MANDEVILLE, Manchester — A record 88 schools could start the 2016 ISSA/Flow daCosta Cup schoolboys football competition when they kick off on September 10 at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Catherine Hall.

At Wednesday’s planning meeting held at Manchester High in Mandeville, it was announced that 11 schools that did not compete last year have indicated their interest in taking part this year.

Just over 70 schools took part in the competition last year, and if all the teams that have indicated an interest in taking part actually do, it will be the largest field ever in the history of the competition that started in 1950.

Linvern Wright, principal of Rusea’s High and chairman of the daCosta Cup Committee, told the

Jamaica Observer that he was not sure if there will be two or three games at the opening ceremony.

“There could be three games… we are not certain yet, but definitely we will have two games as the two defending champions will play, as this is the opening of the schoolboy football season,” he said.

St Elizabeth Technical won the rural area daCosta Cup, while Jamaica College won the Corporate Area Manning Cup, and both will play their opening games at the Catherine Hall complex.

Additionally, Wright said they will be employing additional marketing strategies to get more fans to the semi-finals and the final, and said sponsors Flow has offered their considerable resources.

“We are trying to get the crowds out at every stage from the first round and especially at the latter stages,” he said. “If you look at the final at Catherine Hall, we had an empty bleachers. We are trying to put an end to that and also to make sure the fans come out for the semi-finals, and we will be doing some work.”

The 11 schools that are returning after missing at least one season are Anchovy High, Knockalva Technical, Holland High, Grange Hill, Black River, May Day, Aabuthnott Gallimore, Guys Hill, Iona High, Winston Jones and Bustamante High.

A number of schools have also changed zones from last year with some teams returning, and with the maximum number of teams per zone being six, the daCosta Cup committee had to make the changes.

Cedric Titus High based in Clarks Town, Trelawny, has played in the ‘Ocho Rios zone’ for years, but has been placed in Zone C with Herbert Morrison, Holland High, Muschett High, Spot Valley High and William Knibb Memorial after the return of Aabuthnott Gallimore to Zone I.

BB Coke has moved from Zone E with the St Elizabeth schools to Zone F that has a predominance of Manchester institutions; Alston High has been switched to Zone H Annotto Bay returns to Zone L to make way for Tacius Golding in Zone N.