Duanvale captured the Youth Football League (YFL) Junior Cup Under-11 Trelawny regional title with a commanding 6-1 victory over Hague at William Knibb Memorial High School on Saturday.
The tournament brought together 10 schools — Clarks Town, Duanvale, John Rollins Success, Duncans, Kinloss, Falmouth, Wakefield, Waldensia, Granville and Hague — for a day of spirited competition, teamwork and school pride.
Duanvale, Hague, Clarks Town and Kinloss advanced to the semi-finals, securing their places in the All-Island Championship at UWI Mona Bowl on October 24.
Both semi-finals featured dramatic comebacks. Duanvale recovered from a two-goal deficit to defeat Clarks Town 3-2, while Hague rallied from behind to beat Kinloss 2-1.
Tova Hamilton, member of parliament for Trelawny Northern and minister of state in the Ministry of Tourism, joined the trophy presentation to celebrate the young players and recognise the winning team.
William Knibb Memorial High School hosted the tournament.
Dwight Jeremiah, head coach of the school’s football team and a representative of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), was instrumental in bringing the tournament to the parish.
“Having worked with FYI during their hurricane relief efforts in Trelawny, we were happy to assist in hosting the Junior Cup at William Knibb. As a JFF representative and the school’s head coach, I value this opportunity for grassroots development. Despite the hurricane’s continuing impact on schools and communities, it is important to keep football going and give our children opportunities to play,” Jeremiah said.
Organised by FYI Consultancy Group, the YFL continues to widen access to organised youth football, providing more children with opportunities to develop their skills while learning the values of respect, discipline and fair play.
“Every school helped make this a special day. Beyond the results, it was about giving children the opportunity to play, build confidence and enjoy representing their school. We thank principal Linvern Wright and the William Knibb team for welcoming us, and the coaches, parents and supporters who made the children’s participation possible. We look forward to taking that same energy to St Catherine this weekend,” said Paula Pinnock, managing director of FYI Consultancy Group.
The Junior Cup continues on Saturday at Ferdi Neita Park, home of Portmore FC, for the St Catherine regional competition. The Kingston regional will follow at UWI Mona Bowl on October 17, ahead of the All-Island Championship at the same venue on October 24.
The top four schools from each regional will advance to the All-Island Championship, bringing together young footballers from across the participating regions to compete for the Junior Cup title.
Schools are encouraged to register for the upcoming regionals at youthfootballleagueja.com.
