Bucknor

Western Bureau:

High-quality excitement is set to take centre stage in western Jamaica tomorrow afternoon when Cornwall College and Munro College, two schools which have the oldest rivalry in rural schoolboy football, square off in a two-game thriller for the Jackson Shield at Jarrett Park in Montego Bay.

In the 2 p.m. curtain-raiser, the daCosta Cup teams will come face to face in a game that is expected to advertise their readiness ahead of next week's start of the 2009 schoolboy football season, while in the feature game at 4 p.m., the old boys will clash in a game aimed at rolling back the clock.

Cornwall College and Munro College completely dominated the daCosta Cup, symbol of rural schoolboy supremacy in its first fourteen years. In addition, in terms of titles won - Cornwall College eleven (11) and Munro College seven (7) - they are among the most successful teams in the annals of schoolboy football.

Nostalgia

While the second game is probably more for nostalgia and fading memories, the opening game between the current boys promises high-quality excitement going into a daCosta Cup season in which 78 teams will be on a mission to dethrone reigning champions St James High of the coveted title.

"Our aim is to go out there and give our supporters a taste of what Cornwall College will be offering this year," said former international cricket umpire Steve Bucknor, who has returned to his alma mater as coach once again. "Our aim is to do well because part of our mission this year is to make the fans happy."

For Munro College's coach Hopeton Gilchrist, whose team had an excellent 2007 season, but failed to deliver last year, it will be a case of wanting to put right what went wrong this season as the St Elizabeth team sets its sight on breaking a 47-year championship drought.

While the both teams will focus on their respective teams as a collective unit, western pundits will no doubt be looking closely at the form of the Cornwall College duo of Ravnon Foster and Jason King, who many feel could emerge among the competition's top performers this year.

Validate

In the feature, it should be all fun as the old boys of the two schools seek to validate some of the stories they have told friends and families.

The Cornwall College Old Boys should feature the likes of Allie McNab, Warren Barrett, Patrick Reid, Vinton Williams, Troy Campbell and Noel King. Munro College should feature Kenry Jackson, Dale Spencer, Raymond Moodie, Howard Lawrence, Errol Mitchell, Roy Reynolds and Carlton Campbell.