Four to battle for STETHS Cup

Richard Bryan, Gleaner Writer

St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) will seek to sharpen their preparation for the start of the rural-area daCosta Cup schoolboy football defence in two weeks, hosting Garvey Maceo today in the second game of a double-header at the school's grounds in Santa Cruz.

The game is part of a four-team tournament dubbed the STETHS Cup, which was inaugurated last year. Two other teams, emerging urban-area team Bridgeport and 2008 daCosta Cup winners St James High, will meet in the day's curtain-raiser at 2 p.m.

STETHS are just returning from a successful training camp at Spot Valley High in St James, where in practice matches they beat their hosts 3-0, drew 3-3 with Rusea's and beat the MoBay-based Catherine Hall Major League team 4-0.

Coach Andrew Edwards sees the STETHS's Cup as their final and major preseason preparation.

"Most teams would have been at an advanced state of preparedness for the season ahead, and what this tournament has is big quality opposition, so we should be in a position to gauge where we are, as the intention is to successfullly defend the daCosta Cup," said Edwards.

Glenmuir, Old Harbour High and Wolmer's participated last year, with STETHS emerging the winner on points tally after two games.

Jamaica National Building Society's return as title sponsors has set the stage for the tournament to be an annual occasion.

The tournament will end tomorrow with the teams involved in reverse fixtures, with the hosts taking on St James High in the feature at 4 p.m. and the Manning Cup representatives squaring off with the daCosta Cup champions of 2007.