THE clash between Calabar High and Excelsior High will highlight today’s round of matches in the 2011 Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Gatorade/Digicel Manning Cup football competition, as teams scramble to secure places in the Walker Cup Knockout.

Only the seven groups’ winners and the two best second-placed teams will progress to the KO competition.

The top two teams in each group will, however, advance to the next stage of the Manning Cup.

The Group A encounter, which will be played at Excelsior’s Mountain View Avenue base, will feature two teams who are widely regarded as possible title contenders.

Former champions Calabar, who clipped Excelsior 2-1 in their first encounter in September, currently lead the standings with 18 points after being perfect in their six matches played.

Excelsior High, the 2003 and 2004 winners, are three points behind and they will be desperate for a victory to avenge last month’s loss.

In the other Group A match, third-placed St Catherine High will host fourth-placed Holy Trinity High. Neither team has a chance of progressing from the group stage.

Group C runaway leaders Charlie Smith High (22 points), who last won the Manning Cup title in 1995, are set to visit fourth-placed Dunoon Technical, while a rejuvenated-looking Wolmer’s Boys’ (14 points) seek to continue their comeback run when they travel to Vauxhall High.

In the other Group C fixture, surprise package Ascot High, second on 15 points, will tackle a determined Haile Selassie High outfit at the Tinson Pen playfield.

Group E kingpins St George’s College, currently on 19 points from seven matches, will welcome Tarrant High to North Street, while second-placed Spanish Town High (14 points) entertain Meadowbrook High at the Old Capital’s Prison Oval complex.

The other Group E match-up will see Old Harbour Road-based Innswood High, currently trailing Spanish Town on an inferior goal-difference, welcoming lowly Edith Dalton James High.

All matches are scheduled to start at 3:30 pm.