Adrian Frater, News Editor
WESTERN BUREAU:
CHAMPIONS GLENMUIR High School, the hot pick of many pundits to win the rural schoolboy double - the daCosta Cup and Ben Francis Cup Knockout - will bow into the Ben Francis KO this afternoon when they battle Spaldings High in a 3:30 p.m. quarter-final game at Wembley in Clarendon.
In the other games slated for Jarrett Park in Montego Bay, Frome Technical High School, who drew a first-round bye, will tackle first-round winners St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) at 2:00 p.m. while Cornwall College, who also drew a first-round bye, will take on Godfrey Stewart, first-round winners against Ocho Rios, at 4:00 p.m.
Despite Spalding's impressive form this season, which includes topping Zone C in the daCosta Cup preliminary round and beating the previously unbeaten Denbigh High School in their first round Ben Francis Cup game, it is difficult to see them posing a credible threat to the rampaging Glenmuir who have a 100 per cent win record and are yet to concede a single goal this season. Although he considers it unfair to have to make back-to-back trips to play Clarendon teams in Clarendon after having had to travel for last Saturday's game against Denbigh, Spalding's coach, Trevor Williams, is optimistic in his plans to topple Glenmuir.
GOOD TEAM
"We know that Glenmuir is a good team and will be hard to beat," said Williams. "However, part of our game plan is to go out there and frustrate them as much as possible. Hopefully, we might just succeed in holding them at bay and then grab a goal or two late in the game." The Jarrett Park curtain-raiser should be a thriller. In addition to winning their respective zones in the preliminary round of the daCosta Cup, both teams have been exhibiting championship qualities in their games.
"Our position remains one and the same. We must win these games if we want to advance further in this competition," said Kanhai Senior, the coach of the STETHS team, which clipped Decarteret 2-1 in its first-round game. "Our entire focus will be on getting the better of the Frome team."
IMPRESSIVE FORM
However, based on their impressive daCosta Cup preliminary form, which saw them knocking off the likes of Rusea's and Grange Hill to top Zone B, the Frome team could prove more than a handful for STETHS. It should be noted that the Boysie Nicholson-coached team lost only once all season and has scored 18 goals while conceding only four.
The big feature game between unbeaten Godfrey Stewart, who stunned Ocho Rios High School 2-0 in their first-round fixture on Saturday, and hometown favourites Cornwall College, who will definitely not want to lose before their passionate fans, should also produce an epic battle.
"Losing is the farthest thing from our minds," said Carl Palmer, the coach of the Godfrey Stewart team. "We have been going unbeaten for one and a half seasons and we are going to Montego Bay to protect that record."
While they have not been having the greatest of seasons, losing twice in the daCosta Cup preliminary phase, the Dr. Dean Weatherly-coached Cornwall College is considered a big occasion team and upsetting Godfrey Stewart will be the mission it will be gunning to accomplish against Godfrey Stewart.
"I am expecting a very good game, especially against the background of the rivalry which has been developing between us," said Dr. Weatherly. "As usual, we will be taking a cautious approach with a view of making the necessary adjustments as the game goes along."
