Hillel Academy leans on fresh talent for second Manning Cup campaign

Hillel Academy is gearing up for its second ISSA Manning Cup campaign with a markedly younger roster, head coach Sean Fraser confirmed, noting that several members of last season’s side will not be available this year.

The school entered the competition for the first time last season. Although it exited in the opening round, the campaign still produced respectable results. Hillel began with a victory against Meadowbrook High and added two further first-round wins. Its standout result was a 9-1 thrashing of Pembroke Hall High, the widest winning margin of that run.

Fraser wants to build on that base, yet he acknowledged that many unfamiliar names will feature this time around.

“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.”

He pointed to a familiar pattern at Hillel: student-athletes often depart after grades 10 and 11, unlike programmes that keep players through sixth form. Migration for schooling abroad has also thinned the pool further.

“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 school oversea. 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 as possible.”

In the first round, unseeded Hillel sits in Group B with Dunoon Park Technical, Innswood High, Papine High, Clan Carthy High, St Mary’s College, Jose Marti Technical and Penwood High. The three leading sides from the group move into the second round alongside the 16 seeded teams.

Hillel is also in the Walker Cup draw and opens against Wolmer’s Boys. Fraser welcomed ISSA’s move to let every team contest the knockout, saying it restores stature to the competition and gives each school a genuine shot at the title.

“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.”