Big 5: Jacob steers Mucurapo West past Presentation (Chaguanas) in momentous affair

It had to be him. Mucurapo West Secondary have two wins now in the 2025 First Citizens Big Five competition—and, in each one, fresh-faced striker Caleb “Patchy” Jacob got crucial goals.

Yesterday afternoon in Chaguanas, Jacob did the business again with a stoppage time winner as Mucurapo West edged Presentation College (Chaguanas) 3-2.

Almost certainly, it will go down as the goal that put the Mucurapo Road school into the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premier Division for the first time in its history.

Coach Theophilus Boyce is not taking anything for granted, though. On Saturday, Mucurapo West travel to Tobago to tackle Speyside Secondary in their final fixture.

Six points will almost certainly be good enough for promotion to the Premier Division—but seven will make sure.

“I have to go in Tobago for a win or a point again,” Boyce told Wired868. “We are not sure [of promotion] as yet because [Speyside] ent play any games as yet. So, we have to go out and do what we have to do and get the job done.”

The Big Five has not been immune from the travel challenges that have blighted the ongoing Premier Division season.

On Saturday, Presentation (Chaguanas) failed to show up in Tobago to face Speyside. And, yesterday, it was Speyside’s turn to pull out of a fixture after claiming that they were unable to arrange a trip over to play South Zone Championship winners, Palo Seco Secondary.

So, before Speyside kicked a ball, two of their rivals (Hillview College and Mucurapo West) are already on the verge of qualification. Can they handle the psychological strain of chasing the pack?

In Chaguanas today, Mucurapo West certainly showed their mettle, though.

On the weekend, Boyce’s young troops ran out of steam, after a promising start, and were overrun 3-0 by Hillview. Yesterday, they had to pick themselves up in unfamiliar terrain—and that wasn’t even half of the challenges they faced against Presentation.

Sure, Mucurapo West got out of their blocks early and were ahead after just seven minutes as forward Nazim Skinner volleyed home following a right-side corner kick.

The visitors might have scored even earlier but for two remarkable saves from Presentation goalkeeper Zakariyya Mohammed off Skinner and Jacob respectively.

“Pres” coach Titre Gibson noted that the Chaguanas-based school is more interested and renowned for cricket. But Mohammed showed that there might be room for the two sports to co-exist harmoniously—the lower six student is also the school and national under-17 cricket team wicketkeeper.

Ironically, between the other uprights, Mucurapo West’s young goalkeeper Kenwyn Williams picked an inappropriate time to suffer a crisis of confidence.

In the 10th minute, Williams came off his line to deal with a lofted ball from an opponent and, inexplicably, froze. And, in a flash, Presentation captain Hassan Edghill took the ball around him and finished from a sharp angle to level the scores.

Boyce practically self-combusted at the sidelines.

Mohammed pulled off another brilliant save at the other end to deny Skinner a second item. But then the tricky Jacob was tripped in the box and Mucurapo West captain Amenhotep Harper produced a cool finish to reclaim the lead for the northern team.

Mucurapo’s advantage lasted just six minutes. Again, Williams hesitated in dealing with an overhit ball and, once more, Edghill took it around him.

The Presentation captain hit the post on this occasion, but teammate Aaron Bynoe followed up to roof the rebound.

The game was just 16 minutes old and already there were four goals, a penalty, a string of impressive saves and two farcical goalkeeper errors.

Are you not entertained?

Mohammed pushed an improvised volley from Mucurapo West midfielder Marlon Jordan on to his bar in the 41^st minute, while Williams misjudged a freekick from opposing striker Gabriel Teelucksingh in first half stoppage time and was grateful that Edghill failed to connect with the loose ball.

As referee N’neeka Harewood blew for halftime, the ground collectively exhaled. It was a breathless opening 45 minutes.

Naturally, that pace was never going to last.

Boyce might be as animated on the touchline as a flagwoman on Panorama night. But, off the field, he sensed that his players needed reassurance rather than a spanking during the interval.

“The half time [talk] was mellow vibes,” said Boyce. “Mistakes happen—let we go back out and let we just take the game to them again.”

The coach described his goalkeeper’s performance as “horrible”—but he did not tell him so at the time. Probably a wise decision since Mucurapo West did not have a back-up custodian either.

“The rest of the coaching staff said I have to deal with the keeper,” said Boyce, “but it was an emotional scene and this [was] probably the biggest game he ever played in, because he is only 13 or 14. He never experienced these things.

“You could see it in him that he was frightened. So, my halftime talk was ‘let us go out and play our game’.”

The second half was sterile in comparison. Mucurapo West pinned Presentation in their own half for long periods, but had nothing to show from the forced turnovers.

And when the hosts were able to get the ball into the attacking third, they were creating better chances than their visitors.

Singh forced a good save from Williams in the 55th minute, as he began to threaten on the right flank while Teelucksingh’s link-up play was useful when his teammates were able to play into him.

In the 61st minute, Presentation midfielder Tyler Ramnarace’s shot from distance just cleared the bar.

Mucurapo West looked more threatening based on the areas in which they were able to advance the ball. Yet, only Presentation seemed to have their shooting boots at this point.

Boyce responded by removing his captain, Harper, and then his vice-captain, Jamani “Reddo” Andrews, as he overhauled his midfield.

The coach noted that Harper and Andrews were both carrying slight injuries. But it did not stop him from slamming their performances.

“Reddo was killing we in the middle,” said Boyce. “[…] He is the man who normally strings our passes, but he wasn’t doing that at all. He wasn’t winning the ball for us either. And nobody is bigger than the game!”

Mucurapo West began to build momentum again, as the game entered its final quarter of an hour.

Skinner and then flanker Eli Williams hit the post. Jacob had a good look too, after Mohammed spilled the ball, but smashed his effort overbar on the turn.

Jordan and substitute Jaquan McMillan were sure to let Jacob know that he picked the wrong option when he wasted a golden chance—he should have passed to teammates who were already facing the goal.

Deep down, though, everyone probably knew that if anyone was going to decide the match, it would be Patchy.

“Once the ball could fall to one person, it had to be Patchy,” said Boyce. “You could depend on him. He has that in him…”

Two minutes into stoppage time, Presentation conceded a free kick near the halfway line and midfielder Chace Karim picked up the ball.

As Mucurapo players sprinted over to him, Karim might have dropped the ball. Or offered it to the referee. Or hung on to it a bit longer, to waste time.

Instead, Karim tossed the ball helpfully to the area where the foul occurred and, in one movement, defender Omaleke Paul spotted the ball and then played a quick free kick into Jacob’s path.

And the baby-faced assassin was awake to the opportunity. One touch to control the ball, and the other to usher it past Mohammed and into the back of the net.

The notable Mucurapo West contingent in Chaguanas erupted!

“I knew I could rely on Patchy!” said Boyce.

Presentation coach Titre Gibson acknowledged that his troops have an uphill task from here.

“Our chances are very slim because of the goal difference: one,” said Gibson. “Two, because we have zero points on the board. And then we are going away [for our remaining two games].

“[…] And I know Tobago could be tough and I was told Palo Seco could be tough.”

Gibson, a champion at Republic Bank National Youth Football League (RBNYFL) level with FC Ginga, took up the reins at Presentation in 2024. And, in his first full season, he steered Pres to their first zonal Championship title since 2014.

“We exceeded expectations this year in getting to the Big Five,” said Gibson. “[…] It is a great achievement and shows that the programme has accelerated a little bit. Expect more later on, hopefully.”

Gibson operates as technical director at Presentation and is working on creating a sizable player pool in a school that, he explained, is more interested in cricket.

“[Football] is not the number one sport here,” said Gibson, who is working on having football throughout the year at the school. “To try and build that fanbase and love for the sport will take a while. We understand that. We give it five years to build that interest.”

But he accepts that he will have to compromise, so as to make the sport accessible to boys like Mohammed who are more likely to succeed in cricket.

“A lot of cricketers here want to play football,” said Gibson. “They want to mix the two.”

It is sure to be a delicate balancing act.

Mucurapo West, meanwhile, look set to move to the next phase in the growth of their football programme: the Premier Division.

No sooner had Patchy helped them to three points, he hurt his school’s chances for their Speyside trip.

After grabbing the winner in the second minute of stoppage time, Jacob was promptly booked for taking his top off to celebrate. Then, two minutes later, he picked up a second yellow card for handling the ball in a silly attempt to stop Mohammed from launching the ball upfield.

A goal and two bookings in the space of two minutes. The Big Five contest finished as bizarrely as when it began.

Boyce was still draped in the positive after-glow of the late winner, as he discussed the contest though. On the field, over a dozen Mucurapo West students made a victory lap with their footballers.

“I am proud that the school paid for a whole bus to bring the children out here to support the team,” said Boyce, who again acknowledged the vision of former principal Joseph Taylor in advancing the football programme.

“This is something we never had before. Teachers and everyone put out to make sure the children could come out to support the team.

“I told them once we continue as we are, we will bring history to Mucurapo west. Children will come from all over the east-west corridor and see they can do as well here as any other child going to another high school.”

Patchy has done his part. But Speyside, Palo Seco and Presentation (Chaguanas) have not given up the chase just yet.

Teams

Presentation College (Chaguanas) (4-1-4-1): 1.Zakariyya Mohammed (GK); 12.Hadi Mariam, 4.Dominic Gray-Edwards, 3.Ethan Harper, 5.Aidan Charles; 6.Chace Karim; 7.Jahiem Singh, 10.Aaron Bynoe (19.Jaden Joseph 79), 11.Hassan Edghill (captain), 8.Tyler Ramnarace; 9.Gabriel Teelucksingh.

Unused substitutes: 22.Jayden Fox (GK), 14.Alexx Ramnarace, 15.Israel Gore, Aiden Jaggernauth, Cristiano Bassant.

Coach: Titre Gibson.

Mucurapo West Secondary (3-5-2): 1.Kenwyn Williams (GK); 22.Johnathan Preston, 6.Omaleke Paul, 15.Joshua Dopwell; 7.Alexis Warren, 5.Jamani Andrews, 8.Marlon Jordan, 12.Amenhotep Harper (captain), 20.Eli Williams; 9.Nazim Skinner, 16.Caleb Jacob [red card 90+4].

Coach: Theophilus Boyce.

Referee: N’neeka Harewood.

2025 SSFL Big Five results

Round One

(Wed 29 October)

Mucurapo West Secondary 3 (Caleb Jacob 22, 62, Eli Williams 56), Palo Seco Secondary 1 (Ezekiel Garcia 3) at Mucurapo;

Presentation College (Chag) 0, Hillview College 7 (Aaden Jones 5, Kermarley Pierre 17, Jahmarley Ellis 43, Orlando La Fleur 48, 52, 90+1, Darnell Walcott 61) at Presentation;

Speyside Secondary are on a bye.

Round Two

(Sat 1 November)

Mucurapo West Sec 0, Hillview College 3 (Darnell Walcott 57, 90+2, Kalif Sylvester 68) at Mucurapo;

Speyside Secondary v Presentation College (Chag), 3.30pm, Speyside;

*–match postponed.

Palo Seco Secondary are on a bye.

Round Three

(Wed 5 November)

Presentation College (Chag) 2 (Hassan Edghill 7, Aaron Bynoe 16), Mucurapo West Sec 3 (Nazim Skinner 5, Amenhotep Harper 11 pen, Caleb Jacob 90+3) at Presentation (Chaguanas);

Palo Seco Secondary v Speyside Secondary, 3.30pm, Palo Seco;

*–match postponed.

Hillview College are on a bye;

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

• Hillview College           2-2-0-0-10–0–6
• Mucurapo West Sec     3-2-0-1-6-6-6
• Speyside Secondary      0-0-0-0-0–0–0
• Palo Seco Secondary     1-0-0-1-1-3-0
• Presentation (Chag)      2-0-0-2-2-10–0

Upcoming fixtures

Round Four

(Sat 8 November)

Speyside Secondary v Mucurapo West Sec, 3.30pm, Speyside;

Hillview College v Palo Seco Sec, 3.30pm, Hillview;

Presentation College (Chaguanas) are on a bye.

Round Five

(Wed 12 November)

Hillview College v Speyside Secondary, 3.30pm, Hillview;

Palo Seco Sec v Presentation College (Chag), 3.30pm, Palo Seco;

Mucurapo West Secondary are on a bye.