SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth — Defending champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) and surprise team Lacovia High, separated by a mere five miles, will meet in the feature ISSA/LIME daCosta Cup football game in Santa Cruz today.

Both schools have won their first three games and are tied on nine points at the top of Zone E, and with the early failings of Munro College appear to be the teams vying for the zone honours.

Twenty-eight games are down to be played in the daCosta cup competition today with five schools, including Clarendon College, Cedric Titus and St Mary Technical also going after a fourth straight.

Three other schools, Cornwall College, Manchester High and Glenmuir High will seek a third straight win as well.

In one Zone I game played yesterday, Chavoy Henry scored both goals for Marcus Garvey in their 2-1 win over Steer Town at Drax Hall. Marcus Garvey rebounded from their loss to Cedric Titus on Saturday to improve to nine points.

Two 16-year-olds, Rodave Murray and Zachary Brown, scored two goals each for Dinthill Technical in their 6-0 trouncing of McGrath High in a Zone K game.

Necoa Francis and Kimarley Price got the other goals for Dinthill to extend their lead, moving to nine points, three more than Charlemont High.

Also in Zone K, Ewarton High moved to six points after beating Bog Walk 2-0.

At the St Elizabeth Technical Sports Complex, the home team will go into the game with statistics firmly on their side, having lost to their close neighbours once in the last six seasons, in 2008 when they won the Zone ahead of STETHS.

STETHS have outscored Lacovia 27-0 over their last six meetings and have dropped just four points against them in their last 12 games.

While both teams have won their first three games of the season so far, STETHS have been more impressive, scoring 16 goals, while Lacovia have scored just five, including three in their come-from-behind win over Munro College last week.

Clarendon College should get win number four in Zone H as they host Claude McKay, who have one point from three games, while Cedric Titus will have the advantage over Ocho Rios High at Drax Hall in Zone I.

After their 2-0 win over zone favourites Marcus Garvey last weekend, Cedric Titus should score their fourth straight win over Ocho Rios, whom they have not even allowed a goal against in their last three meetings.

St Mary Technical have not played since Thursday and will take on Brimmervale High, who, despite being at the bottom of the five-team zone, are only two points out of second place.

Former champions Cornwall College are seeking their third straight win to start the season for the first time since 2010.

Back then they were beaten by Muschett High after winning their first two games, but it would take a massive effort from Irwin High to defeat them today.

Irwin have lost all three games played so far, while conceding 15 goals, including seven on Saturday past Green Pond, whom Cornwall had prevailed 2-0 against.

Cornwall will be back to full strength after beating Anchovy 5-1 without Peter-Lee Vassell and Venton Evans, who were at the national Under-17 camp last weekend.

Manchester High are expected to cruise against Belair as they seek their fourth win.

In what should be an interesting game at Martha Brae, home team William Knibb Memorial will host the impressive Muschett High, both winning their opening games last week and are tied on three points in Zone C.

The teams scored 2-1 away wins in their two meetings last season, but that was Muschett’s second win against William Knibb in four years.

Yesterday’s results

Zone I

Steer Town 1, Marcus Garvey 2

Zone K

Ewarton 2, Bog Walk 0

Dinthill 6, McGrath 0

Games on today

Zone A

Cornwall College vs Irwin

Anchovy vs St James

Zone B

Frome vs Merlene Ottey

Rusea’s vs Green Island

Zone C

Herbert Morrison vs Spot Valley

William Knibb vs Muschett

Zone D

Grange Hill vs Mannings

Petersfield vs Black River

Zone E

STETHS vs Lacovia

Newell vs BB Coke

Munro vs Maggotty

Zone F

Belair vs Manchester

Mile Gully vs DeCarteret

Zone G

Christiana vs Spalding

Holmwood vs Knox

Zone H

Clarendon College vs Claude McKay

Thompson Town vs Lennon

Zone I

York Castle vs Brown’s Town

Ocho Rios vs Cedric Titus

Zone J

Oracabessa vs Islington

St Mary Technical vs Brimmervale

Zone M

Porus vs Glenmuir

Denbigh vs Bustamante

Zone N

Kemps Hill vs Central

Old Harbour vs Tacius Golding

Vere vs Foga Road

Zone O

Paul Bogle vs Seaforth

Robert Lightbourne vs Morant Bay