The Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) has officially terminated the senior high school football season by canceling the highly anticipated Champions Cup tournament. This decisive action has drawn expressions of profound disappointment from prominent coaches across Jamaica’s scholastic athletic community.
The Champions Cup, a prestigious knockout competition featuring elite teams from both the urban-area Manning Cup and rural-zone daCosta Cup, was originally scheduled to commence this Tuesday. The event’s cancellation follows a series of prior disruptions to the academic athletic calendar, primarily caused by Hurricane Melissa’s passage in late October, which necessitated the rescheduling of both senior and junior tournaments.
Raymond Watson, head coach of Manning Cup finalists Jamaica College (JC), conveyed his profound dissatisfaction with the decision. He revealed that his entire squad and coaching staff were eagerly anticipating the competition, viewing it as a final opportunity to secure silverware this season after falling short in their championship bid against Excelsior High.
Echoing these sentiments, Hector Wright of Ben Francis Cup finalists Cornwall College described his disappointment in his inaugural season as head coach. Wright emphasized his particular regret that his players would be denied the valuable experience of competing at the elite level, though he maintained philosophical perspective about the situation.
Prior to the official cancellation, there had been active discussions about potentially expanding the Champions Cup format to include finalists from both the Walker Cup and Ben Francis Cup competitions, alongside the top four teams from the Manning and daCosta tournaments. This proposed expansion aimed to create a more inclusive and comprehensive championship event.
ISSA issued a concise press release on Sunday justifying its decision to terminate the season, citing significant logistical complications in organizing the tournament at this particular time of year. The association confirmed the decision was made in consultation with its stakeholders while expressing optimism for the successful staging of next season’s competitions. Glenmuir High remains the back-to-back reigning champion of the now-canceled tournament.