AFTER A rough start to the ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup football season, Camperdown High School head coach, Donovan Lofters, has been looking for inspiration.

According to the veteran coach, when Mozein Sutherland won the Digicel Rising Stars (DRS) on Sunday, the momentum within the team became tangible.

“Yes, we started out rocky but we saw it as a test, a test of faith, a test of character and Mozein helped us to pull through as a champion. Now the belief is back with us that we are champions and whatever we do, and whatever we ask God for, He will deliver,” Lofters said.

“So Mozein winning the Rising Stars is a plus for us. It’s a plus for the camp because we are a close-knit camp, so we feed off each other. We are champions, we just need to put our heads down and continue striving for the best.”

Camperdown lost two and drew one of their first three games of the Manning Cup, but have had two wins and a draw from their last three games.

The coach said a major reason for the change in results was their praise and worship sessions lead by the DRS Season-18 winner.

“The vibe has been good. Mozein, especially, has been leading our praise and worship. Camperdown’s ritual is praise and worship before match and after match,” Lofters said.

“We have been improving our vibes and in our beliefs, hence we have been winning since.”

However, Lofters said Sutherland, who plays as a midfielder on the team, had difficulties attending team training while competing in the talent show.

“He had to be going to rehearsal. Mozein is a fit chap as you saw, when he won he did nearly a hundred push-ups. He is one who is disciplined and one who has been training on his own, so it did not affect his personal fitness, but the camaraderie with the team, the structure of the team and stuff like that, his role playing in the team, it kind of affected that, but otherwise from that it was OK,” Lofters said.

Despite this, Lofters said the team was behind the 17-year-old all the way and they were happy the hard work paid off for the singer.

“Mozein was highlighted in every way which we could highlight Mozein, even playing the matches and on the TV he was also highlighted as a Rising Stars (contestant) as well as a Camperdown player. We did everything that we could do to make sure that he won and he did win, so I guess everything Mozein and we did paid off.”