UPRISING YOUTHS, SKHY FC and San Juan Jabloteh emerged winners of the Under- 11, Under-13 and Under-15 divisions respectively when the Republic Cup National Youth Football League finals were run off Saturday at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar. Jabloteh came to the finals as the only club to have survived to the final four in every age group, but in the end, the titles were shared.
Penalty-spot shootouts decided every game in the finals of the Under-11 age group. San Juan Jabloteh won 5-4 on kicks at the expense of Cap-Off Youths following a goalless draw in the first of the semis. Trendsetter Hawks and Uprising Youths also drew goalless, and it was Uprising who prevailed 6-5 in the ensuing shootout.
Yet another goalless draw in the third-place playoff resulted in a third shootout, and Trendsetter Hawks took the bronze medals after winning 4-2 from the spot against Cap-Off Youths. In the final, Jabloteh’s Larry Noel ended the age group goal drought, but only for Luke Phillip to find an equaliser for Uprising Youths.
The 1-1 result led to yet another shootout, in which Uprising prevailed 3-2 to claim the Under-11 championship. Uprising’s Luke Phillip was also named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the division.
The Under-13 finals were dominated by SKHY FC, the club of TT Pro League CEO Dexter Skeene. In the semis, Justin Araujo- Wilson netted twice and Naim Pompey and Marc Warfe added one each, as SKHY dropped WEZ Pro by 4 goals to nil. St Ann’s Rangers defeated Jabloteh 2-1 in the other semi-final, courtesy a double from Jean-Heim Mc Fee.
Daniel Davis scored Jabloteh’s lone item.
Jabloteh slammed WEZ Pro 4-1 for the bronze medals, while Araujo and Warfe struck again as SKHY beat Rangers 2-0 in the final; SKHY’s Araujo was later named MVP of the Under-13 division.
There was no shortage of goals in the Under-15 playoffs. WASA FC and Cap-Off Youths battled to a 3-3 draw, and WASA won the shootout 5-4 to advance to the final. San Juan Jabloteh edged Uprising Youths 2-1 to join them.
Uprising then took the bronze medals, scoring a 2-1 win over Cap-Off Youths.
In the final, Jabloteh finally broke their sequence of disappointments, Miles Oliver striking in the 14th and 40th minutes to earn them a 2-1 victory over WASA, and with it, the senior boys’ title. Jabloteh’s Keseon St Rose also had the pleasure of being named Under-15 MVP.
The Republic Cup is officially recognised by the Football Association as the National Youth Football League.
2015 Republic Bank National Youth Cup Champion Teams
Under-11: Uprising Youths
Under-13: SKHY FC
Under-15: San Juan Jabloteh
Most Valuable Players
Under-11: Luke Phillip (Uprising Youths)
Under-13: Justin Araujo-Wilson (SKHY)
Under-15: Keseon St Rose (San Juan Jabloteh)
Semifinal and Final Results
(Under-11)
San Juan Jabloteh 0, Cap Off Youths 0, Semifinal;
*—Jabloteh won 5-4 via kicks from the penalty mark
Trendsetter Hawks 0, Uprising Youths 0, Semifinal;
Uprising Youths won 6-5 via kicks from the penalty mark
Cap Off Youths 0, Trendsetter Hawks 0, Third place play off;
Trendsetter Hawks won 4-2 via kicks from the penalty mark
Uprising Youths 1 (Luke Phillip 28), San Juan Jabloteh 1 (Larry Noel 13 pen), Final;
Uprising Youths won 3-2 via kicks from the penalty mark
(Under-13)
SKHY FC 4 (Justin Araujo-Wilson 8, 35, Naim Pompey 11, Marc Wharfe 21), WEZ Pro 0, Semifinal;
St Ann’s Rangers 2 (Jean-Heim McFee 9, 39), San Juan Jabloteh 1 (Daniel Davis 25), Semifinal;
San Juan Jabloteh 4 (Dorian Sampson 15, Real Gill 20, Tafari Haynes 32, Daniel David 45), WEZ Pro 1 (Isaiah Neptune 6), Third place play off;
SKHY FC 2 (Marc Wharfe 13, Justin Araujo-Wilson 49), St Ann’s Rangers 0, Final;
(Under-15)
WASA FC 3 (Emmanuel Cumberbatch 30, Brandon Semper 50, Tevis Byron 53), Cap Off Youths 3 (Cephas Cedeno 11, Mark Ramdeen 31, Jevaughn Humphrey 35), Semifinal;
WASA won 5-4 via kicks from the penalty mark
San Juan Jabloteh 2 (Miles Oliver 9, Raheim Jawahir 39), Uprising Youths 1 (Jameel Pierre 48), Semifinal;
Uprising Youths 2 (Zyon Bristol 37, Adrian Henry 50), Cap Off Youths 1 (Tyrique Muhammad 60), Third place play off;
San Juan Jabloteh 2 (Keseon St Rose 14, 40), WASA FC 1 (Tevis Byron 32), Final, 3.30 pm