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KC, JC survive dramatic Walker Cup semis
October 12, 2026
Kingston College (KC) and Jamaica College (JC) both survived scares from Excelsior High and Mona High, respectively, on Saturday, to book their place in this year’s final of the ISSA Walker Cup competition.
KC staged a late comeback in the first semi-final, scoring twice in the final seven minutes to overturn Excelsior’s lead.
The match resumed from the 65th minute after Friday’s rain-affected encounter was suspended, with Excelsior leading 1-0 through Aldeano Walters’ 45th-minute strike.
However, KC found their breakthrough in the 83rd minute through Zaire Dowse, before Deshawn Byfield completed the turnaround five minutes later to send the North Street-based school into the final.
KC’s head coach Jermaine Miller said his players needed little motivation to overturn the deficit, pointing to the circumstances surrounding Friday’s encounter as an added source of determination.
“It wasn’t difficult to get them motivated,” said Miller.
“Excelsior scored on the stroke of half-time, celebrating and firing gunshots and running towards our bench, and that itself got the boys motivated.”
Miller continued, “We knew we were the better team, but the surface just didn’t allow us to play how we wanted to play.”
Excelsior’s coach Keon Broderick was disappointed that his team could not hold on to their advantage.
“It is a tough game to lose with 25 minutes remaining. I think we had the ability to keep out the KC team, but it was not to be,” Broderick said.
Six-goal thriller
In the second semi-final, JC survived a late Mona fightback before prevailing in the penalty shoot-out to secure their place in the final after a 3-3 draw in regulation time.
JC made a blistering start, with Jamone Lyle opening the scoring in the fifth minute before Donald Stewart doubled their lead four minutes later with a strike from distance.
Mona pulled one back through Sean Leighton’s 13th-minute penalty before Skyler McFarlane levelled the score in the 61st minute.
Judah Edmonds-Hall appeared to have won it for Mona with a goal in the 90th minute, but JC’s captain Joshua King struck in stoppage time to force penalties.
JC’s technical director Jason Henry described the contest as a “game of moments”, acknowledging that his team’s lapse in concentration allowed Mona to recover from the early two-goal deficit.
“I must say it was a game of moments. In the first 15 minutes, we would have dominated and scored two goals. I think we got a bit indisciplined. Hence, we gave up a penalty and let back in the Mona team,” Henry said.
The final is scheduled for Friday, October 16.
