CATHERINE HALL, St James — Defending champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) are expected to get their quest for a fifth ISSA/Flow daCosta Cup title off to a successful start when they take on Black River High in the official opening game of the 60th season at the Montego Bay Sports Complex at 5:00 pm today.

Despite losing a number of players from last year’s team that beat Dinthill Technical 1-0 in the final at the same venue, the Omar Wedderburn-coached STETHS team will start favourites against a Black River High team that missed the competition last season and has just two players who have played in the competition before.

A record 88 schools divided into 15 zones will contest the country’s biggest football competition, in terms of numbers of teams, in what is expected to be a wide open race.

Dinthill Technical have been considered by many as pre-season favourites, but were dealt a massive blow when their talisman Rodave Murray, who scored 26 goals last year, was declared academically ineligible.

Only 23 of the original 41 games that were scheduled in the daCosta Cup will be played today, as the lack of qualified officials forced the organisers to reschedule 18 games to Monday.

Manning Cup champions Jamaica College will open the season against St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS), starting at 2:45 pm, at the Montego Bay Sports Complex, while former daCosta Cup champions Cornwall College will take on Anchovy High in the third game of the triple-header set to start at 7:00 pm.

STETHS’ Wedderburn was cautious about their chances to retain the title and told the Jamaica Observer, “We have as good a chance as any other team in the competition.” But he sent a warning that “70 per cent of our squad will be here for the next three seasons”.

Wedderburn, who has guided the team to two titles in 2013 and last year, argued that his team’s execution today will give him an idea of what is to come for the remainder of the season.

“We have a lot of new players and we are waiting to see how they fit into the system,” he said.

Kirk Williams, the Black River coach, said his team was “as ready as can be” to start the season, but was keeping his expectations low. “We have a young and inexperienced team — just two players who have daCosta Cup experience — so we have to be cautious.”

After sitting out last season, Williams said the most he can ask from his charges is that they be competitive in the group, adding that “we will take what we can get, but this is a building process”.

In their last game Cornwall College beat Irwin High 8-1 in their opening game at the Montego Bay Sports Complex last year and after losing just three players from their starting team from last year, will hope for another fast start.

Anchovy High also missed last year after winning just two games in the 2014 season, both against Irwin High, and will have a big task on their hands to upset the former 11-time champions.

The pair of Jourdaine Fletcher and Peter-Lee Vassell, who represented Jamaica at the national Under-20 level, are expected to lead Cornwall College, who are expected to compete for zone honours.

Clarendon College, who started last season as one of the favourites but failed to getpast the quarter-final round, will kick off against Knox College in a Zone H game they are expected to win.

Petersfield High, who were surprised quarter-finalists last year, are hoping to at least match their results from last year and open their season at home to Maud McLeod today in Zone D.

Maud McLeod will have ambitions as well after finishing third in the group last year and had scored an upset win over Petersfield High at Petersfield last season.

Cedric Titus were switched from Zone I where they played the last 12 seasons to Zone C, where they will play schools in Trelawny and St James and will kick-start their season against Holland High, who are in just their second season in the competition.