Naparima College, the winners of the 2025 Premier Division and the South Zone InterCol titles, made a clean sweep of the titles at stake in this year’s Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) after they defeated Signal Hill Secondary 1-0 at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Balmain, Couva on Wednesday evening for the Coca-Cola National InterCol crown.
The title was added to the Premier Division crown when they won by beating the same team 2-1 in the final match of the division, and they also defeated Presentation College 4-0 for the South Zone InterCol crown.
Altogether, the Naps cabinet looks well-decorated with nine national InterCol titles, eight National League titles, 17 South Zone InterCol crowns and nine South Zone titles.
It took the southerners a little more than 10 minutes to settle, as the Tobagonians looked decent from the start, opting for a more direct approach to their attack.
In the 23rd minute, though, they self-destructed and allowed Naps to take the lead. Jabari Rodriguez with a shot from well outside the Signal Hill goal area that appeared to pose no problems when it was taken turned out disastrous, as goalkeeper Kaleb Romeo allowed it through his grasp and into the goal for the opener.
And just before the break, Romeo came to the Signal rescue to prevent his team from going two goals down. Romeo, it was, who could not handle a right-side centre, as his defender was able to head the ball defensively to the top of the goal area, where Rodriguez connected with a thumping shot that Romeo later plucked out of the air to safety in the 39th minute.
In the second half, Arron Raymond, the younger brother of national player Andre Raymond, used his pace to get into the Signal Hill goal area only to push the ball wide of the advancing Romeo in the 59th minute. Eight minutes later, Raymond was given another bite of the cherry when a defensive blunder saw the ball fall invitingly at his feet; however, he still could not beat Romeo in goal in the 67th minute.
Instead, the Tobagonians created two big chances at the Naps goalpost with one drifting wide of the goal and the other being saved.
Siel Mills, the scorer of the goal that sank St Anthony’s College in the semifinals last Saturday, found some room at the edge of the penalty area, but his low shot was fisted wide in the 72nd minute. And five minutes from regulation time, Mills was presented with another golden opportunity when the Naps’ defence struggled to clear a ball that was served in from the a corner kick.
The ball eventually bounced invitingly for Mills, but he could not control his attempt, as it was wide of the goal.
<PLEASANTVILLE REIGNS AS INTERCOL QUEENS>
Pleasantville Secondary School overcame an early attacking scare from Five Rivers Secondary School to clinch the Coca-Cola National InterCol Girls title on Wednesday by beating their opponents 5-3 from the penalty spot after the teams were inseparable at 2-2 at the end of regulation time.
Coincidentally, there was an interesting irony after the Pleasantville girls were beaten for the title last year by St Joseph’s Convent on penalties. This time, the Southerners, aiming to make amends for their loss in 2024, survived a brutal display of attacking football from the Easterners that somehow ended with no goal.
Among the early opportunities, Captain Shaquilla Daniel was most heartbroken when she was set on a one-on-one with goalkeeper Akeila Marryshow in the 5th minute, but luck did not follow her, as she dribbled past Marryshow but still hit the ball wide of an open goal, to the dismay of her teammates.
Moments later, heartbreak consumed her when Pleasantville captain Natalia Gosine connected with a left-side centre to hand her team the advantage in the ninth minute.
Five Rivers, who defeated Signal Hill Secondary in the semifinal 1-0 on Saturday, lifted themselves in the moments that followed for the equalising item. Jayda Herbert took her marker for a run down the left side, and her centre was steered in by Hackeema Goodridge in the 12th minute.
The teams sought revival at the halftime break, only for Pleasantville to fall behind soon after the resumption. Five Rivers’ Goodridge got her second goal of the match in the 47th minute to put her team ahead 2-1 for the first time in the match.
However, Zara Chase hit back with the goal of the game to put the teams back on level terms for a second time. The diminutive Pleasantville striker picked up the ball midway in the Five Rivers half and eluded three players before hitting a thunderous shot that sailed past Akilah George in the Five Rivers goal in the 52nd minute.
The teams tried to make the breakthrough in the remaining moments, but the game had to be settled from the penalty kicks with the score at 2 apiece at the end of regulation time. National striker Nikita Gosine scored first to lead her team to an unblemished record from the kicks, while Herbert’s attempt was saved, allowing the southerners to prevail 5-3 and claim the crown.
