MONTEGO BAY, St James - THE 2012 ISSA/KFC Western Conference high school boys' basketball season gets underway this morning with a preseason Under-16 rally at the Montego Bay Cricket Club, starting at 10 o'clock.

Organisers are expecting "at least eight teams" to take part in the rally, and league coordinator Deon Williams says a format will be decided following registration that starts at 9:00 am.

Meanwhile, 10 schools led by defending Under-19 champions Cornwall College and Under-16 champions Herbert Morrison Technical are expected to take part when the Under-16 and Under-19 season starts on October 10 with an official opening at GC Foster Sports College, in Angels, St Catherine.

Cornwall College and Spot Valley High will meet in one of the games set to be played at GC Foster before the competition continues in Montego Bay two days later.

Irwin High, who are returning to the competition after a two-year break, will compete in the Under-19 section, while the other nine schools will contest both sections.

The other schools participating are Cornwall College, Green Pond, Herbert Morrison, Holland, Muschett, Rhodes Hall, Spot Valley, St James High, and William Knibb Memorial.

Both the Under-16 and the Under-19 competitions will see each team playing each other once and then the top four will advance to the semi-finals.

The winning semi-finalists will then meet in a best-of-three finals to decide the champions.