Having played second fiddle to Hydel High last year, Calabar High will be aiming to set the record straight this year, but they will have to contend with St Jago High, Eltham High, St Catherine High and Penwood High in Group F if they are to succeed.

Calabar, a traditional powerhouse in schoolboy sports, have tasted success in the prestigious Manning Cup only three times in 1943, 1977 and 2005 but have always made their presence felt. This year will be no different, and the green-and-black-clad boys from Red Hills Road will be there or thereabouts.

Last year, they garnered 22 points and finished runners-up just one point behind Hydel High and now under new coach Bradley Stewart, they are expected to be in the thick of things once again.

National Under-17 captain, the towering Jahwahni Hinds at centre half, along with holding midfielder Hakim Williams, should play key roles in Calabar’s push for success.

Hydel High will also be under a new coach in Donovan Hayles, and having retained about 70 per cent of their team, they will be hard to deny top spot in the group and are seen as one of the top six teams in the entire Manning Cup.

But this group is by no means just a two-school race for top honours, as the St Catherine schools will have quite a say in the outcome.

Eltham High had a rather poor season last year based on their standard and a repeat is not expected. They won just one game from eight matches and should improve on that with some better performances.

St Jago High have always been competitive and this year will be no different. They played well last season in finishing third behind Excelsior and Norman Manley, having won six of their 10 games.

St Catherine also finished with 19 points behind Wolmer’s Boys and Denham Town, winning six of their 10 games, and cannot for one minute be overlooked for a top two finish.

With Penwood High being the only team that can be safely written off in terms of qualifying for the second round, Group F promises some intriguing encounters as they battle for two spots to the next round.

— Howard Walker