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Rusea’s High rebuilding, but Davis remains positive
August 27, 2024
Paul 'Tegat' Davis, head coach of many-time champions Rusea's High, says though expectations may be high for the upcoming ISSA daCosta Cup football season, it will be a tough year for the team as they are rebuilding.
Davis, who has been with the team over a year now, told STAR Sports that a short preseason is making things challenging.
"It has been very hard. We only have one month of preseason, and it has been a rocky road for preparations," the seasoned coach admitted.
"A lot of people will expect a lot because it's Tegat, but you have to be down here to see what preparations are like. What we have to teach in one month, some schools have it all like two, three months preparing themselves," said Davis, the one-time leading all-time goalscorer for Jamaica. At that time he largely represented Montego Bay club Seba United, which was renamed Montego Bay United.
Additionally, Davis has had many coaching successes, including leading Montego Bay United to the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) National Premier League title; and Arnett Gardens to the JFF National Under-21 League championship. Another high-profile premier league club that was coached by Davis is Mount Pleasant Academy.
He also coached his alma mater, Clarendon College, and it is because of his successes coaching youth why much is expected of the former goalscoring ace.
A former kingpin, Rusea's have won 11 daCosta Cup titles and are second only to Cornwall College with 12. The Hanover-based school won its first daCosta Cup in 1984 and over the years, it has produced some well-known players in Jamaica's football, including Aaron Lawrence, Mark 'Hagler' Wilson, Stephen 'Shorty' Malcolm, Caple Donaldson, Michael Graham and Donald Hewitt from the golden era of the mid-1980s, along with others who came later, such as Easton 'Fuma' Smith, Deshane Beckford and Brian 'Rambo' Brown, most of whom went on to represent Jamaica.
In 1985, the Lucea-based school created history, as in addition to retaining their daCosta Cup title, they also won the Ben Francis Cup, the Olivier Shield, and the Nutrament Shield.
The 'Russians' have also won or shared the Olivier Shield a total of six times, and won the Ben Francis Cup on four occasions.
However, they have been experiencing a barren patch in their title quest in recent years and last won the daCosta Cup in 2017, when they defeated Clarendon College, who were champions at the time.
Since then, Rusea's have failed to advance past the second round.
"We are trying to get the guys up to speed and creating plays, and those things. Nevertheless, we will use mostly under-14 and two to three under-16 players for the team this year. We have about five to six of the players returning from last year," Davis pointed out.
Davis noted that though the season will be challenging, he remains positive and has high expectations.
"Nevertheless, we are here to win the tournament. We will do the best we can to keep it competitive. The sky's the limit," Davis said.
Rusea's High will be campaigning in Zone B alongside Anchovy High, Cambridge High, Frome High, Green Island High and Knockalva Technical High.
On September 10 they will host Cambridge High School in their first match of the season at the Collin Miller Sports Complex in Lucea.
