Manning Cup debut ignites football fever at Hillel
Published:Wednesday | October 8, 2025 | 12:10 AMGregory Bryce/Staff Reporter
SEAN FRASER, head coach of Hillel Academy, said there is a new wave of excitement for football in the school community following their debut season in the ISSA/WATA Manning Cup competition.
Hillel fell agonisingly short of a spot in the Manning Cup playoff round, missing it by a single point when they finished fifth in Zone E.
They closed out the first round with a record of three wins and four losses, scoring 16 goals along the way, while conceding 27.
Hillel ended with nine points, trailing zone winners Mona High, 21, Calabar High, 18, Wolmer’s Boys, 15, and Ascot High, 10.
Fraser said following their debut campaign, there has been a major increase in player turnout and fan support.
“The parents are very, very supportive and the school itself is behind everything that we’re doing,” Fraser explained.
“I’m learning a lot, and there are a lot more students coming out for football than ever before,” he continued.
“The school has about 400 boys, and now we’re getting at least 100 boys in all the different age groups. This is great. So now that the vibe is here, this is something for us to build on.”
Hillel started the season brightly as they defeated Meadowbrook High 3-0 in their opening game.
The harsh reality of the Manning Cup sank in during their second match, however, as they were thumped 3-0 at home by Wolmer’s Boys’ School.
They recovered with the 9-1 thrashing of Pembroke Hall, but Fraser said defeats to Ascot, Mona, and Calabar sent their season spiralling.
“We wanted to go through, and we had set down some games which we thought we could have won,” he explained.
“It’s tough when you set out to achieve your goals and don’t get to reach all your goals. The first game against Meadowbrook, we had started great, but eventually, the reality set in when we played Wolmer’s and lost 3-0.”
He added: “The truth and the fact is that the team is young and inexperienced as a group, but we will get there in time.”
Fraser also took responsibility for their failure to advance as he believed that the coaching staff fell short in crucial areas.
He pointed to their 2-0 defeat to Ascot and said that they went into the game with far too much confidence, believing that they had won the match before kick-off.
“We lost the Ascot game because we didn’t play up to potential, and I don’t think I had coached up to potential also. So it’s not just on the players but on the coaching staff also,” he admitted.
“Because Ascot had lost to Wolmer’s 6-0, we thought we had won the game before even playing the game.
“So when we realised how difficult the game was, we tried to flip the switch, but football is not a light bulb where you can turn the switch on and off.”
Fraser said the school would return stronger for the seasons to come and is aiming to improve on their performance by advancing past the first round.
“We’re building from the youth programmes coming up, so we’re starting from the Alberga (Cup) in the prep school to the high schools, with the under-14s and under-16s. So you’ll be hearing about us in the Pepsi and Colts.
“I’m very proud of what we have achieved as a school and as a group. We have a young team, and I think we overachieved compared to some first-timers. Like I said, we have a young group, so I think we have a lot to build on here.”