CATHERINE HALL, St James — Clarendon College will kick off the defence of their ISSA daCosta Cup title today when they take on Lennon High during a Zone H game at Montego Bay Sports Complex in the first of a triple-header, starting at 2:30 pm.

Reigning ISSA Super Cup champions Cornwall College, who were also runners-up in the daCosta Cup last season, will open their campaign against Irwin High in the 7:00 pm game after Manning Cup champions Kingston College play Excelsior High.

Twenty-eight games will be played in the daCosta Cup competition today, with Ben Francis Knockout champions Charlemont High facing Enid Bennett High (formerly Bog Walk) in Zone K.

Meanwhile, six schools have withdrawn from the competition — Cambridge High from Zone B, Muschett High from Zone C, Guys Hill from Zone J, Cross Keys and Winston Jones from Zone M, and Porus High from Zone N.

Clarendon College have lost a number of their top players from last season’s team that won both the daCosta Cup and Olivier Shield, but coach Lenworth Hyde says they have no shortage of replacements.

They will be without striker Nique Daley, who opted out of his final year to take up a professional contract, while there are uncertainties around the availability of midfielder Lamar Walker and goalkeeper Tafari Bennett, both of whom are linked with club teams.

Hyde said they had gone through a successful pre-season during which they had played more than a dozen practice games and said his team would be ready.

Clarendon College were undefeated last year, winning all eight games in the first round — including beating Lennon High twice 5-1 and 6-0 — and are expected to win again today.

Cornwall College and Irwin High will be meeting on the opening day for the second time in four years, and the former champions had won 8-1 in 2015 and will be protecting a three-game winning streak in opening games over the period.

Cornwall College beat Anchovy High 4-0 in 2016, as they went on to win the daCosta Cup and establish an 18-game unbeaten record in the competition. They beat Green Pond High 4-1 in 2017.

Dr Dean Weatherly, head coach, said they were in a rebuilding stage, having lost at least seven starters from last season. However, he said they would continue building game by game.

Solano Birch, who was in the shadow of top scorers Aiden Jokomba, Shavon McDonald and Matthew Thorpe last season, will get his chance to lead the team this year and should form a good attacking combination with Raheem Robinson and Calvin Stephens.