MONTEGO BAY, St James — Three former champions Rusea’s High, Munro College and Vere Technical are among the 20 schools chasing the remaining 12 spots in the Inter-zone round of the ISSA/LIME daCosta Cup football competition as the first round comes to an end with 30 games today.

Twenty schools have already secured their places in the Inter-zone round, while another 10 will seek automatic spots with two teams getting the best third-placed spots, one each from two pre-determined pools.

The team with the best points average from each of the pools will join the 30 automatic qualifiers, the top two from each of the 15 zones will advance.

There is the possibility that one or two automatic qualifiers from Zone G and N might not be decided until Monday when a number of rescheduled games are down to be played.

Holmwood Technical have taken one of the spots in Zone G and it is unlikely the runner-up will be decided today with three teams — Alston High, Christiana High and Knox College — all in the race.

Kemps Hill have also advanced from Zone N and could win the zone today with a win over Central High, but Vere Technical and Old Harbour are also in with a chance of advancing. If both Vere and Old Harbour win today, Vere Technical will only need a point from their rescheduled game against Tacius Golding to book their spot.

Meanwhile, Cedric Titus won Zone I yesterday after a 1-0 win over Brown’s Town High at Addison Park.

The win saw Cedric Titus finish with 25 points, one more than runners-up Marcus Garvey, who outscored Ocho Rios 4-2 in an exciting game at Drax Hall.

Ocho Rios took an early lead, but Marcus Garvey went in front early in the second half before Ocho Rios levelled the scored midway the second half.

Marcus Garvey, however, were the stronger team and scored two late goals to grab all three points.

Today, Rusea’s High and Munro College will have their backs against the wall and must get positive results to keep their seasons alive.

After their upset 0-3 loss to Green Island, Rusea’s still need only a point from their game against Frome Technical at home to beat Green Island to second place in Zone B. The loss left Rusea’s High on nine points, while Green Island are on six.

Frome Technical have nothing to play for, having won the zone already, but are one of four schools with perfect win records, including Cornwall College, Muschett High and Clarendon College.

Green Island will have some work of their own to do if they are to beat Rusea’s on goal difference and would have to beat Merlene Ottey High by at least four clear goals.

Munro College must beat Zone E winners STETHS to have any hopes of taking even one of the best third-placed spots, as Lacovia could advance with a draw if Munro fail to win.

In Zone C, three teams, William Knibb, Herbert Morrison Technical and Spot Valley are seeking to join Muschett High in the next round.

Spot Valley, with one win, will be away to Muschett and that could leave it to the winner of the Herbert Morrison vs William Knibb game to take second place.

Three of the four teams in Zone L are in contention for the two spots and draws for Fair Prospect and Titchfield against Port Antonio High and Happy Grove, respectively, will be enough to see them through.

The situation in Zone O is the same, but while third-placed Paul Bogle High are expected to beat Robert Lightbourne, it will a battle between leaders Morant Bay High and second-placed Seaforth High.

They drew their first-round game 0-0 and a similar score would send Morant Bay through.

In Montego Bay, Cornwall College will be going after their eighth-straight win and could become the first school to sweep all games in Zone A in nearly 20 years.

Cornwall College will face Irwin High, who have lost all their games and have conceded 45 goals, the most by any team this season, including 11 in their first meeting with Cornwall.

Clarendon College are also going after win number eight when they take on Lennon High in Zone H.

Games today

Zone A

Irwin High vs Cornwall College

St James High vs Anchovy High

Zone B

Merlene Ottey vs Green Island

Rusea’s High vs Frome Technical

Zone C

Muschett High vs Spot Valley

Herbert Morrison vs William Knibb

Zone D

Grange Hill vs Black River

Godfrey Stewart vs Manning’s School

Zone E

Munro vs STETHS

Newell vs Maggotty

Lacovia vs BB Coke

Zone F

Belair High vs DeCarteret College

Cross Keys vs Manchester High

Zone G

Holmwood vs Knox

Alston vs Spalding

Zone H

Clarendon College vs Lennon High

Edwin Allen vs Claude McKay

Zone J

Islington High vs Oracabessa

Brimmervale vs St Mary Technical

Zone K

Ewarton vs McGrath

Charlemont High vs Bog Walk

Zone L

Fair Prospect vs Port Antonio

Titchfield vs Happy Grove

Zone M

Porus vs Bustamante

Garvey Maceo vs Glenmuir

Zone N

Central vs Kemps Hill

Tacius Golding vs Old Harbour

Foga Road vs Vere Technical

Zone O

Morant Bay vs Seaforth

Paul Bogle vs Robert Lightbourne

Result from yesterday

Zone I

Steer Town 2, York Castle 0

Ocho Rios 2, Marcus Garvey 4

Browns Town 0, Cedric Titus 1