Big Five 24: Four schools hunt Premier place in final match day on 21 Jan

The Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Big Five competition should finally conclude on Tuesday 21 January, with four schools in the hunt for three promotion spots to the 2025 Premier Division competition.

Current leaders and Central Zone Championships winners Carapichaima East Secondary host Tobago champs Scarborough Secondary from 3.30pm at the St Mary’s Recreation ground, while South Zone winners Pleasantville Secondary and North Zone champs Trinity College (Moka) square off at 3.30pm at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium Training Field in Marabella.

Trinity College (Moka) midfielder Jaden Samuel (foreground) tries to peel himself off of Carapichaima East Secondary opponent Kamari Wilson during SSFL Big Five action in Moka on 24 October 2024 .
The match ended in a 2-2 draw.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868

Hillview College, the East Zone Championship Division winners, have already completed their allotted matches and are on a bye.

Carapichaima East only need to avoid a defeat by more than two goals to return to the Premier Division for the first time since 2022—when they were relegated for using an ineligible player, goalkeeper and lower six form student Nicholai Rivers.


A two goal loss to Scarborough would see “Caps” and Hillview finish on five points each with identical goals scored and conceded, but Carapichaima would advance based on a head-to-head tiebreaker—as they defeated Hillview on 2 November 2024.

Scarborough need at least one point to qualify, regardless of the score in the other match.

Scarborough Secondary are Tobago Championship Division winners for the first time since 2012.
(via Scarborough Secondary)

Pleasantville have no chance of advancing to the Premier Division. However, if “P-ville” defeat Trinity and Scarborough get a point or a win not exceeding a two-goal margin, then the North Zone team will also be eliminated—while Carapichaima, Scarborough and Hillview would qualify for the SSFL top flight.

Carapichaima East and Trinity are the only unbeaten teams in the competition at present.

The 2024 Big Five competition was initially scheduled to end on 5 November, just a day after the start of the Intercol tournament. Instead, ostensibly due to difficulties in booking plane or ferry tickets, the finale of the Championship Division promotion competition draws to a close, some 11 weeks later.

The delay has not dampened the intrigue.

2024 Big Five fixtures

(Tue 21 Jan)

Pleasantville Secondary vs Trinity College (Moka), 3.30pm, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium Training Field;

Carapichaima East Secondary vs Scarborough Secondary, 3.30pm, St Mary’s Recreation Ground.

The Hillview College 2024 Championship Division team.
(via Hillview College)

Results

(Fri 25 October)

Pleasantville Secondary 0, Hillview College 2 (Khadell Campbell 31 pen, Kemarley Pierre 89) at Mannie Ramjohn Stadium;

Trinity College 2 (Antonio Cole 46, 61), Carapichaima East Secondary 2 (Jerel Charles 20, Teriq Langton 90+1) at Moka;

(Wed 30 October)

Hillview College 0, Trinity College 0 at Hillview;

(Sat 2 November)

Hillview College 0, Carapichaima East Secondary 2 (Kamarli Wilson 65, Darion Boswell 90+2) at Hillview;

Trinity College 1 (Anton Joseph 83), Scarborough Secondary 0 at Moka;

(Tue 5 Nov)

Scarborough Secondary 2 (Tyrese Neptune 52, Jayden Pope 55), Hillview College 2 (Tefari Kerr 48, Kemarley Pierre 90+4) at Scarborough;

Carapichaima East 0, Pleasantville Secondary 0 at Edinburgh 500;

(Thu 9 Jan)

Scarborough Secondary 3 (Jahiem Toney, Johan Elliott, Jervae Weekes), Pleasantville Secondary 1 (Jelani Roberts) at Shaw Park.

Pleasantville Secondary players prepare for kick off against Scarborough Secondary in a SSFL Big Five fixture at Shaw Park, Scarborough on 29 November 2024.
Photo: Alison Quashie-Boucher/ Pleasantville Secondary

Standings (Played-Won-Drew-Lost-Goals For-Goals Against-Points)

Carapichaima East      3-1-2-0-4-25

Trinity College               3-1-2-0-3-25

Hillview College           4-1-2-1-4-4-5

Scarborough Sec          3-1-1-1-5-4-4

Pleasantville Sec           3-0-1-2-151

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