Nine-time central zone champions Carapichaima will possibly face its toughest test yet, when it faces the only team to win every match this season, Presentation College of San Fernando, in the BGTT/First Citizens Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Big-Five final from 4 pm, today.
The encounter will follow the Girls’ Big-Four final showdown between Tobago’s Bishop’s High and South Zone’s Debe Secondary, which kicks off at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, at 2 pm.
Today’s matches will be played just two days before the start of the boys’ Coca-Cola InterCol zonal quarterfinals in Central and East. All teams in the Big-Five competition—which comprises the winners of each zones—are on a bye for the first round.
Central winners Carapichaima, which edged out Chaguanas North for the zonal crown, is up against South’s Presentation College. “Caps” had the daunting task of facing the defending champion, St Anthony’s College, which by some was favourite to win at least the Big-Five crown, in the semifinal of the competition a week ago.
Stunning all and sundry, Carapichaima, playing close to home at the Ato Boldon Stadium, in Couva, advanced via a 1-0 victory, inflicted by a Marvin Martin 71st minute item, effectively ending the “Tigers’” 33-match unbeaten run in all SSFL competitions.
It was a win for all Caps’ faithful to remember, after St Anthony’s won the Big-Five final last year against the same team. A win with so many implications would only spur on the most celebrated school in the region, against today’s opposition.
Presentation College, had no intentions of slowing down after one of its finest ever showings in the zonal competition. It will also aim to capitalise on its second visit to the Big-Five final in four years.
Shawn Cooper’s boys have been almost flawless in the campaign thus far. After sealing three points in every league match, they advanced to the Big-Five quarterfinal, where they sealed a 1-0 victory over East winners Arima North Secondary.
Then, in the last four stage, Presentation recorded another economical victory via another one-goal margin (2-1) when they defeated Scarborough Secondary, in Tobago, five days ago.
The Girls’ match-up is expected to be an exciting one, and Debe Secondary, which has had success consistently over the past several years, will start as the favourite.
Debe, which has won every league match this season eased into the final of the competition against a team which missed the same achievement, by just one draw in the East Zone. Debe whipped St Augustine Secondary 3-0, a scoreline which not many expected from two of the sturdiest girl’s teams in the country.
The semifinal stage also produced another surprising result as Bishop’s High, the winner of Tobago’s league competition, held off one of the title favourites St Francois with a 1-0 win. Kristen Julien’s 20th minute goal was the deciding factor. Bishop’s had the luxury of a lively crowd support. Today, in turn, Bishop’s will have to endure the support which Debe is expected to receive in the first match in the Southern stadium.
Today’s Fixtures - Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella
Girls’ Big-Four final
Bishop’s High (Tobago) vs Debe Sec, 2 pm
Boys’ Big-Five final
Carapichaima vs Presentation, 4 pm.