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Death of player's mom ignites Wolmer's

Wolmer’s, ‘Charlie’ advance to Walker Cup semis

BY SANJAY MYERS Observer staff reporter myerss@jamaicaobserver.com

Saturday, October 19, 2013

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TITLE-HOLDERS Wolmer's Boys' overcame an emotional atmosphere at the Constant Spring field yesterday to hammer Spanish Town High 4-0 and soar into the semi-final of the ISSA/LIME Walker Cup Knockout competition.

Jaheel Hyde led Wolmer's with goals in the 69th and 82nd minutes after Jordan James opened the scoring in the 18th.

Demar Rose, whose mother Farrah Smith died during childbirth on Wednesday, notched Wolmer's' other goal with a 62nd-minute header.

Rose and his teammates, who all wore symbolic black armbands, celebrated that second goal with telling intensity and even fans joined in, displaying T-shirts with the image of Smith on the front.

After the match, a teary-eyed Rose said he "dedicated" the goal and the victory to the memory of his mother. The Jamaica Observer understands that Rose's baby brother survived a day before also passing away on Thursday.

Meanwhile, in the first match of the double-header at the venue, Charlie Smith turned back Holy Trinity High 2-1 to set up an enticing semi-final clash with Wolmer's on Tuesday.

Bebeto McDonald and substitute Shamar Pryce got the goals for Charlie Smith in the 33rd and 59th minutes, respectively. Shamar Stephenson temporarily pulled Holy Trinity level in the 53rd minute.

In the feature quarter-final encounter, Spanish Town, playing without influential attacker Nathaniel Leslie due to suspension, never looked like troubling Wolmer's and they went behind early when James scored.

Rose, the co-captain of the team, doubled the advantage 17 minutes into the second half when he expertly nodded in from a right-sided cross.

Spanish Town, who were pinned inside their half for long spells, went further behind when Hyde, the sprint hurdles gold medallist at the 2013 World Youth Championships, took control of the ball in the final third and sped past a defender before sliding his shot beneath the advancing goalkeeper Sean Paul Desouza.

The misery for the St Catherine-based team continued in the 77th minute when Lloyd Duhaney received a second yellow card and was sent off.

Hyde put the icing on the cake five minutes later when he drilled home a left-footer from 22 yards.

Earlier, Holy Trinity, exhibiting ample composure and maturity in midfield, hit the crossbar during a first half they mostly dominated, but it was Charlie Smith who opened the scoring when McDonald picked up a ball after Ryan Smith's dribble into the Holy Trinity penalty box and blasted into an empty net.

Holy Trinity equalised eight minutes into the second half when a free-kick was awarded for a foul on Shamar Dillon on the edge of the box. Stephenson's low shot went through the parted defensive wall and into the net.

Soon after, however, Pryce scored when he cut in from the right and clipped home a left-footer to restore the lead.

Charlie Smith ended the stronger of the teams and though Holy Trinity pressed for the equaliser, some rock-solid defending from the South St Andrew-based team comfortably held them at bay.

The other semi-finalists will be decided today when St George's College battle Hydel High at 1:00 pm and Jamaica College face Excelsior High at 3:00 pm. Both matches will be played at Constant Spring.

Read more: jamaicaobserver.com/sport/Wolmer-s--baller-dedicates-goal----p----p-to-deceased-mother

Classy quartet poised for mouth-watering semis

Published: Tuesday | November 12, 2013 0 Comments
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Marc Stamp, Gleaner Writer

Today's semi-finals in the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/LIME Walker Cup knockout football competition promises two exciting matchups at the Constant Spring Sports Complex.

In the first of the double-header, St George's College square off against Excelsior High at 1 p.m., to be followed by defending champions Wolmer's Boys meeting Charlie Smith High at 3 p.m.

Having missed out on the Walker Cup title last season, St George's, who won the Manning Cup and Olivier Shield titles in 2012, will certainly be looking to make a clean sweep of all silverwares available.

St George's College head coach, Neville 'Bertis' Bell, says he expects a tough challenge from the Excelsior team.

"It's going to be a tough game for us as they (Excelsior) are a hard-working team. However, we wanted to be here and we are confident," Bell, who guided the North Street-based institution to the Triple Crown in 2011, told The Gleaner yesterday morning.

"We are happy to be in both semi-finals, but I am not totally pleased with the performances as it has been up and down for us," Bell pointed out.

He also said many persons had doubts about the team and predicted that they would not advance from the group in the preliminary stage.

"We lost about eight or nine top players from the team last year and many persons doubted us. But we are not surprised at the team's progress in both competitions," he disclosed.

Ryan Miller, the captain, is the leading goalscorer with 16 and the former national Under-17 captain is expected to get good support from other former national youth representatives such as Cordel Benbow, Oshane Boothe, Martin Davis and Amoy Brown, as well as Shevon Stewart and Gregory Messam.

"He (Ryan Miller) is a very talented player who came in from the Under-14 level. He plays anywhere. However, his style of leaving the 'hole' at times can hurt us," Bell shared.

Meanwhile, Excelsior's head coach, Lebert Halliman, thinks the odds are against his team.

"We will be playing three games in seven days and two of them are at 1 p.m., which is very taxing on my team, compared to our opponents, who played just one game in seven days," Halliman told The Gleaner yesterday.

Overwhelming favourites

"It will affect my team as St George's is a quality team and so they are overwhelming favourites going into the semi-finals. However, we are going to give it our best shot. We have to score our chances and hope that they will have an off day," the veteran schoolboy coach shared.

For victory Excelsior will rely mainly on key player Kareem Banton, Romaine Hosang and captain Hishrock Francis.

In the second game, another interesting duel is expected. Charlie Smith is the only team in the Walker Cup semis that is not in the Manning Cup last four, so they will come highly motivated to win the game against the champions.

Charlie Smith, coached by Jerome Waite, have goalkeeper Leon Taylor, Odane Samuels, Bebeto McDonald, Kimani Arbouine and Shaquille Dyer as their main players.

The Ludlow Bernard-coached Wolmer's are unbeaten in both the Manning and Walker Cup competitions so far, and will be determined to continue their unbeaten run. They have a potent attacking force that includes Jaheel Hyde, Jordan James, Khori Bennett and Demar Rose.

The winners of each semi-final will advance to the final, which is tentatively set for November 27 at a venue to be decided by ISSA.

Wolmer's lift Walker Cup

Published: Friday | November 29, 2013 0 Comments


Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

Wolmer's Boys successful defended their Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/LIME Walker Cup Knockout title, with an exciting 4-2 penalty shoot-out victory over Excelsior High at the Constant Spring Sports Complex yesterday.

The Ludlow Bernard-coached Wolmer's were forced to play extra-time in a major schoolboy football final for the second time in less than a week after the game ended at 1-1 at full and extra time.

Kimario Osbourne netted the opening goal for Wolmer's in the 37th minute but Colorado Murray netted the equaliser for Excelsior in the 76th minute to send the match into extra time.

Wolmer's custodian Dane Lee was the hero for his team in the shoot-out when he saved two penalty kicks from Excelsior's Kurtis Christie and Samuel Halliman. Demar Rose, Jaheel Hyde, Chavez Brooks and Osbourne converted from the spot for Wolmer's.

It was a bitter-sweet day for the boys from Heroes Circle, who lost 3-2 in extra time to Jamaica College in the Manning Cup final last Saturday.

"The season has ended with us restoring some lost pride," said Bernard. "It was good to see the effort from the players this afternoon because they really gave their all.

"However, I was a bit worried when Excelsior started to dominate the latter parts of the game, but my players battled away and they were quite adamant that they were not going home empty-handed," he said.

On the other hand, Excelsior's coach Leebert Halliman was gracious in defeat.

"I think we did well because the boys gave it their best shot," said Halliman.

He added: "I think the lack of experience affected us in the penalty shoot-out because two players that we expected to score didn't score, but it just is one of those days.

Skilful Osbourne

Wolmer's dominated the early exchanges as they created a number of clear chances, but excellent goalkeeping from Excelsior's Jonah Morgan kept them at bay. Osbourne should have given Wolmer's the lead in the 25th minute, but his weak shot from 12 metres was saved by Morgan.

The speedy and skilful Osbourne then made up for his early miss when he evaded the Excelsior offside trap to lob the ball over the head of the advancing Morgan.

Excelsior, however, came out firing in the second stanza, as they had their opponents on the backfoot for most of the half. They were finally rewarded when Murray scored the equaliser with a beautiful 20-metre free kick past Lee. Christopher Thorpe came close to netting the winner for Excelsior five minutes later but his powerful shot from 15 metres was turned behind for a corner kick by Lee.