Senior Multimedia Reporter
nigel.simon@guardian.co.tt
With Fatima College having captured the National Secondary Schools’ Football League Premier Division title, its first since 1978, and third overall after winning its first title in 1973, will close out their 2023 league campaign by visiting rivals St Mary’s College at Serpentine Road, St Clair, from 3.45 pm.
However, the rest of today’s programme will see the battle for the runner-up spot and the league’s top-scorer title.
Winners of the national InterCol title last year, Fatima captured the Premier Division crown, the first by a school outside of the South Zone, since the competition was revamped almost eight years ago, in dramatic fashion with two late items to secure a come-from-behind 2-1 win over four-time winners Naparima College to move to an unassailable 37 points, five clear of last year’s winners’ St Benedict’s College, with San Juan North Secondary, third with 30 points, two ahead of Presentation College, San Fernando, another former league champion.
Fatima will be without the services of its suspended captain Jaden Williams for the second time this season when they will lock horns with long-time rival St Mary’s College, who is locked on 17 points with Malick Secondary, and Speyside Secondary in the lower half of the standings.
Meanwhile, St Benedict’s College will be at home to Malick Secondary at the Mahaica Sporting Complex, Point Fortin, while San Juan North travels to relegated Chaguanas North Secondary for their clash at the Edinburgh 500 Recreation Ground.
With the title race and the relegation battle all determined with the trio of Chaguanas North, Pleasantville Secondary, and Bishop’s High School all to be demoted, the focus also shifts to the battle for the league’s leading scorer title with Malick Secondary’s Oba Samuel and St Benedict’s Malacai Webb, both with 14 goals each, being chased by Fatima College’s Michael Chaves (12), San Juan North’s Lindell Sween (11), St Mary’s Kyle Phillip (11) and the trio of Aidan De Gannes (Fatima), and St Benedict’s duo Daniel Jones and Jaden Grant, all with ten, and a quintet of players with five each.
