Second chance for dethroned daCosta Cup champions looms

DETHRONED DACOSTA Cup champions Clarendon College will be among the teams in action today when the ISSA Ben Francis Knockout competition’s opening round kicks off with four 3:00 p.m. matches.

The Ben Francis Knockout first round comprises eight teams, who will vie to be among the four to take on the daCosta Cup semi-finalists in the next round.

Clarendon College will be at Foga Road, where they take on Kemps Hill in a derby that will determine if they continue to challenge for a sixth Ben Francis title. A win for them will heal some wounds after finishing at the bottom of Group 2 in the round of 16 without a win.

Kemps Hill are making their second Ben Francis Cup sojourn and will be looking to upset the applecart.

Still in Clarendon, an interesting matchup looms between Dinthill Technical and Manchester High at Glenmuir High School.

Dinthill are recovering from a heart-breaking 2-2 draw against Ocho Rios that squeezed them out of the daCosta Cup final eight by the slimmest of margins.

They will attempt to pick up the pieces against a Manchester team that changed coaches in the middle of the season and finished at the bottom of the Group 4 table.

At Drax Hall, St Ann, Cornwall College and Happy Grove High School will also be trying to soothe wounds.

Cornwall won just once in the round of 16, an away encounter against Clarendon that was only of academic importance to them.

But that win will give the Theodore ‘Tappa’ Whitmore-coached Cornwall some momentum. Whitmore’s charges will depend heavily on 14-year-old Carlondo Morris to lead them to a victory.

Happy Grove, winless in the round of 16, will also be hoping to overcome the odds against the more-fancied Cornwall.

In Mandeville, Denbigh High will suit up against Alphansus Davis High at Brooks Park. Neither team won in their respective round-of-16 groups, so they both have some making up to do.

Ashley Anguin

Today’s matches

Kemps Hill vs Clarendon College at Foga Road

Dinthill vs Manchester at Glenmuir

Cornwall College vs Happy Grove at Drax Hall

Denbigh vs Alphansus Davis at Brooks Park

All games begin at 3:00 p.m.