Fraser confident Hillel can make Manning Cup breakthrough

SEAN Fraser, the head coach of Hillel Academy, is confident his young charges can negotiate the first round of the Manning Cup despite losing over a dozen players from last season’s squad. With a new-look Manning Cup format adding another layer of intrigue to this year’s competition, Fraser says Hillel’s immediate objective is clear — get through the opening round and establish themselves as a serious force in schoolboy football. “Our target is definitely to come out of the first round of this new Manning Cup set-up,” Fraser said.

“We have been training hard and the players have been applying themselves as true student-athletes who really want to achieve greatness.” The departure of that many players could have forced Hillel into a major rebuilding exercise, but Fraser believes the school has retained a strong core capable of competing with the established names in the competition. “We have lost about 15 players overall that were part of the first Manning [Cup] team of last year, but we still have a core that has been playing together for years, along with some new faces,” he said. Hillel Academy football Head Coach Sean Fraser (left) speaks to players during training at Constant Spring field on Monday.

(Photos: Joseph Welllington) Hillel are drawn in Zone B alongside Dunoon Park Technical, Innswood High, Papine High, Clan Carthy High, St Mary’s College, Jose Marti Technical and Penwood High. Last season, Hillel Academy in their debut at this level, missed qualification to the second round by only one point. They defeated Meadowbrook High 3-0, Pembroke Hall High 9-1, Dunoon Park 3-2, but lost 0-5 to Calabar High and 0-3 to Wolmer’s Boys’.

Rather than being intimidated by the pedigree of some of their opponents, Fraser expects his players to approach every match with confidence and determination. “Our expectations are to compete at the highest level and it doesn’t matter about the big names. We will compete for sure in every game and let the chips fall where they may.

“There’s no fear of any team in my group. Obviously, we respect every school and team, and I think we should be able to come out of the first round with what we have on our roster this season,” he said. Hillel Academy football players train at Constant Spring field on Monday.

While the immediate focus is on Manning Cup success, Fraser believes Hillel is building something much bigger than a tea…