School spirit soars as Garvey Maceo celebrate daCosta Cup title

Garvey Maceo High School erupted in celebration during Monday’s morning devotion, just two days after clinching the daCosta Cup with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over McGrath High School at the National Stadium in Kingston.

The Clarendon-based school overcame a 1-0 deficit to level the match 1-1 in the seventh minute of added time, courtesy of a last-gasp goal by Omarian O’Brian. The match then went to penalties, where Garvey Maceo prevailed 5-3, denying McGrath High of Linstead, St Catherine, their first title in the prestigious schoolboy football competition.

“It’s an extraordinary feeling,” said acting head coach Lester Hibbert, standing amid jubilant students wielding yellow vuvuzelas. “Words can’t express how we feel. As a past student of this noble institution, this victory means the world to me and the entire Cubanz family. Many doubted us, but here we are – the students, teachers, coaching staff, and the boys – all celebrating because God has been truly good to us.”

The triumph marked Garvey Maceo’s third daCosta Cup title, following victories in 2007 and the COVID-disrupted 2021 season, which extended into January 2022.

McGrath High had seemed poised for glory after Devone Davis’ 15th-minute goal put them ahead. But the resilient Garvey Maceo squad found their equalizer in the dying seconds, silencing McGrath’s hopes of a maiden championship.

In Clarendon, the celebrations were boisterous. Regular end-of-term exams were postponed as the school community rallied around their team, whose nickname, Cubanz, honours the Cuban government’s role in the institution's construction. Garvey Maceo is one of three such Jamaican schools, alongside Jose Marti and G.C. Foster College.

With the daCosta Cup secured, Garvey Maceo now turns its attention to Saturday’s showdown for the all-island Oliver Shield title, where they will face Manning Cup champions Kingston College at St. Elizabeth Technical High School.

For more on the celebrations, watch video coverage by Ramon Lindsay.