IF their pre-season form is anything to go by, the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association might well do without the entire season and mail the daCosta Cup trophy to Cornwall College.
The Dr. Dean Weatherly-coached team will be seeking a record 10th hold on the title this season. They have been in dominant form, winning all games played so far including competition in the St. James FA Under 17 and Under 20 competitions.
They are tied with nine liens on the trophy with Vere Technical while Munro and Rusea's are next on seven each.
Dr Weatherly who has guided the team to three daCosta Cup finals, winning in 1995, was quick to point out however that no competition was ever won before the first serious game. While acknowledging that he has lost just two players from last year's team that advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to Clarendon College and Glenmuir, Weatherly said they were taking nothing for granted and will be fighting for every point starting with their first game, on Saturday against St. James High at Jarrett Park.
Weatherly expects his midfield to be the strongest part of his team and will include national under 17 player DeShawn Woolery and Garnet Chisholm, both of whom represented Violet Kickers in the National A-League last season.
Garrick Gordon will lead the team from his forward position where he will team with Dane Richards who led the team with eight goals last year, Anthony Evans, Lesmore McCurdy and Orlando Coleman as they seek to lead Cornwall to yet another title.
Zone A have traditionally been one of the more competitive in the competition and Cornwall will have their work cut out against St James High who advanced to the Inter-Zone round in their first season, Muschett and William Knibb who will be returning after being shifted to other zones over the past four or five years.
STETHS guardedly optimistic
THE defending champions are guardedly optimistic of making a run at their third title having lost most of the team that took the Santa Cruz-based school to their second schoolboy title last year.
The Wendell Downswell-coached school behind one of the most potent offences went unbeaten last year to edge Glenmuir 1-0 in sudden-death over-time in the finals at Jarrett Park.
Assistant coach Khani Senior told The Gleaner that the first part of the competition might be a struggle after losing a number of top players through graduation and an untimely death. If they manage to get as far as the semi-finals, Senior said, then their chances will be as good as any of the other teams.
Gone are daCosta Cup finals hero and captain Garfield Edmundson, goalkeeper Kurt Brooks, central defender Renaldo Downswell, Andrew Stewart and Aaron Myers.
Carlington Salmon who was tipped to take over in goal this season drowned earlier this year while in Norway representing the Essex Valley youth team. Oral Neufville, a transfer from Maggoty, will take over as goalkeeper.
Creative midfielder Sebastian Campbell along with forwards Andre Jarrett, Gregory Tate and David Thompson are the top players who will be returning as they seek to hold off arch-rivals Munro College and Black River for Zone E honours.
Garvey Maceo poised to make a run
COACH Patrick Whittaker thinks that his Garvey Maceo team is poised to make a run at the title as the team has been together since 1997 and has "matured into a cohesive unit."
After taking the team that included national player Ray Graham to the semi-finals in 1995 before losing to Rusea's, Whittaker thinks that despite losing five players from last year's squad, Garvey-Maceo will be in contention this season.
Gary Barnes who scored nine goals last year, returns to lead the unit that will include Conroy Allen and Kerry McLean while captain Omar Dallas will marshall the defence.
Preparation started late, Whittaker said, but he is satisfied with the results which included a 3-1 win over Manning Cup team Jamaica College and games against Clarendon Super Cup teams. If there is one area the coach thinks the team needs to improve it is in front of the opponents' goal but that he says will come with time.
Whittaker sees Ben Francis KO champions Glenmuir and Lennon High as the main threats from Zone I but still thinks his team will be on of the two to advance.
