THE West Cork Academy honoured their schoolboys and schoolgirls representatives at an awards ceremony at the Copper Grove, Bandon.
Fielding teams in the 2022/23 SFAI provincial and national inter-league competitions, the rural region’s U12 schoolboys and schoolgirls, U13 schoolboys and schoolgirls, U14 (Kennedy Cup) and U15 schoolboys squad members were each presented with FIFA-styled certificates. The U12 and U13 schoolboys will receive their certs at a later date.
As for individual awards, the U12 Schoolboys Players’ Player of the Year went to Ardfield FC’s Brehon O’Mahony and Coaches Player of the Year to Castlelack’s Jack Allen.
Drinagh Rangers’ Nell Kinsella was presented with the U12 schoolgirls Players’ Player of the Year with Clonakilty AFC’s Alice Kelly taking home the coaches’ award for that particular age-grade.
As for the U13 schoolgirls age-grade, Keelin Gough (Skibbereen AFC) finished the season as Players’ Player of the Year and Natalie Morrisey (Dunmanway Town) was the coaches’ choice.
Paddy Haughney was rewarded for a standout season with the U13 schoolboys academy team by being presented with the Players’ Player of the Year award. Gearoid O’Keeffe’s (Castlelack) consistent efforts earned the Coaches’ Player of the Year accolade.
The 2023 West Cork Academy U14 schoolboys squad begin their SFAI Kennedy Cup campaign on Monday, June 12th. Padraigh O’Sullivan (Kilgoban Celtic) was honoured with the Players’ Player of the Year award.
Tom Whooley’s stellar campaign earned the versatile player the Academy Player of the Year award. It has been quite a season for Whooley with recent news of the Ardfield FC player’s selection on the SFAI Irish international representative schoolboys squad. Whooley will be part of an Irish schoolboys team that competes in the 2023 Celtic Cup taking place in Scotland at the end of June.
David Hall and Danny Logan’s U15 schoolboys are another group that can reflect on a memorable season. Kilgoban Celtic’s Ryan O’Boy was voted U15 Coaches’ Player of the Year and Ronan Hayes (Ardfield) the players’ choice for 2022/23.
2022 SFAI Kennedy Cup Golden Boot (tournament top scorer) Tim Sweeney from Kilmichael Rovers was also honoured for his remarkable achievement. Finishing top scorer at the prestigious annual tournament held at the University of Limerick underlined Sweeney’s growing reputation, something the young striker backed up at the U15 schoolboys inter-league grade this past season.
