When the ISSA daCosta Cup second round gets under way today, former champions Cornwall College and St James High will square off at the Cornwall College playfield at 3:00 p.m.
A total of 16 matches are scheduled across the island.
Cornwall College coach Leacroft Lettman said that after his team’s elimination from the Ben Francis Cup knockout competition, the focus must now shift fully to the daCosta Cup campaign.
“We have to start off today strong. This is the daCosta Cup now, where we’re going to play a zone game and then move into another zone. We recuperated, are organised, and came forward with the boys to get them upbeat and ready again,” said Lettman.
In Group F, the 12-time champions will be seeking a positive start as they chase their first victory of the second round.
Continuous improvement
Meanwhile, St James High coach Bryan Stoney said success comes through continuous improvement.
“We are progressing pretty well with our preparation, and the players are getting more coachable now. This makes it a bit easier for me and what they do for us to deliver,” said Stoney.
Stoney said the team is aiming to add another title to the school’s history as former champions.
“Our objective might sound strange, but it’s to win the daCosta Cup. If you’re going to win, we just start game after game. We have to get them used to our playing style. We have to make players know their position, and understand what is wrong and exactly what they must do,” added Stoney.
In a St Elizabeth derby, defending champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) will face Maggotty High at the STETHS Sports Complex at 3:30 p.m.
The Group A favourites, who have developed a reputation for slow starts in previous seasons, will be looking to begin their title defence on a strong note.
Maggotty, meanwhile, will be hoping to pose a stern challenge to Omar ‘Rambo’ Wedderburn’s STETHS team.
While the task will be difficult, Maggotty are not expected to make things easy for the defending champions.
In Hanover, another intriguing contest will feature Rusea’s High taking on Manning’s School at the Collin Miller Complex in Lucea.
The 11-time champions, who finished second in Zone B, will be eager to make a stronger start in the second round.
Rusea’s, one of schoolboy football’s traditional powerhouses, suffered a disappointing exit in last season’s round of 32, going down 3-1 to Ocho Rios High.
Their last daCosta Cup title came in 2017 when they defeated Clarendon College.
Since then, Rusea’s have failed to progress beyond the second round.
Today’s games
STETHS vs Maggotty at STETHS
Frome vs Irwin High at Frome
Holmwood vs Munro College at Holmwood
Lacovia vs Old Harbour at Lacovia
Glenmuir vs Yallahs at Glenmuir
Central vs Ferncourt at Effortville Community Centre
Denbigh vs Garvey Maceo at Denbigh
Mile Gully vs St Mary at Mile Gully
BB Coke vs McGrath at BB Coke
Dinthill vs Morant Bay at Dinthill
Ocho Rios vs Titchfield at Drax Hall Sports Complex
Clarendon College vs Porus at Clarendon College
Manchester vs Edwin Allen
Rusea’s vs Manning’s
Cornwall College vs St James High at Cornwall
William Knibb vs Brown’s Town at William Knibb
Kemps Hill vs Knox College at Wembley Excellence Centre
Lennon vs Christiana at Lennon
All games begin at 3 p.m.
