Left: St George's College's McKaully Tulloch. Right: Jamaica College's Ashani Walker.

Two of the urban area's most outstanding teams, St George's College and Jamaica College, will lock horns today in the final of the ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel Walker Cup senior schoolboy football knock-out competition at Constant Spring.

The showdown, which is slated to get under way at 2:45 p.m., will be a repeat of last year's Manning Cup final.

Jamaica College (JC), despite eight previous final appearances, are still seeking their first hold on the title, while St George's, who are the defending Manning Cup champions, are aiming to cop their eighth lien on the knockout championship.

For JC, popularly called the Dark Blues, it will be the third time in four years that they are contesting the final, having lost out to Eltham in 2006 and Calabar in 2007. They were also defeated by Calabar in the semi-finals last year.

Memories of triumph

But with memories of their Manning Cup triumph two seasons ago still fresh in their minds, and the hurt of the Manning Cup final loss last year still lurking, JC hopefuls will be looking for a change, albeit they enter the encounter as underdogs.

"Our programme is not so much focused on winning trophies, but if it comes, it comes, and we would be happy if does," said JC coach, Alfred Henry, who has been in charge of the boys from Old Hope Road for the past five years.

"Our focus has been on winning off the field - getting players scholarships and ensuring that they prosper after high school. For example, last year we didn't win the Manning Cup but 10 of our players won scholarships. But we will be showing up and plan to do our best," he added of today's final.

Diminutive and inspirational midfielder, Ashani Walker, is again expected to lead the Dark Blues' charge along with in-form forwards Nicholas Scott and Necas Collins, who all played pivotal roles in their respective 4-3 penalty kick and 3-2 quarter-final and semi-final wins over St Andrew Technical and Bridgeport High.

St George's, on the other hand, will look to wily midfielder Marvin Morgan and the burly presence of the forward McKaully Tulloch to get them home, as they seek to defend their 12-game unbeaten record this season, and remain on course for the coveted double.

Outclassing the opponent

On their way to the final, St George's edged defending champions Excelsior 2-1 in the quarter-final, before outclassing Norman Manley 3-1 in Wed-nesday's semi-finals.

"It should be a competitive game. They are a good team and the coach, I think, is a class coach. They also have a score to settle with us and that should make it an interesting affair," said St George's coach, Neville Bell, who was also at the helm in 1993 when the Light Blues last won the Walker Cup.

That was also at the expense of JC, a final decided by a penalty shoot-out.

Bell added: "But we are are quality team with equally good players and if we play according to plan we should do well." he added.