Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Members of the victorious Calabar football team hoist the Walker Cup trophy as they celebrate at the National Stadium yesterday. Calabar, who recently lost their head coach David Hunt, defeated Jamaica College 3-0 to capture their second title.- Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Loyal, self-sacrificing, dedicated, that's how teary-eyed Calabar players remembered their coach David 'Waga' Hunt as they paid him a fitting tribute by capturing the Walker Cup, a title which had always eluded their mentor, at the National Stadium yesterday.

In the end Calabar's belief in their destiny to win for their fallen father figure was just too strong for Jamaica College who they overwhelmed 3-0.

"We had to win, it was a dream of the coach, I can't even say how much it means to come out here and do it for him," said Calabar captain Cleyon Brown, who led by example scoring all three goals in the match.

"I've been saying it all season, I'm a spiritual player at times and today I came out here to play," he said.

Hunt, also a former national Under-17 coach, died at hospital last week after being found collapsed in the bathroom of his Havendale home. Preliminary results indicated that the coach died of a heart attack.

The team was just hours ahead of a crucial encounter against Edith Dalton James, a game they later won to book their place in the competition. During his time at Calabar, Hunt, a Kingston College old boy, led the team to both the Manning Cup and their first Olivier Shield title in the 2005-2006 season. However, that year the team was beaten in the Walker Cup by Tivoli on penalties and then went on to lose to Eltham the following year.

fought like lions

"I told them today (yesterday) we were doing it for the late great David Hunt, I told them they had to go out there and play with all their hearts, and they fought like lions," were the words of new Calabar coach Lijyasu Simms an understudy of Hunt.

"They knew rain, storm (or not), no matter what the conditions, we had to come out here and win ... coach Hunt isn't here, but I can see him smiling," Simms said.

The title was the second for Calabar who also lifted their first trophy in 1974, denying none other than Jamaica College of the schoolboy triple crown. Heading into yesterday's game JC were favoured to win their first Walker Cup lien and their first schoolboy football title at the highest level in over 30 years.