Excelsior Eagles have high hopes

Keon Broderick, head coach of Excelsior High, said he has high expectations for his players as he fine-tunes the team’s preparations ahead of the 2024 ISSA Manning Cup season.

Broderick said the team will be a competitive outfit for the Manning Cup season as he aims to go all the way in the competition.

“We are eagles, that is our nickname,” he said. “We always try to soar as high as possible, so we’re definitely going to be competitive this season. We always try to go all the way in whichever competition we’re a part of and the Manning Cup is no different.

Broderick explained it has not been the smoothest preseason so far for Excelsior as several of his top players have been drawn away from their training camp due to club and national team commitments.

He said this has resulted in severely disjointed training sessions with members of the team being unavailable for periods of time.

“It has kind of been up and down in terms of preparations, partly because we have had a lot of players who have been engaged in the under-17 and under-15 competitions. We also have some national players in the under-20 and under-17 teams,” Broderick said.

MAKING THE BEST OF THE SITUATION

Broderick said while the disruptions have impacted the team’s overall cohesion, he believes it also brings its share of benefits.

He said the absence of key players has emboldened other players to step up and stake their claim in the squad ahead of the season.

He also said the absent players will return to the squad with match experience to bolster the team’s quality.

“I’m looking at it as twofold. It’s an opportunity for other players to step up and try and play some good football and improve in terms of their confidence and tactical skills.

“As well as for the players who are away, it is also an opportunity for them to improve on what they doing and bring that expertise back to the team as individuals and collectively.”

Excelsior have been drawn in Group F of the Manning Cup, where they will face Jamaica College, Ascot High, Pembroke Hall High, Spanish Town High and Bridgeport High.