Tuesday, September 17, 2024

21 THE STAR SPORTS • Tuesday, September 17, 2024 @JamaicaStar www.facebook.com/JamaicaStar • www.jamaica-star.com GREGORY BRYCE Staff Reporter A ll eyes will be on Zone C of the Inter- Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/WATA Manning Cup as an early top-of- the table clash looms with four teams all tied on points in the zone standings. Kingston College (KC), Penwood High, Campion College and Jose Marti Technical have all recorded four points in their opening two games to create a joint four-way lead in the zone. KC, however, head the pack on goal difference with massive thanks to their 18-nil drubbing of Cumberland High on Saturday. The North Street institution will have the chance to open up some breathing room at the top when they face off against Jose Marti today at the Stadium East playing field. Their head coach Vassell Reynolds is expecting to leave with all three points after being impressed by his team’s performance last time out. “It’s a game at a time and we intend to go deep in the competition,” Reynolds said. “[Jose Marti] will be a tougher opponent, but whether we face tough opponents or weak opponents, the fact of the matter is we know we have to improve and we expect to continue to improve and keep up our rich vein of form.” Jose Marti currently sit fourth in the table on goal difference and are looking to return to winning ways after being held to a 2-2 draw against Campion College. They were left disappointed after going two-nil up against the Campionites, before giving up their advantage. Campion, on the other hand, will face off against a Meadowbrook High squad which is yet to secure a point this season. Meadowbrook have endured a rough start to season by conceding 10 goals in two games, and they have only scored twice. Penwood High, a rising force in the group, will host Cumberland High with the expectations of winning all three points. They are high on confidence after thrashing Meadowbrook High five-nil, as well as a 2-2 draw with KC. Cumberland, however, will need to dig deep to banish the after effects of their last game, which saw them being picked apart with ease by KC. gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com Zone C heats up as Manning Cup gets into full swing Wolmer’s Boys’ Davaughn Ricketts looks on while Denham Town’s Odeano Porteous attempts some tricks during their ISSA/WATAManningCup football encounter at St Andrew Technical High School on Friday. R icaRdo M akyn TODAY’S MATCHES Charlie Smith vs Gaynstead at Charlie Smith Jonathan Grant vs Waterford at Jonathan Grant Mona vs Tarrant at Mona Campion vs Meadowbrook at Meadowbrook Penwood vs Cumberland at Maverley KC vs Jose Marti at KC Papine vs Holy Trinity at Papine St. George’s vs Norman Manley at St George’s All games are set to kick off at 3:30 p.m. ASHLEY ANGUIN STAR Writer S t Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) and B.B. Coke High will be seeking nothing but a win when they face off in the ISSA/ WATA daCosta Cup football competition, at STETHS today at 3:30 p.m. A victory today would make this the second win of the season for STETHS and put them on four points, following their 1-1 draw with Lacovia High on Saturday. B.B. Coke High, on the other hand, lost their last game as they were beaten 1-0 by Zone E leaders Munro College on Saturday. Munro also beat Lacovia High 2-0 and have six points. Veteran head coach of STETHS, Omar ‘Rambo’ Wedderburn, told STAR Sports that preparations going into today’s game have been going well and they want maximum returns. “Our expectations like any other game is try to gain three points,” he said. “We are doing it match by match to get the necessary points and move on to the next game, nothing new, nothing extraordinary, just as plain and simple as getting the three points,” Wedderburn stated. Continuing, he said, “There are no complaints this far with preparations. I think we are relaxed, I think we are settled and we are just waiting on the game to execute.” STETHS have won 11 schoolboy football titles, the daCosta Cup in 1974, 1999, 2009, 2013, and 2015. Additionally, they won six consecutive Ben Francis KO titles in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Last season, STETHS finished atop of the zone but were squeezed out of the final eight by Cornwall College, after a difference of a single goal. Yet still, they qualified for the Ben Francis KO competition and faced eventual champions McGrath High, who eliminated them 2-1. B.B. Coke, the 2019 Ben Francis Cup champions, finished second to STETHS in the inter-zone competition last season. Both schools were competitive in their two matches in 2023, one finishing 1-1 and B.B. Coke losing the other 1-0. Fitzroy Ambersely, head coach of B.B. Coke, says his team has a fair amount of balance and experience and will be looking to turn their form around. “We want to play some good and attractive football. In our two last games we had a slow start. However, we found out what the problem was, so we are going to improve on that and take it from there today,” Ambersely said. “We have five to six starters from last year that are back this year. Preparations are good, I don’t have a problem. A poor start, but things are gradually growing, and we will continue to progress as we move along.” ashley.anguin@gleanerjm.com BB Coke, STETHS target maximum points TODAY’S MATCHES STETHS vs. B.B. Coke at STETHS Munro College vs. Newell High at Munro Maggotty High vs. Lacovia High at Maggotty Belair High vs Mt. St. Joseph at Brooks Park Cornwall vs Irwin High at Cornwall Maldon vs Herbert Morrison at Maldon Frome vs Knockalva at Frome Anchovy vs Cambridge at Anchovy Rusea’s vs Green Island at Watson Taylor Park Godfrey Stewart vs Grange Hill at Godfrey Stewart Little London vs Manning’s at Little London Spot Valley vs Holland High at Spot Valley Cedric Titus vs Muschett at Cedric Titus May Day vs Cross Keys at May Day Troy High vs Bellefield High at Troy High Alston High vs Christiana at Alston High Winston Jones vs Glenmuir at Winston Jones Vere Tech vs Old Harbour at Vere Tech McGrath High vs Ewarton at McGrath High York Castle vs Brown’s Town at York Castle Marcus Garvey vs Ferncourt at Marcus Garvey Wycliffe Martin vs Iona at Wycliffe Martin All matches are set to kick off at 3:30 p.m. STETHS’ coach Omar Wedderburn G ladstone t ayloR