TEAMS REACH GROUP OF 32 IN D’CUP, POSITIVE ABOUT ADVANCE
OCHO RIOS, St Ann; Oct. 9, 2025
Three schools from St Ann have gone on to the round of 32 in the rural area daCosta Cup football competition.
They are runaway winners of Zone K Ocho Rios High, second place Fencourt High, and York Castle High, one of the best third-place qualifiers.
The team management and coaches acknowledge that the next stage will be tough.
(Ferncourt team members at a practice session)
Reaching this far is not a regular position for Ferncourt High of Claremont. Andrew Holland, Sports Coordinator at the school, said the team had set this as one of its goals for this year.
He said they deserved to be there as “the coach and team had put in a lot of hard work.”
(Ferncourt team)
He also gave credit to Tyrone Rose manager, who is a past student of the school. He said the contribution of the past students was invaluable.
“We are going into the next round and the objective is to win,” Mr Holland said. Of the St Ann Schools, based on history and form, Ferncourt is in the least challenging zone with STETHS, Knox College, and Maldon High.
YORK CASTLE
(Members of the York Castle team )
Garfield Reid, coach at York Castle High, says the team has done well, having started sluggishly, and considering that last year they were able to get only two points from two draws in the first round.
He said a big change in the team was their recruitment of goalkeeper Tyrel Wisdom. He made mention of strong team members Chadoye Higgins and Antoyne Cunningham. Mr Holland also mentioned “exciting midfielder” 12-year-old Denario Brown, who is part of the first team.. York Castle is in a group with Port Antonio High and Clarendon College. (2 PORTLAND SCHOOLS, 1 ST MARY INTO D’CUP NEXT ROUND
We are here to compete and we will give it our best shot,” Reid said.
OCHO RIOS
For their part, Ocho Rios High accomplished what was widely expected, easily winning their zone, ‘K’, consisting of St Ann teams. However, manager Eyan Kean is ruing the draw in a match against Brown’s Town that prevented Ocho Rios from getting full maximum 30 points, rather than the 28 they secured.
(Part of the Ochi High Squad)
He said that having scored more than 50 goals in the zone, “We (Ocho Rios High) have demonstrated to everybody that we are capable of destroying any defense.” Kaniel Brown has been the team’s top marksman.
Ocho Rios is in a tough group (2) with multi-time winners Rusea’s High as well as Petersfield and Maggotty High.
