Western Bureau:

Reigning daCosta Cup champions St James High School made a powerful statement heading in the upcoming schoolboy football season on Saturday when they spanked, if not embarrassed, Jamaica College 5-0 in the finals of the 2009 Linkz96FM 20/20 football festival at Jarrett Park in Montego Bay.

"We recently lost 4-2 to Jamaica College in a similar tournament in Kingston, so it was a case of making amends for that loss today," said Pastor Hugh Solomon, coach of the St James team. "I thought the boys played extremely well in going through this tournament unbeaten."

Top defender

St James High took home the Linkz96FM Trophy, pocketed $100,000 and had individual members of the team receiving gold medals. In addition, the captain of the team, John Barrett, took the top defender award; Roshane Reid was adjudged the top midfielder while utility player Ricardo Morris was adjudged the Most Valuable Player (MVP)

Prior to running into the rampaging St James High in the final, Jamaica College, which drew a bye into the quarter-finals, looked quite impressive in first blanking Munro College 2-0 and then clipping St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) 1-0 to secure their place in the final.

In the game against Munro, Kenrick Reaves and Nicholas Scott were the players on target for Jamaica College, while against STETHS, Reaves was again on target after taking a spectacular cross from Ashani Walker.

Anticlimax

However, in the final, it turned out to be an anticlimax, if not a total disappointment for Jamaica College, as in addition to being outplayed and embarrassed, coach Alfred Henry, who was deemed to be abusive by the referee, was initially ejected from the playing area and then thrown out of the park completely.

For St James High, it was a case of saving the best for last as after lukewarm 1-0 and 2-0 wins against STETHS and Godfrey Stewart, respectively, which sealed their place in the final, they exploded against Jamaica College, driving their fans into a screaming and dancing frenzy with exhilarating display.

"It was another good tournament but as a Jamaica College past student, I must register my disappointment with the way the team behaved today," said LinkZ96FM General Manager, Roger Allen. "In addition to the situation with the coach, the players did not even make themselves available for the presentation ceremony."