Big guns eye winning start

Adrian Frater, News Editor

Western Bureau:

The Ben Francis Knockout, the second of the two major schoolboy football competitions for rural high schools, will kick off this afternoon at 3 o'clock with four games, featuring three former champions in Rusea's, Old Harbour and Clarendon College.

While top-flight contenders such as reigning champions Glenmuir and 2009 champions St James High will not make their entry until the quarter-final round on Saturday, today's games should nonetheless be interesting, if not intriguing, as all the teams are champions in their own right, having won their respective zones.

The games down for contention are the red-hot Rusea's against Manning's; the dazzling Clarendon College, which have a perfect win record, going up against the free-scoring Manchester High, Old Harbour against surprise package Buff Bay High; and Marcus Garvey against St Mary Technical.

Encouraging seven wins

Based on their performance in the preliminary round of the daCosta Cup, the game between Rusea's, which easily won Zone B, and Manning's, which topped Zone E with an encouraging seven wins, two draws and one defeat, should be an interesting contest as both teams are high on confidence and full of quality players.

The game has a most important component as former national goalkeeper, Aaron Lawrence, who is the coach of Manning's, will come up against his old coach, Emerson 'Diggy' Henry, who trained him when he was a member of the all-conquering Rusea's team of the mid-1980s.

The face-off between the Donovan Duckie-coached Clarendon College, which topped Zone H; and the Barry Watson-coached Manchester High, the Zone G champion, should be an intriguing affair as Manchester High, with 49 goals, is the competition's most prolific team, while Clarendon College, which have only given up two goals, have an impressive defensive record.

The unbeaten Old Harbour should start favourites in their game against a Buff Bay team which is arguably having their best season ever, losing just twice in eight games.

Looking solid

However, while Old Harbour, which won Zone J, look solid with eight wins and two draws, it would be foolhardy of them not to expect a serious challenge from Buff Bay, which topped teams like Titchfield, Port Antonio and Happy Grove for Zone K honours.

The matchup between Marcus Garvey Technical and St Mary Technical is difficult to predict since both teams are still unbeaten after completing their preliminary fixture. The fact that Marcus Garvey have scored 28 goals and conceded just two, as opposed to St Mary Technical's 22 goals for and nine against, should give them the edge.

In Saturday's quarter-final round, Glenmuir will face off with the winners of the Manchester High vs Clarendon; daCosta Cup champions St Elizabeth Technical High School will play the winners of the Marcus Garvey-St Mary Technical matchup; St James High will battle the winners of the Rusea's-Herbert Morrison game; while Paul Bogle will take on the winners of the Old Harbour-Buff Bay clash.