Excelsior High and Vauxhall High booked their quarterfinal spots in the ISSA Wata Manning Cup with contrasting results on Tuesday.

Excelsior defeated Tivoli Gardens 3-2 in a pulsating match on the back of first-half double strikes from Kimarly Scott after Terrence Williams had opened the scoring in the fifth minute.

But Tivoli Gardens, needing a win to advance, roared back with two second-half goals by Jeremy Forbes in the 74^th and Horace Morgan in the 90^th. But their rally came a little too late, and they crashed out of the Manning Cup.

Excelsior, which advanced as group 1 winner with six points just ahead of St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS), which lost 0-1 to Wolmer’s Boys but were already through to the quarterfinal from last week. They ended second based on goal difference.

Excelsior will go into Zone A of the quarter final and were joined by Charlie Smith winner of Group 3, after they battled to a 1-1 draw with Vauxhall High and finished with seven points. Vauxhall held onto second spot with five points and are placed in Zone B in the quarterfinal alongside STATHS.

So, the four teams in the quarterfinals are Excelsior, Charlie Smith, STATHS and Vauxhall. They await four more teams that will be decided today.

Champions Kingston College must win against Calabar, who only need a draw to book their spot, while 2023 champions Mona must also beat Jamaica College to advance in two tantalising games at Stadium East today.

Eltham High and Hydel High are in the driver’s seat, needing only draws to book their spots when they face St Jago High and Campion College in a double header at Waterhouse Stadium.

Last year’s beaten finalist and many-pundit favourites for the title this year, St Catherine High, were eliminated despite beating St George’s College 5-1. They finished third in Group 3 behind Charlie Smith and Vauxhall High.