U12 schoolboys’ divisions promise thrills and spills

BY GER McCARTHY

THE U12 schoolboys’ age-grade will be one of the many highlights of a new season of the 2024 SuperValu West Cork Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League season.

Last week we previewed the upcoming SuperValu WCSSL Schoolgirls League campaign. This week, we turn our attention towards one of the most entertaining of all West Cork’s schoolboys’ grades.

At the time of writing, 18 teams are pencilled in to contest this year’s SuperValu WCSSL U12 Premier, U12 Championship and U12 League 1 divisions (all leagues and teams subject to change).

In the top tier, Dunmanway Town Tornados, Riverside Athletic, Drinagh Rangers, Ardfield, Clonakilty AFC Reds and Skibbereen Dynamos will contest the U12 Premier. The U12 Championship division will include Skibbereen Celtic, Bantry Bay Rovers United (formerly Kilgoban), Castlelack, Sullane, Lyre Rovers and Beara United. U12 League 1 will be fought out between Inter Bay Rovers, Clonakilty AFC Greens, Skibbereen Athletic, Dunmanway Town Dynamos, Bunratty United and Togher Celtic.

The structures for the 2024 SuperValu WCSSL U13 Schoolboys age-grades will also see three divisions plus knockout competitions taking place. This year’s U13 Schoolboys Premier will include Lyre Rovers, Castlelack, Dunmanway Town Whites, Clonakilty AFC and Bantry Bay Rovers Greens (all leagues and teams subject to change). Drinagh Rangers, Beara United, Ardfield, Togher Celtic and Bantry Bay Rovers will contest the U13 Schoolboys Championship division. This season’s U13 Schoolboys League 1 includes Riverside Athletic, Clonakilty AFC Spurs, Dunmanway Town Greens, Skibbereen Celtic and Bunratty United.

If last year’s U12 schoolboys age-grade is anything to go by, we are in for another year of high scoring, quality games and emerging talents. Dunmanway Celtic (Premier), Kilgoban Celtic (Championship) and Castlelack Hibs (League 1) took home 2023’s U12 league trophies.

Dunmanway’s memorable season included seven wins, two draws and a solitary loss en route to becoming Premier Division champions. Hugh McCarthy finished as Celtic’s top scorer with 16 goals in all competitions. Vittor Coutinho, Ben Mackey, Eoghan Foley, Ryan Brickley, Max Bramoulle, Eoghain Holland and Liam Murray also impressed. Despite getting knocked out of the SuperValu U12 Schoolboys Cup in the preliminary round, Dunmanway rebounded to lift the SuperValu U12 Schoolboys Shield to complete a double.

The same was true of U12 Championship winners Kilgoban Celtic (renamed Bay Rovers for 2024). The latter outlasted Drinagh Rangers to win their league title before accounting for Skibbereen (7-2), Castlelack Celtic (6-5), Clonakilty United (5-1) and Lyre Rovers (6-1) to bring the U12 Schoolboys Cup back to Kealkill. Kilgoban’s Fionn Wiseman had a terrific campaign, netting 20 goals in all competitions with Eoin McCarthy, Eoghan Hickey, Billy Crews, Michael Hayden and Blake Hegarty also contributing.

Castlelack Hibs and Riverside Athletic engaged in a season-long wrestle for the 2023 U12 Schoolboys League 1 trophy. The Brinny club edged it by a single point thanks, in part, to top scorer John Smithers’ eight strikes. Kyle Buckley, Ethan Coughlan, Tiernan Crewe, Rua Murphy and Oliver Kiely also scored important goals.