“The brave may fall but never yield.” This is the motto that Kingston College has used to spur many victories in different sporting disciplines throughout their existence. On Saturday, November 23, they knew that it would require a brave approach to conquer the likes of Clarendon College in the final of the 2019 Champions Cup.
Kingston College only had one chance to take silverware from the schoolboy football season and they made use of it as they basked in the moment of a crucial 1-0 victory over a talented Clarendon College at the National Stadium in Kingston.
Man of the Match, Renaldo Robinson, was the Fortis hero as he registered a prepossessing goal minutes after his teammate missed a crucial penalty. KC’s performance diffused to the stands where Clarendon College supporters were aplenty, but silence spanned the rural area crowd as Kinston College 12th man stood to their feet knowing that faith has been renewed for the purple and white.
“It is an emotional feeling because I wanted to win the Manning Cup again so, come today we were focused, last night we give our phones, didn’t have our phones none at all so I think we came in this match quite ready” said Renaldo Brown, the only goal scorer in the matchup.
Kingston College was the underdogs going into the battle on Saturday as their opponents, Clarendon College has not been defeated in all competitions since 2017. KC entered the encounter with wounds as they were just coming from a semi-finals defeat in the manning cup from Jamaica College, and many questions were being asked about their mental status and how tired the team is because of the proximity of their matches to each other.
But as I said, Kingston College needed the input of all stakeholders and the creative minds of the coach and each player and on the day, they got everything right and in the end reaped the benefits.
Coach Ludlow Bernard, “This evening we really planned a masterpiece, I think it worked to perfection this evening, the guys believed in it even when we made a couple of changes to the team and persons were wondering, but it was all deliberate.” He also hinted at his departure as coach of the North Street-based institution.” Ludlow Bernard is going the take a sabbatical and will have to sit and discuss with families and everybody because I’ve really spent quite a bit of time here at Kingston College. It is a joy working with these players.”
KC became the first school to win the competition twice as they were champions in 2017 before Cornwall College became the first rural area champions in 2018. They now hold over 33 schoolboy football title in across the different competitions.
(PHOTO: Marlon Reid)
