Hillel Academy to field rebuilt squad in second Manning Cup campaign

Hillel Academy is gearing up for only its second campaign in the ISSA Manning Cup, and head coach Sean Fraser has confirmed that a youthful lineup will take the field as several members of last season's squad will not be back.

The school entered the competition for the first time last year. Although Hillel did not advance beyond the opening round, Fraser believes the debut year brought meaningful progress.

The side began with a victory against Meadowbrook High and added two further wins during the first-round stage. Their most commanding performance came in a 9-1 defeat of Pembroke Hall High, the widest winning margin they recorded all season.

Fraser remains committed to strengthening what the programme built in that inaugural year, though he acknowledged that supporters should expect plenty of unfamiliar names on the team sheet.

"Well, last year was history because it was our debut," Fraser said. "We think we did well enough, and we could have done better, but the players were young and inexperienced. However, this season is probably going to feel like a younger team."

The turnover reflects a pattern Fraser said is common at Hillel. Unlike many rival institutions, the school often loses footballers once they reach grades 10 and 11, rather than keeping them through to sixth form.

Several athletes have also opted to continue their education abroad, which has further thinned the available pool.

"At Hillel Academy, when the players who are the student-athletes get to fourth form and fifth form, they leave the school," Fraser explained. "So it's not like a traditional school where they go to sixth form and finish their Manning Cup tenure. For me, I'm losing about three players, who are leaving the school completely."

He continued: "And then we have 12 to 13 players who are migrating to go to junior colleges and high schools overseas, so it's going to be a brand-new Hillel Academy team you'll see this year. For me, it's just to accept the challenge and try to mould the boys in the best way possible."

Hillel have been placed in Group B of the first round as an unseeded side. Their opponents in the pool are Dunoon Park Technical, Innswood High, Papine High, Clan Carthy High, St Mary's College, José Martí Technical, and Penwood High.

The three highest-placed teams from the group will move on to the second round, where they will meet 16 seeded schools.

Hillel will also compete in the Walker Cup, with Wolmer's Boys awaiting them in the opening fixture.

Fraser welcomed ISSA's move to open the Walker Cup to every Manning Cup entrant, saying the reform restores standing to the knockout tournament.

He argued the change gives each participating school a genuine shot at silverware and ensures all sides begin on equal footing.

"I love what they did to the Walker Cup because now people can stop calling it a 'Loser's Cup'," Fraser said. "I think it brings back the same amount of prestige that the FA Cup has in England. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best."