Adrian Frater, News Editor

Western Bureau:

WITH a 2-1 first-leg lead, rural kingpins St James High School chase history today when they battle urban champions St George's College in the second leg of the 2008 Olivier Shield final at Jarrett Park, Montego Bay, starting at 3 p.m.

A win or a draw for the Hugh Solomon-coached aggregation, which copped both the Ben Francis knockout title and daCosta Cup in earlier finals this season, would see them becoming the first non-traditional high school to join the elite band to have won the triple crown - Ben Francis, daCosta Cup and Olivier Shield.

"While we won't be complacent, we are, nonetheless, quite confident that we will become triple champions," said a confident Solomon. "Having seen the St George's team in the first-leg game in Kingston, I think we know what to expect of them."

Hell-bent on turning tables

However, the Neville 'Bertis' Bell-coached St George's College team, which had previously only lost one game this season, will be hell-bent on turning the tables on St James, which probably exposed them as much any other team has done this season, coming from a goal down to beat them.

"I thought we played a decent game, so I can't really give my players a hard time," said coach Bell at the conclusion of the first-leg game at the Constant Spring football field on Wednesday. "Unlike our opponents, we did not take our chances."

Looking ahead to today's game, Bell made it quite clear that St George's would not be going down without a fight and has promised an all-out attack in a bid to do what no other team has done this season - beat St James High at Jarrett Park.

"It will be attack, attack, attack, as we will be aiming to get some goals in this return game," said coach Bell, who is seeking to add the Olivier Shield to his coaching resume. "We most definitely will be looking to win this return game."

Solomon confident

However, back on the familiar Jarrett Park turf where they trounced Dinthill Technical 4-0 in the Ben Francis KO final and later spanked Spalding High 2-0 in the daCosta Cup final, St James would have good reason to believe they are invincible at this venue.

"The measure of a good team is its ability to do well wherever they play but Jarrett Park is special to us," said Solomon. "We have not lost there all season and I am extremely confident that we won't lose there to St George's."

In the first-leg, St George's, who have developed a fearsome reputation as an attacking team, took a 1-0 lead through skipper Kemar Malcolm, only for St James to strike back through star strikers Allan Ottey and Nicholi Barrett, who got their 22nd and 24th goals of the season, respectively.

For today's contest, the St George's team, which will be seeking the first Olivier Shield title in 16 years, will be hoping that skipper Malcolm, his strike partner, the prolific Shamar Shelton, and the midfield trio of Kemar Cummings, Carl Reid and Dan Evans, find the formula to blunt St James' triple crown aspirations.

However, with home advantage, added to their impressive record at Jarrett Park and, most important, a multi-talented team, St James will be looking to Ottey and Barrett in attack, star midfielder,15-year-old Ricardo Morris, Ajohn Barker, Keniel Kirlew, skipper Fabian McCarthy and John Barrett to give them victory.

"We did the hard work in Kingston by winning that first-leg game," said skipper McCarthy, who is in his last season of schoolboy football. "It is now time to get the job done and collect the Olivier Shield."