Calabar High School, David “Wagga” Hunt and The Walker Cup
The great Calabar High School has done it again. Last week Friday, the football team defeated Jamaica College (JC) to lift the Walker Cup trophy, symbol of the best knock-out schoolboy football team in the Corporate Area. They did it in 1974, when I was a member of Calabar High School.
Calabar, under the coaching of David Hunt, a Kingston College old boy, was fast becoming a football powerhouse to match its well known exploits in track and field. Under the guidance of David, Calabar won the Manning Cup and for the first time won the Olivier Shield. It was therefore, fitting tribute that manager Homer Morgan, new coach, Lijyasu Simms and the footballers dedicated the victory to their beloved and respected coach, David Hunt.
The match was not the best schoolboy football match I have watched. That honour belongs to the Calabar vs Clarendon College (CC) match in the 1970s. We drew with CC in Chapelton and we went to the National Stadium with high hopes. However, led by Lenny ‘Teacher’ Hyde, now coach of Harbour View, we got a fine lesson in playing total football. I have not since seen a schoolboy dominate a football match as Lenny Hyde. Neither have I seen a schoolboy team play better.
Emotional maturity
However, what this year’s Walker Cup Champions lacked in class, they made up with sheer grit, emotional maturity and finishing power. To ask teenagers to play football matches so soon after the death of their coach was asking a bit much. That they did it and won showed supernatural power. To be honest a 3-0 margin flattered Calabar.
Calabar lifting the Olivier Shield in 2005
As saw it, JC had more of the ball possession. However, JC lacked the finishing power. Calabar was strong in defence and the goalkeeper was assured most times. And captain Cleyon Brown was a marvel with a hat trick of goals. It was really a fitting tribute to David.
In the late ’70s, I used to visit the home of the Hunts frequently because my cousins, the Robinsons, were close friends of theirs. But strangely, I did not associate the white-haired and bearded David Hunt with his parents. But I admired David as the coach of Calabar.
As saw it, JC had more of the ball possession.
However, JC lacked the finishing power. Calabar was strong in defence and the goalkeeper was assured most times. And captain Cleyon Brown was a marvel with a hat trick of goals. It was really a fitting tribute to David.
In the late ’70s, I used to visit the home of the Hunts frequently because my cousins, the Robinsons, were close friends of theirs. But strangely, I did not associate the white-haired and bearded David Hunt with his parents. But I admired David as the coach of Calabar.
My admiration grew even more, when, as the under 17 coach, David provided insightful analysis of the game, without berating his players, even when he lost. David had a masters degree in finance, which he never used in the financial sector but instead channelled his analytical mind on the field of play.
What a man
David has the distinction of being the only coach to have led a Jamaican football team to victory over a U.S.A. football team. Nevertheless, he resigned as coach after that feat because his team failed to qualify for the World Cup. He honoured his word to resign if his team did not qualify. What a man!
He did not appear to be in football for fame and fortune. In fact, the Walker Cup final match showed boys who were playing a game for the love of the game.
On Saturday, TVJ, in doing a profile on Captain Horace Burrell, said that after he lost the JFF presidency, he did not attend a football match for four years at the National Stadium involving the Reggae Boyz. I hope that example will not be followed by Boxhill. The example of David Hunt is worthy of emulation by the football fraternity.
Calabar honoured the memory of David Hunt in the manner they played and won the Walker Cup final.
By Rev. Devon Dick
About Rev Devon Dick
Rev. Devon Dick is Pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church, Chairman of the Jamaica National Heritage Trust, author of Rebellion to Riot and a regular columnist in the Gleaner.
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General community site and blog for one of Jamaica's finest educational Institutions, Calabar High School.
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my baby look good get it palmer and u guys didi good keep it up
u guys look great
st8t green and black
yow mi luv c-bar boyz.unu look sexy and unu a di best str8!!!
big up 2 di rabalac crew love u guys and big up 2 mi man