‘The method they’re using is flawed!’ Coaches slam SSFL All Star methodology, point out overlooked players

“I think a better method [to select the Secondary Schools Football League standout players] has to be used,” said Arima North Secondary head coach Wayne Sheppard.

“No disrespect to young [Mikhail] Clement, who is a terrific young goalkeeper—but anyone who watched last season knows the player of the season had to be between [Jaydon] Caprietta of ‘Naps’ and [Isaiah] Jacobs of ‘Pres’.”

The Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) executive committee, led by president Merere Gonzales, held the 2025 Awards and Prize distribution ceremony at the Couva Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce on Thursday 7 May.

And, in keeping with another controversy-laden season, there was plenty about the 2025 SSFL closing ceremony that irked stakeholders.

Outside of definitive categories like most goals or most clean sheets, individual awards in a team sport are a matter of opinion.

(Incidentally, Presentation College, San Fernando captain Isaiah Jacobs was the leading scorer with a Premier Division record of 22 goals, which was more than the next two best marksmen combined: the Signal Hill Secondary pair of Kyle James (10) and Immanual Wright (10).

Naparima College goalkeeper and captain Mikhail Clement had nine clean sheets from 15 games, while Presentation’s Marcelo Phillip got seven shutouts and Signal Hill’s Kaleb Romeo and St Benedict’s College’s Thane Devenish had five apiece.)

The matter of the Player of the Season trophy and the All-Star selections are never going to be as straightforward. It makes the methodology used for identifying the standouts even more important.

“For years, I’ve told them that the method [they are using] is flawed,” said Presentation College manager Roland Atwell.

After every Premier Division match, a technical staff representative from each team is asked to select the best player on the opposing side.

At the end of the season, the votes are tallied, according to the SSFL executive, to help them arrive at the best players of the season.

(Incidentally, the Girls All Star team is selected by the zones each submitting a shortlist of players to be considered for the final squad.)

The outcome for the Boys All Star team was the following 23-member squad:

Goalkeepers: Mikhail Clement (Naparima College), Thane Devenish (St Benedict’s College), Necose Moore (St Anthony’s College);

Defenders: Adam Pierre (St Benedict’s College), Criston Gomez (Arima North Secondary), Antonio Hills, Sebastian James (both Naparima College), Joshua Bernard (Presentation College, San Fernando), Raevion Marshall (Signal Hill Secondary);

Midfielders: Josiah Ochoa (St Benedict’s College), Jaydon Caprietta, Jabari Rodriguez (both Naparima College), Finn De Freitas (St Mary’s College), Mordecai Ford (St Anthony’s College), Ackim Duncan Jr (Signal Hill Secondary), Amar Allie Baccas (Scarborough Secondary), Seth Hadeed (Fatima College);

Forwards: Isaiah Jacob (Presentation College, San Fernando), Jasai Theophilus (Queen’s Royal College), Kyle James (Signal Hill Secondary), Giovanni Hospedales (St Augustine Secondary), Jean-Marc Thomas (St Anthony’s College), Phillip Nelson (Fatima College).

Clement, Pierre, Jacob, Ford and James comprised the top five players in the Boys 2025 season—ostensibly selected by consensus from coaches.

“Many times, coaches just write the names of players on the other team they may have known before,” said Atwell, “just to be rid of that administrative hassle.”

In other words, coaches are too busy managing their own squad to pay keen attention to who is the most efficient player on the opposing team. And, in that scenario, the vote goes to either a familiar face, or someone who had an outstanding moment—rather than an outstanding performance across 90 minutes.

When Naparima College defeated Fatima College last season, Wired868 was informed by a SSFL official that Fatima selected midfielder Seth Eve as Naparima’s man of the match.

The curious thing about that selection is that Eve played for the last five minutes, when the game had already been won.

Incidentally, Eve and Fatima head coach Kerdyn Moe are representatives of the same North Zone club, Pro Series—although the Fatima selections are made by manager Stephen “Bison” Williams, who is not affiliated with Pro Series.

Williams said he pays little attention to the voting form, just like many other schools. He suggested that his vote on that evening might have been a form of protest.

“Most times after a game, coaches don’t even fill it out—and some coaches just put what they want,” said Williams, of the SSFL man of the match form. “Over the years I realise that is what has been happening. So why must I continue to use a method that is not working?

“I just put something down because they say we have to. That should not be a form that they use to decide the SSFL Player of the Year.

“[…] That form is not making any sense. I’ve seen people put down all kinds of things on that form and I think I used that game as an example, because there were times when I looked at other people’s forms and when I saw what they put down, I said: ‘nah, they can’t be serious’.”

Atwell pointed to another factor that could influence the composition of all star teams, based on the current selection method.

“You have an instance where a team might have one player outshining his teammates each game,” said Atwell. “He would then have more selection options than a player in a team where everybody chips in, and it doesn’t necessarily mean that one has been better than the other.”

A very good player who is playing alongside someone having an exceptional season, for instance, would get less man of the match votes than a decent player on a weaker team.

And then how can you be sure to have enough votes to select players in every position on the all star team?

“Man of the match awards may be a criterion to pick the player of the season,” said Sheppard, “but how does such a method determine who is selected as the best defender or best holding midfielder on an all star team?

“I know of one player selected to the 2025 All Star team as a defender who actually played in midfield for the entire season. At the same time, [Arima North Secondary captain] Jaquan Aguilleria, who had an outstanding season and is a defender, is not selected?

“So, it’s obvious the current method is very flawed.”

There were calls too for more transparency regarding the vote tally.

St Augustine Secondary relied heavily on talented goalkeeper Tyrese Henry, as they successfully avoided relegation from the top flight. However, Henry failed to make the honours squad, while St Anthony’s College goalkeeper Necose Moore got in the All Star team despite missing a significant chunk of the season—as he awaited his transfer from Chaguanas North Secondary.

Did Henry really get less votes than the other goalkeepers in the squad?

“Tyrese’s record speaks for itself; I doubt any other goalkeeper in the league has accumulated more Man of the Match awards this season,” said St Augustine coach Tacuma Jones. “Furthermore, in our head-to-head matchups against two of the selected keepers, Tyrese’s performances were undeniably superior.

“For a young man who started every single league and Intercol match to not even receive a mention among the top goalkeepers, is a severe disservice to his hard work. I extend my best wishes to the players who were selected, but as his coach, it truly hurts to see a player of Tyrese’s caliber completely overlooked.

“I will advocate for greater transparency in the selection process at the start of the league season, which would allow schools to set clear, measured targets for their athletes.”

Jones was among the coaches who criticised the timing of the SSFL Awards too.

The date chosen by the Gonzales-led administration clashed with Accounts exams for CSEC students and Caribbean Studies, Art, Literature and IT exams for CAPE students.

“Regrettably, the recent ceremony coincided with the CAPE Caribbean Studies exam, preventing our Upper Six players from attending,” said Jones. “This timing was especially disappointing in the case of [team captain] Giovanni Hospedales, who was unable to be present to accept his award and properly celebrate the conclusion of an outstanding SSFL career.”

Sheppard agreed.

“The award ceremony is the opportunity for boys and girls to be recognised for their successful season,” said the Arima North coach. “Having these awards at a time when they are focused on exams, and in some cases are unable to attend because of clashes with their exams, just does not seem like a well-thought-out approach.

“Better has to be done.”

Signal Hill Secondary head coach Downie Marcelle said the SSFL executive should have a selection committee create the all star squad, rather than the current voting system.

“I think if you are picking an all star team, you pick based on guys who were consistently instrumental for their school over the whole season in their positions,” said Marcelle. “You have to look across the league for the best right back, the best centre forward, etc… I would have done it that way.”

Atwell and Sheppard were in agreement, with the latter’s only caveat being that the selection committee comprises persons with undeniable football knowledge.

“Have an official who has actual playing knowledge select the best goalkeeper, best defender, best midfielder, best attacker, at each game,” said Sheppard.

“Make Kerry Jamerson, Clayton Morris, Brian Williams, Dexter Cyrus, etc (we can have one knowledgeable person at each game in the round) the SSFL All Star team selectors, and have them attend games and select players in each position at the games they attended.”

Marcelle had his own questions about the 2025 All Star squad.

Fellow Tobagonian Riquelme Phillips scored a crucial early goal for Naparima, when they defeated Signal Hill 2-1 in the decisive game of the season.

Phillips, a former Speyside Secondary student who returned to Speyside in the following school term, managed just eight Premier Division goals in 2025. But they included: the closing item in a 2-0 win over St Benedict’s College, a goal against Fatima, opening strikes against Malick Secondary and Trinity College, and the opener in an eventual 3-2 loss to St Anthony’s College.

Five of his goals were crucial to the outcome of Naparima matches, with four of them coming against teams in the top six schools. However, he was not selected on the SSFL All Star team.

“How come Riquelme Phillips was not there?” Marcelle asked. “Riquelme was instrumental in Naparima winning the title.

“How come Caprietta was not among the top five players, knowing the season he had? Even [Naparima winger Arron] Raymond—why was he out?”

Gonzales did not respond to Wired868’s questions on the selection process for the SSFL 2025 All Star teams, or their chosen date for the ceremony.

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