Latest News
‘Proud of what we’ve achieved’ - Hillel Academy excited for future after Manning Cup debut season
October 07, 2025
Sean Fraser, head coach of Hillel Academy, said he is proud of what his players achieved following their debut season in the ISSA/WATA Manning Cup.
Hillel closed out their first-ever season in ISSA'S senior football competition with a record of three wins and four losses as they finished fifth in Zone E, just shy of a spot in the playoff round.
They finished behind zone winners Mona High, who ended with a perfect record and 21 points, Calabar High 18, Wolmer's Boys' 15, and Ascot High 10.
Fraser says he is excited about the programme's future.
"Honestly, I'm very proud of what we have achieved as a school and as a group. The preparations, we started a little bit later than most schools but what I can say is that we have a young team," he said.
"I think we overachieved compared to some first-timers. We have a good core of players here that we can build on for the future," he added.
SINGLE POINT
Fraser said one of their disappointments was missing out on the playoff round by a single point.
They started their season with a 3-0 win over Meadowbrook High, but were left disappointed after slumping to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Wolmer's Boys' in the following game.
Further defeats to Ascot, Calabar and Mona would sink Hillel's ambitions of a playoff spot.
"Missing out on the playoffs is obviously devastating, but there are (more) positives to it than just the negatives," Fraser said.
"We wanted to go through and we had set down some games which we thought we could have won.
"It's tough when you set out to achieve your goals and don't get to reach all your goals. The first game against Meadowbrook, we had started great, but eventually the reality set in when we played Wolmer's and lost 3-0."
Fraser is confident Hillel can build on their debut performance and aim to advance from the first round in the seasons to come.
"We're building from the youth programmes coming up, so we're starting from the Alberga (Cup) in the prep school to the high schools, with the U14 and U16. So you'll be hearing about us in the Pepsi and Colts."
WAVE OF EXCITEMENT
He said seeing the school compete in the Manning Cup has brought a new wave of excitement throughout the school community. This has led to even more players turning out to join the school's football teams at the various age groups.
"The parents are very, very supportive and the school itself is behind everything that we're doing," Fraser explained.
"I'm learning a lot and there are a lot more students coming out for football than ever before," he continued.
"The school has about 400 boys and now we're getting at least 100 boys in all the different age groups. This is great so now that the vibe is here, this is something for us to build on."
