San Juan North Secondary, the defending National Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Boys’ InterCol champion will go after a second straight national title when it faces Shiva Boys’ Hindu College at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, from 5pm today.
Prior to the Boys’ final, the National Girls’ InterCol decider between Bishop Anstey High School (Port-of-Spain) and Pleasantville Secondary will take place from 3pm.
However, all eyes will be on the clash between the Jerry Moe-coached San Juan North, which edged another South team, Presentation College of San Fernando 1-0 in last year’s decider, and Shiva Boys.
Last week at the same venue in the semi-finals, San Juan North got a strike from Renaldo Boyce, his sixth of the competition to edge Signal Hill Secondary 1-0 while coach Hayden Ryan had national Under-20 goalkeeper Denzil James to thank after he made three saves in the penalty-kicks shoot-out to earn Shiva Boys a 3-2 win over Carapichaima East Secondary after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
Should San Juan North, which ended a ten-year drought by lifting the crown last year, take home the title today for a third time in the school’s history, it will become the first team since St Anthony’s College in 2011 and 2012 to win back-to-back national InterCol crowns, and also the first school to achieve the same feat since the Premier Division was introduced in 2014. It is that history which captain Renaldo Boyce hopes will get them over the line but he indicated that winning must start from within.
“The main concern for our team is really controlling our thoughts and emotions. It will be a very emotional game because we could make history by winning the InterCol back to back. “The hard work our team puts out is with motivation and the aim of winning it back to back.”
Shiva Boys meanwhile, are hoping to end a season which promised so much, but ended in chaos and demotion due to administrative mix-ups on their part by lifting a first national InterCol crown to add to their maiden Premier Division title triumph from last year.
Their captain, Judah Garcia said his team had to dig deep in that semi final but should continue to find motivation to win it all on Monday to redeem his team’s season. “I want to say thanks to the guys for putting this behind us.
This InterCol means a lot to us because losing the league in the protest room and not on the field the guys are sure to tell you that we are going out to come out with nothing less than a victory,” he said.
Spectators at today’s match will also have a chance to win door prizes inclusive of two Play Station 4 consoles, and an iPhone 8 while reigning two-time Soca Monarch champion Voice will perform live.
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