Bridgeport's Darren Mattocks. - File

Bridgeport High's 19-year-old forward, Darren Mattocks, has so far amassed 15 goals in seven games and has his sights set on achieving his personal target of 35 goals.

Mattocks made a sparkling start to this season's ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup competition, scoring a whopping five goals in his team's first game against Kingston High. It is even more remarkable that he has been able to score all of 15 goals at this stage of the season, when he got just 10 goals last season.

Mattocks believes his school has a very good chance of winning this year's competition and that he has a huge role to play.

"We have a very young team but we are very talented. All I have to do is keep scoring and my team will win," Mattocks said. "I have gained experience from playing in the Premier League against defenders like Marco McDonald, who tackles very hard so it is going to be very hard for any 17- or 18 year-old to mark me. The ball is round, however, and anything can happen, so we are not taking anything for granted," he added.

Mattocks, a sixth-former at Bridgeport High, has six CXC and three CAPE subjects to his name.

"My mother is very supportive, anything I want she is there to support me. I also get motivation from my brother, Damion Mattocks, but as a young player you have to be ambitious so I am self-motivated," Mattocks said.

very good striker

Patrick Anthony, who has been coaching Mattocks at Bridgeport for the past six years, believes he is a very good striker.

"He is one of the best off-the-ball movers in the country and is very easy to coach," Anthony said.

Mattocks gives his favourite players as Liverpool's captain Steven Gerrard and Waterhouse's under-21 player De Andre Brown.