OVER the summer, the only bit of news concerning Garvey Maceo High School that circulated in Clarendon was that last year’s daCosta Cup runners-up would not be contesting the competition this season.

As was reported, the school could not find the funds needed to finance the programme.

While it is still unclear if this is true, as no one from the Garvey Maceo camp has either confirmed or denied it, the Vernamfield outfit did in fact begin their preseason preparation late. Yet watching them this season, you could hardly tell that they are short on fitness.

True, even with an Under-16 team the ‘Cubans’ would still be expected to advance from their first-round group along with Glenmuir High, who are incidentally the only team to beat Garvey on their way to winning Zone M. But while Glenmuir’s performances have fluctuated since the start of the second round — a win, a draw and a loss — Garvey have seemingly improved game by game.

Of course, many will point to the quality of their Inter-zone opponents, saying Glenmuir faced more formidable teams. Yet considering that they made it this far without their best player from last season, Ismale Currie, plus key defender Razim Randall, who transferred to Glenmuir, their fans will beg to differ. (The void left by Currie has been filled by another national age-group player Roshane Sharpe, who has formed a fearsome attacking partnership with team captain Ryan Scott.)

Their impressive 3-1 victory over Charlie Smith in the LIME Super Cup on Saturday, owing to a hugely disciplined performance, also shows that their progress so far is not due to playing weaker opponents. As he noted in the Sunday Observer, their coach, Alexander Morgan, will tell you that they have reached this far not only because of talent, but because of their “pride” and fighting spirit.

Before that display at Sabina Park, Garvey weren’t even ranked as outsiders for the daCosta Cup title. Now their game against early favourites Clarendon College, next Wednesday, is a highly anticipated affair. Then again, that is what many said about them last season until they gradually improved as a unit.

Perhaps it is premature to say they are following a similar trend this time around; still, you cannot escape the early parallel. Like last season, the Garvey of this season finished second in their first-round group, before topping their Inter-zone pool on their way to the quarter-finals, which, last season, paved the way for a semi-final meeting with Frome Technical, whom they defeated 2-0.

Coincidentally or not, Garvey and Frome will renew rivalry today in the opening set of quarter-final games. And despite playing away, the south-west Clarendon side will travel to the Frome Sports Complex in Westmoreland with good memories, if not bulging confidence.