Former champs take centre stage as revamped Ben Francis Cup kicks off

Former champions Old Harbour High and BB Coke High will be in action this afternoon as the revamped ISSA rural area Ben Francis Cup football competition gets under way with six games, including a double-header at Drax Hall in St Ann. The first round is to continue on Saturday with another 24 games, from which the winners will advance to the second round set for September 26. A total of 64 schools, the most ever in the history of the competition, will take part in the competition. The boost in the number of participants form part of the changes to schoolboys’ football this season. The Ben Francis Cup will be played and completed before the end of the daCosta Cup competition. Defending champions Clarendon College and former winners Munro College drew byes from the first round. Old Harbour High, a seeded team in the daCosta Cup, are to open their season against Lewisville High. Old Harbour were impressive at last weekend’s Super Saturday in-season festival, beating urban area Manning Cup teams Jamaica College and St George’s College 1-0 and 3-1, respectively. St Catherine-based Old Harbour will take on a Lewisville High team that has won one of their three daCosta Cup games so far while conceding nine goals. Elsewhere, BB Coke are set to host Irwin High, both of whom have been playing since the season got underway. BB Coke, the 2019 champions lost for the first this season, going down 0-2 to Munro College in a daCosta Cup Zone D top-of-the-tables game on Wednesday. Their opponents Irwin have won all three daCosta games so far. Irwin High, who are expected to be led by Nathaniel Foster and Cavon Morris, have allowed just one goal in their three games. At Drax Hall, Ferncourt High, who have scored 11 goals in their two daCosta Cup victories, are to meet Porus High in the first game set to start at 2:00 pm. Ocho Rios High are to face Little London High in the second game at the venue. Kemps Hill High will hope for a positive start to their season when they host Cross Keys High at Wembley Centre of Excellence. Elsewhere, Christiana High take on Fair Prospect High at Kirkvine Sports Club. —Paul A Reid   FRIDAY’S GAMES Ferncourt vs Porus @ Drax Hall (2:00 pm) Ocho Rios vs Little London @ Drax Hall (4:15 pm) Old Harbour vs Lewisville @ Linval Dixon Oval BB Coke vs Irwin @ BB Coke Kemps Hill vs Cross Keys @ Wembley Centre Christiana vs Fair Prospect @ Kirkvine SATURDAY’S GAMES Maggotty vs Foga Road @ STETHS (2:00 pm) STETHS vs Charlemont @ STETHS (4:15 pm)

Paul Bogle vs Holmwood @ Paul Bogle Manchester vs Lennon @ Manchester Titchfield vs Black River @ Carder Park Rusea’s vs Spot Valley @ Colin Miller Complex Frome vs Brown’s @ Frome William Knibb vs Bellefield @ William Knibb Denbigh vs Yallahs @ Denbigh Manning’s vs Marcus Garvey @ Manning’s St Mary High vs Edwin Allen @ Highgate Centre Morant Bay vs St James @ Morant Bay McGrath vs Horace Clarke @ McGrath High Central vs Vere @ Effortville Centre Cornwall vs Troy @ Cornwall Knox vs Green Island @ Kirkvine Dinthill vs deCarteret @ Dinthill Petersfield vs Herbert Morrison @ Petersfield Complex Glenmuir vs Muschett @ Glenmuir York Castle vs Knockalva @ York Castle Cedric Titus vs Cambridge @ Cedric Titus Alphansus Davis vs May Day @ Alphansus Davis Belair vs Lacovia @ Church Teachers College Garvey Maceo vs Mile Gully @ Garvey Maceo (Games to start 3:00 pm unless otherwise stated)