 gold medals.