... opening round daCosta and Manning Cup take centre stage in MoBay

Defending daCosta Cup champions Clarendon College will get their title defence under way when they clash with Group H rivals Edwin Allen to open the 2015 Flow/ISSA schoolboy football season at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in the second game of a triple-header.

The exciting action will begin at 2:30 p.m. with a Manning Cup showdown between defending champions Jamaica College and Calabar High. This will be followed by the Clarendon College-Edwin Allen clash at 4:20.

The evening's final match will pit former many-time daCosta Cup winners Cornwall College against Irwin High in the opening Group A encounter starting at 6:45 p.m.

Head coaching duties at Edwin Allen reside with Conroy Brown, the man who steered them to the Inter-zone round last year, and he is already brimming with confidence ahead of his team's clash against the champions.

He told STAR Sports that team spirit is high and that his team is raring to get a crack at the Paul 'Tegat' Davis-conditioned Clarendon College.

"We are well prepared; we are confident and we are ready to go do the job," said Brown.

Different result

No surprise there, as although they were defeated twice by the eventual champions in the group stage last year, Brown is positive it will be a different result today.

It's a much more straightforward deal for Clarendon College.

Davis said he is under no pressure to win, but will be positioning his team for victory nonetheless and will play like the champions they are.

"We know what we have to do, and we have the team to get it done. This game, like all the others, will be tough, but we are confident of a good showing," Davis said.

Cornwall College, the 11-time champions, look set for a strong start to the competition against Irwin, who they swamped 11-0 in one match and 3-0 in the return game of the group stage for a 14-0 aggregate. It could be a similar mountain to climb for Oscar Irving's Irwin this year.

TODAY'S SCHEDULE

2:30 p.m. (Manning Cup Champions)

Jamaica College vs Calabar High

4:20 p.m. Opening Ceremony

4:45 p.m. (DaCosta Cup Champions)

Clarendon College vs

Edwin Allen High

6:45 p.m. Irwin High vs

Cornwall College