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Naparima College took advantage of soggy weather conditions at the St Mary’s College grounds on Serpentine Road in St Clair today, to jump into pole position for the first time in the 2026 Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premiership Division season.
Naparima, the defending champions, eked out a win away to St Benedict’s College at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium today, with winger Arron Raymond grabbing the decisive goal.
Last season, Raymond scored five goals as “Naps” clinched the title. At kick off, he had only one item for the whole term. But his second, after the diminutive attacker rose like a salmon to head home a looping cross, was worth its weight in gold.
St Benedict’s had no answer against the miserly Naparima defence, as the Angus Eve-coached team held on for all three points. They are now two points clear of St Mary’s College, whose clash with third placed Signal Hill Secondary was postponed today due to a waterlogged ground.
St Mary’s would have known beforehand that it was important to get a result against Signal Hill. Now, after Naparima’s triumph against St Benedict’s, a “Saints” win is crucial.
The last round of Premiership matches is scheduled for Tuesday 10 November. But could the Merere Gonzales-led executive allow the St Mary’s-Signal Hill fixture to be played after—without impacting on the integrity of the competition?
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
It is debatable. Surely, it is hard to match the drama of supporters cheering on their team while listening nervously for the score from another match to know their fate.
That would be lost if St Mary’s tussle with Signal Hill happens after their rivals have completed their matches.
If Signal Hill are upset by bottom placed Trinity College East next Tuesday, they would have no chance of clinching the title themselves against CIC—in the rescheduled fixture.
However, there is no other possible permutation, save from an unlikely Trinity East win on Tuesday, which would leave fans with anything but two supremely motivated teams when St Mary’s finally host Signal Hill, with both teams needing a win to become first-time Premiership champions.
At the other end of the standings, Malick Secondary marked themselves safe from the relegation dogfight, as forward Keisean Spence scored twice in a thumping 5-1 win away to a struggling Arima North Secondary at the Arima Velodrome.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Trinity College East (17th) and Mucurapo West Secondary (16th) are already sure to exit the top flight at the end of the season. But the identity of the two teams that will accompany them remains a mystery.
Fifteenth placed Trinity College (Moka) had the chance to drag themselves out of the bottom four today, in an all-Trinity derby at Trincity—only to be held 2-2 by TCE.
Twice, Trinity (Moka) took the lead through attacker Kevez Quintero and midfielder Stephan Seales. On each occasion, the “Blue Hawks” found an equaliser through National Under-14 Team forward Abayomi Hope and then, in the 82nd minute, from midfielder Jakwon Howell.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Trinity (Moka) head coach Marlon Minguel could at least breathe a sigh of relief that neither 13th placed San Juan North Secondary or 14th placed St Augustine Secondary seized the opportunity to pull away.
Attacker Bernard Cummings put St Augustine ahead in Tobago, only for Speyside to recover to win 3-1. Forward Justin Bernard was among the scorers for the “Blue Mantras” as he got his seventh item for the season.
But whenever the conversation about the 2026 SSFL competition turns to goals, remember the name: Jahaem “Yellows” Bailey. In fact, when the conversation is about goals in any SSFL season, Bailey ought to be in the discussion.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Today, Bailey got his fifth hattrick of the season—in a 6-0 rout of San Juan North Secondary—to become the highest scorer in a single Premiership season, with 24 items.
The previous record was 22, scored by Presentation College (San Fernando) forward Isaiah Jacob in 2025.
Fatima are away to St Augustine next Tuesday, with Bailey no doubt hoping to add to St Augustine’s anxiety.
There is plenty still on the line with eight matches and two rescheduled fixtures to go.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
SSFL Premiership results
(Fri 6 Nov)
St Benedict’s College 0, Naparima College 1 (Arron Raymond 31) at Mannie Ramjohn Stadium;
Fatima College 6 (Jahaem Bailey 7 pen, 37, 85, Jiair Nanton 78, 89, Jonathon Mason 87), San Juan North Secondary 0 at Fatima;
St Mary’s College vs Signal Hill Sec at Serpentine Road;
*–game postponed due to waterlogged ground.
St Anthony’s College vs Presentation (San F’do) at St Anthony’s;
*–game postponed due to waterlogged ground.
Arima North Secondary 1 (Janio Marcano 51), Malick Secondary 5 (Israel Outar 32, 60, Keisean Spence 41, 49, Joshua Gabriel 90+3) at Arima Velodrome;
Hillview College 3 (Cristiano Hinds 15, 60 pen, Darnell Walcott 75), Queen’s Royal College 1 (Shea Dolly 45+2 pen) at Hillview;
Speyside Secondary 3 (Shaquan Charles 38, Jaheim Wickham 45+3, Justin Bernard 89), St Augustine Secondary 1 (Bernard Cummings 37) at Speyside;
Trinity College East 2 (Abayomi Hope 19, Jakwon Howell 82), Trinity College 2 (Kevez Quintero 11, Stephan Seales 47) at Trinity East;
Mucurapo West Secondary are on a bye.
2026 Premiership Standings
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Naparima | 15 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 46 | 10 | 36 | 37 |
| 2 |  St Mary's | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 37 | 9 | 28 | 36 |
| 3 |  Signal Hill | 14 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 33 | 13 | 20 | 34 |
| 4 |  St Benedict's | 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 41 | 12 | 29 | 31 |
| 5 |  Fatima | 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 45 | 20 | 25 | 29 |
| 6 |  Hillview | 15 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 43 | 24 | 19 | 29 |
| 7 |  Presentation | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 27 | 15 | 12 | 27 |
| 8 |  St Anthony's | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 25 | 24 | 1 | 21 |
| 9 |  Speyside | 15 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 23 | 37 | -14 | 20 |
| 10 |  Arima North | 15 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 31 | 36 | -5 | 19 |
| 11 |  Malick | 15 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 34 | 35 | -1 | 16 |
| 12 |  QRC | 15 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 24 | -10 | 12 |
| 13 |  San Juan | 15 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 17 | 36 | -19 | 11 |
| 14 |  St Augustine | 15 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 23 | 48 | -25 | 11 |
| 15 |  Trinity College | 15 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 26 | 53 | -27 | 10 |
| 16 |  Mucurapo W | 15 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 15 | 50 | -35 | 8 |
| 17 |  Trinity East | 15 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 18 | 52 | -34 | 6 |
Upcoming fixtures
(Tue 10 Nov)
Naparima College vs St Anthony’s College, 3.30pm, Lewis Street;
St Augustine Secondary vs Fatima College, 3.30pm, St Augustine;
Trinity College East vs Signal Hill Sec, 3.30pm, Trinity East;
Presentation (San F’do) vs Hillview College, 3.30pm, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium;
Arima North Sec vs Queen’s Royal College, 3.30pm, Arima Velodrome;
Mucurapo West Sec vs Trinity College, 3.30pm, Mucurapo West;
Speyside Secondary vs Malick Secondary, 3.30pm, Speyside;
St Mary’s College vs San Juan North Sec, 3.30pm, Serpentine Road;
St Benedict’s College are on a bye.
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