Defending champions and winners of four of the past six editions of the competition, Naparima College which is under the guidance of new coach Travis Mulraine, a former national player, will be keen to kick off the defence of their title in Tiger Tanks Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premier Division with a positive result away to St Augustine Secondary "Green Machine" at Warner Street, St Augustine, on Wednesday.
The clash between two of the SSFL's most storied schools will be one of four in Group A to kick off from 4 pm or else otherwise stated while four matches in Group B also get going nationwide from 4 pm.
For Mulraine, who took over from the team's champion coach Angus Eve, will be eager for his Naparima players to make amends for last Friday's 3-2 penalty-kicks loss to rival Presentation College of San Fernando, the reigning Coca-Cola InterCol holders in the inaugural Tiger Tanks Cup at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Balmain, Couva after a 1-1 at the end of the 90-minutes regulation time.
In the other matches in Group A, Carapichaima East Secondary entertains Speyside High School, the lone Tobago representative in the 16-team Premier Division at Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva while St Benedict’s College hosts Fatima College at the Moruga Multipurpose Sport and Youth Facility, from 3.45 pm, and Pleasantville Secondary welcomes another North Zone team, St Anthony’s College at Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, training field, Marabella.
In Group B, coach Shawn Cooper and his high-flying Presentation College players, who along with Shiva Boys Hindu College, the only other team to have won the Premier Division crown will also be on the road for their league opener when they journey to Trinity College East Grounds in Trincity.
The three other matches will see San Juan North Secondary at home to Queen’s Royal College, Chaguanas North Secondary playing Malick Secondary at African Ground, Enterprise, Chaguanas, and East Mucurapo Secondary at home to Moruga Secondary at the neighbouring Fatima College Ground, Mucurapo Road.
Under Tiger Tanks, the league is set to be well-served, inclusive of uniform provision and branding, prizes, and the broadcasting of matches for all the divisions, inclusive of the Premiership, Championship, and all the lower divisions.
The new format of the 16-team Premier Division sees the teams divided into two groups of eight teams for one round of round-robin competition, that’s seven matches for each team, at the end of which the top two in each pool will advance to the crossover semifinals on Friday, October 21 ahead of the final four days later.
Both the semifinals and final are slated for either the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo or the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.
The 16-participating schools will see Group A comprise Naparima College, St Augustine Secondary, Carapichaima East Secondary, Speyside High School, St Benedict’s College, Fatima College, Pleasantville Secondary, and St Anthony’s College, while Group B will feature San Juan North Secondary, Queen’s Royal College, Chaguanas North Secondary, Malick Secondary, East Mucurapo Secondary, Moruga Secondary, Trinity College East, and Presentation College (San F’do) with the opening round of matches set for today with kickoff at 4 pm.
With regards to the demotion of teams from the SSFL, the two bottom-placed teams will be automatically relegated and will be joined by the losers of the playoff between the two teams to finish second from bottom in their respective groups.
At the same time, the winners of the five Championship Boys Divisions which will comprise six teams team will then contest a "Big-Five" round-robin series at the end of which the top three finishers will gain promotion to the 2023 Premier Division.
TEAMS
Group A
St Augustine Secondary, Carapichaima East Secondary, Naparima College, Speyside High School, St Benedict’s College, Fatima College, Pleasantville Secondary, St Anthony’s College.
Group B
San Juan North Secondary, Queen’s Royal College, Chaguanas North Secondary, Malick Secondary, East Mucurapo Secondary, Moruga Secondary, Trinity College East, Presentation College (San F’do)
Today's Matches
All matches begin at 4 pm
Group A
St Augustine Sec. vs Naparima College @ St Augustine
Carapichaima East Sec. vs Speyside High @ Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva
St Benedict’s College vs Fatima College @ Moruga Multipurpose Sport and Youth Facility, 3.45 pm
Pleasantville Sec. vs St Anthony’s College @ Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Training Field, Marabella
Group B
San Juan North Sec. vs Queen’s Royal College @ San Juan North
Chaguanas North Sec. vs Malick Sec. @ African Ground, Enterprise, Chaguanas
East Mucurapo Sec. vs Moruga Sec. @ Fatima College Ground, Mucurapo Road
Trinity East College vs Presentation College (San F’do) @ Trinity College East