THE 2011 ISSA/Digicel Urban and Rural Area High Schools Junior and Senior League titles will be at stake this afternoon when four teams contest the All-Island play-offs at Manchester High School Courts.

Manchester High, the Rural Junior champions, will face Urban Area counterparts St Hugh’s High at 1:00 pm, while Rural Senior winners Holmwood Technical tackle Urban rivals St Andrew High at 2:00.

Only Manchester’s Juniors and Holmwood’s Seniors enter the national showdown without a defeat. St Andrew, after winning their first Urban Senior title, will be looking to claim their first lien.

The Junior finale promises to be an entertaining one between St Hugh’s and Manchester after defeating St Catherine High and Anchovy in their respective regional finals.

Manchester’s coach Simone Smith said she has not seen St Hugh’s in action, but her girls will be playing their usual hard game.

“I cannot say… the girls are confident or being nervous, but since they have reached this All-Island stage for the first time, they will be aiming to pull off victory,” said Smith who has been coaching Manchester for the fourth consecutive year.

St Hugh’s coach Minnette Reynolds said she remembers the last time her team won the All-Island title and it is expected to be a good game.

“I have never seen Manchester in action and they will have a slight advantage over us as they will be playing on their home ground, but we are not too worried… as the preparation and training programme is going extremely well,” Reynolds said.

In the Senior League showdown, both St Andrew High and Holmwood are fresh from wins over St Catherine and dethroned champions Denbigh, respectively.

Jennifer Brown of St Andrew said as long as the team plays its usual basic game and follow the game plan, it can pull it off.

“Our attacking plays will have to be precise; our defenders know what to do… we need to be very balanced throughout the match.

“The shooters also will have to turn up with the goods and stay in the game. We also need to go out early and be aggressive… and provided we do all of that and carry it right through to the finish, victory should be in the making,” Brown said.

Carlene Graham-Powell of Holmwood said: “Despite not seeing our opponents, St Andrew High, on display in any game this season, we know how to work it out as we know what it takes in playing in the All-Island Championship final.”

The Junior League match will be played for 40 minutes and the Senior League for 48 minutes, with half-time for both games being five minutes each, along with two minutes for each end-of-quarter break.