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<p>Excelsior
are being touted as being among the favourites to lift the Corporate Area
schoolboy Manning Cup title this year with wily coach Leebert Hailliman
returning as technical director while being assisted by veteran conditioners
Everald Campbell and Jahmiah Pettigrew.</p>
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<p>According
to Campbell, the players are young but he is expecting them to rise to the
challenge to get Excelsior to the next phase of the tournament and possibly
fight for the title.</p>
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<p>Campbell
said that Excelsior lost most of the players that carried Excelsior to the
second round last year, but the talent within the current squad is good, so the
expectation is high for the six-time champions.</p>
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<p>Campbell
said that preparation for this year’s competition started slowly, but the work
that has been put in during the summer holidays has ensured that the players
are ready to go when the competition starts on Saturday.</p>
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<p>Excelsior
has played a number of practice matches over the summer holidays but have also
gotten success, as they lifted the pre-season Ali Cup after beating Holy
Trinity in the final. Organised by Excelsior fraternity, the Ali Cup is named
after a former player Allan ‘Ali” Cole Jnr.</p>
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<p>Drawn
in Group G of the competition, Excelsior will have to contend with defending
champions Kingston College (KC), Cedar Grove Academy, Dunoon Park Technical
High School, Kingston Technical and Pembroke Hall High School.</p>
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<p>Campbell
is expecting KC to be their main challenger for a top spot in the group, while
he is looking to St George’s College to join Excelsior among the top contenders
for the title.</p>
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