Merl Grove aiming for first hold on silverware

April 08, 2025
Shauntai Pryce (left)  of Excelsior High School clears the ball ahead of Kayonna Brown of Merl Grove High during their ISSA Tip Friendly Schoolgirls football match at Excelsior High on February 11. Merl Grove advanced from group play and will tackle Holmwood Technical in today’s semi-final at Brooks Park in Manchester.
Shauntai Pryce (left) of Excelsior High School clears the ball ahead of Kayonna Brown of Merl Grove High during their ISSA Tip Friendly Schoolgirls football match at Excelsior High on February 11. Merl Grove advanced from group play and will tackle Holmwood Technical in today’s semi-final at Brooks Park in Manchester.

On the verge of making their first-ever semi-finals appearance in the ISSA Tip Friendly Society Schoolgirls Football competition, Merl Grove High's head coach Neo Oxford said they are aiming to end the season as champions.

Merl Grove will take on Holmwood Technical today in the semifinals of the competition at Brooks Park in Manchester, set for kick-off at 3 p.m.

It has been akin to a Cinderella story for the school who had finished 41st overall last year, with a dismal record of eight losses, two draws and conceding 83 goals along the way.

With Oxford taking charge of the programme before the start of the season, he said they were initially aiming to make it to the second round.

Having achieved that goal, he believes the sky is the limit for the team and is confident they can bring home the title.

"We had aimed for the second round and then we said to ourselves that we would adjust our aims as needs be. Now we're into the semi-finals and two wins away from silverware," Oxford said.

"Needless to say, we're here now so yes, we will be going for silverware."

Oxford said their turn in fortune has also brought a new culture to the school's community, who have been supporting the team every step of the way.

"We have brought a special culture and special pride among the student population and that was what we wanted to do.

"When we went to Seaforth last week Friday, we had two bus loads of students who travelled down to St Thomas to come and support the football team," he explained.

"I remember speaking at the start of the season and I said that the major objective this year was going to be to change the culture and we have done that."

The semi-finals will not be a walk in the park for Merl Grove as they will face a Holmwood unit that has appeared in the finals for the last two seasons and the semifinals for the last three.

He said, however, the pressure will be on Holmwood, who will be facing the expectation of making it to the final once again.

"Whoever comes in front of us will be up for a challenge because we have been challenging everybody that we've faced this season," he said.

"The pressure will be on Holmwood. They are three-time semifinalists and two-time finalists. The pressure is not on us. We just get to go out there and enjoy our football."

In the other semi-final, defending champions Excelsior High School will take on Garvey Maceo at Stadium East, as they look for their ninth straight hold on the title.

Excelsior, however, will be without the guidance of head coach Xavier Gilbert, who is away on international duty as assistant coach with the senior Reggae Girlz.

gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com

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