Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
FORMER CHAMPIONS Charlie Smith High tackle Calabar High in the feature of eight ISSA/Pepsi/JN Manning Cup games, at Tony Spaulding Sports Complex today at 3:30 p.m.
Charlie Smith, the 1995 champions, returned to schoolboy football after a one-year hiatus and made their intention clear with a 4-0 whipping of Vauxhall and are bursting at the seam to challenge one of the cup favourites - Calabar.
Jerome Waite, who coached the all-conquering Charlie Smith team 10 years ago, was disappointed with the postponement of his last game against Tarrant and said he wanted to overshadow Calabar's 12-1 mauling of the same opponent to send a strong signal to the rest of the schools.
As early as the season is, today's clash is of paramount importance as only two schools will advance from the group to the quarter-finals.
Calabar, the 1977 champions and last year's losing finalists, started with a bang, hitting Tarrant for 12 and raising the hopes of the Calabar fraternity. But three days later the green and black standard bearers from Red Hills Road were brought back down to earth, losing 1-0 to group leaders Dunoon Technical and will be hoping to rebound and get their title hopes back on track.
In what is turning out to be a tough group, Dunoon Technical have jumped to pole position with six points following 2-1 and 1-0 wins over Ardenne and Calabar respectively.
Charlie Smith, Calabar and Ardenne have three points, but Charlie Smith have a game in hand.
TODAY'S GAMES
Group B
Vauxhall vs Dunoon
Ardenne vs Tarrant
Charlie Smith vs Calabar
Group D
Tivoli Gardens vs Edith Dalton James
Waterford vs St. George's College
Group F
Innswood vs Ascot
Wolmer's vs St. Catherine
Spanish Town vs Donald Quarrie
