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No other football team can catch St Benedict’s College now!
Whatever their fate in the boardroom, there has been little doubt about which schools has ruled the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) playing fields in 2024. And, this afternoon, the “La Romaine Lions” put an exclamation mark on their form with an 8-0 mauling of table proppers Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High Schools at the Mahaica Sporting Complex in Point Fortin.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
SSFL president Merere Gonzales was not present with a replica trophy for St Benedict’s captain Derrel “Zoom Zoom” Garcia. The gifted 17-year-old attacker would hope that trophy will come—although the Ministry of Education will have its say.
Today, Garcia filled his own plate with a remarkable five-goal blast against Miracle Ministries, which took his season’s tally to 16 so far.
He is followed, not so closely, by Fatima College playmaker Caden Trestrail who registered his 11th goal of the season today in a 2-0 win over fourth place Arima North Secondary at the Arima Velodrome.
The “Dial Dynamos” were unbeaten at kickoff—the only team in the Premier Division outside of St Benedict’s who were yet to bend the knee in 2024. But they had not faced second place Fatima before.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
Arima started well and created early opportunities that flanker Micha’el John (a former Under-16 standout at Fatima) and Cristiano Hinds could not take. Before Trestrail sucked the air out of the room with a deflected free kick that beat opposing goalkeeper Jadon-Paul Alexander.
Gradually, Fatima turned the screws in midfield as the influential Arima North duo of Criston “CJ” Gomez and Hasheem Hill were kept at distance.
And another set piece, this time a free header by captain Yohance Atherton off a corner kick, finished the job for the defending champions.
Elsewhere in the league, the bottom four teams (Miracle Ministries, East Mucurapo, Speyside High and Trinity College East) all lost today while San Juan North Secondary and St Mary’s College pulled themselves clear of relegation trouble with vital away wins.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
The “Saints” held off Speyside High to win 2-1 in Tobago while San Juan came from behind to edge Naparima College 2-1 on Lewis Street in San Fernando.
Miracle Ministries cannot avoid the drop back to the Championship Division at this stage. Two teams from East Mucurapo, Speyside High, Trinity East and Signal Hill Secondary will join them.
SSFL Premier Division results
(Tue 29 Oct)
Arima North Secondary 0, Fatima College 2 (Caden Trestrail 39, Yohance Atherton 71) at Arima Velodrome;
Naparima College 1 (Israel Joseph 41), San Juan North 2 (Jahdel Chase-Charles 58, Jelani Valentine 69) at Lewis Street;
East Mucurapo Secondary 0, Queen’s Royal College 2 (Phillip Nelson 33 pen, 81) at Mucurapo Road;
Malick Secondary 2 (Tyrese Mansell 72, Jaquan Phillips 90+2), St Augustine Secondary 0 at Serpentine Road;
Speyside High 1 (Milz Johnson 83), St Mary’s College 2 (Elijah Wong 3, Kyle Phillip 13) at Speyside;
St Benedict’s College 8 (Derrel Garcia 3, 45+1, 49, 68, 90, Ethan Trotman 22, Elijah David 57, Josiah Ochoa 79), Miracle Ministries PHS 0 at Mahaica Sporting Complex;
Trinity College East 0, Presentation (San F’do) 2 (Isaiah Jacob 18, Cody Cooper 90+1 pen) at Trincity;
2024 SSFL Premier Division
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  St Benedict's | 15 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 7 | 29 | 41 |
| 2 |  Fatima | 15 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 48 | 14 | 34 | 35 |
| 3 |  Presentation | 15 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 33 | 10 | 23 | 35 |
| 4 |  St Anthony's | 15 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 36 | 21 | 15 | 30 |
| 5 |  Arima North | 14 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 24 | 11 | 13 | 24 |
| 6 |  Naparima | 15 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 26 | 19 | 7 | 22 |
| 7 |  QRC | 15 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 22 | 21 | 1 | 21 |
| 8 |  Malick | 15 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 30 | 32 | -2 | 20 |
| 9 |  San Juan | 15 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 25 | 28 | -3 | 19 |
| 10 |  Signal Hill | 14 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 23 | 26 | -3 | 18 |
| 11 |  St Mary's | 15 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 17 | 29 | -12 | 16 |
| 12 |  St Augustine | 15 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 34 | -23 | 15 |
| 13 |  Trinity East | 15 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 20 | 30 | -10 | 13 |
| 14 |  Speyside | 15 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 21 | 34 | -13 | 12 |
| 15 |  Mucurapo | 15 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 14 | 27 | -13 | 12 |
| 16 |  Miracle Ministries | 15 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 51 | -43 | 7 |
Upcoming fixtures
(Fri 1 Nov)
Presentation (San F’do) v Naparima College, 3.30pm, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium;
Fatima College v Malick Secondary, 3.30pm, Mucurapo Road;
St Mary’s College v St Benedict’s College, 3.30pm, Serpentine Road;
San Juan North v St Anthony’s College, 3.30pm, Bourg Mulatrasse;
Arima North Secondary v Speyside High, 3.30pm, Arima Velodrome;
Miracle Ministries PHS v Trinity College East, 3.30pm, Edinburgh 500;
Signal Hill Secondary v East Mucurapo Secondary, 3.30pm, Signal Hill;
St Augustine Secondary v Queen’s Royal College, 3.30pm, Warren Street;
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
Rescheduled Matches
(Mon 4 Nov)
St Anthony’s College v Signal Hill Secondary, 3.30pm, Westmoorings;
(Thu 7 Nov)
Speyside High v Signal Hill Secondary, 3.30pm, Speyside;
(TBA)
East Mucurapo Secondary v Speyside Secondary, 3.30pm, Mucurapo Road;
Signal Hill Secondary v Arima North Secondary, 3.30pm, Signal Hill.
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