BY OSHANE TOBIAS

Observer writer

MAY PEN, Clarendon – Summer in Clarendon is dominated by, perhaps, two things: the festival-like atmosphere of the annual Denbigh Agricultural Show and anticipation of the schoolboy football season.

This year’s pre-season talk was not centred on Glenmuir High defending its daCosta Cup title, but on how well former six-time champions Clarendon College will fare this season.

The discussion was spurred by coach Jackie Walters’ decision to end his 10-year stint at Glenmuir, just a few months after winning the daCosta Cup, and return to Clarendon College where he won a number of silverware in the ’90s.

Walters’ return to Clarendon College had been rumored for the past two seasons, but still came as a surprise to many, especially since he had indicated that he had unfinished business at the central Clarendon-based Glenmuir.

“If you notice, I have won three (major titles) at every school that I have gone to, so I would love to break that jinx at Glenmuir,” Walters had told the Jamaica Observer Central just one week after Glenmuir defeated St Elizabeth Technical in last year’s final.

Despite losing the coach who brought them eight trophies, Glenmuir has been busy preparing for the defence of their title under the guidance of Warren Simpson, who was promoted from the role of assistant.

Simpson might not be a household name outside of the parish, but he has had coaching stints at Denbigh High and Clarendon College and was an integral member of Walters’ success at Glenmuir.

However, having lost influential players from last year’s championship team – some to tertiary level institutions and a few to Clarendon College – he might have a difficult task ensuring that the trophy remains on Glenmuir Road.

That Walters has returned to Clarendon College, where he won three daCosta Cup titles, one Ben Francis Cup (knock-out) and one Olivier Shield, is not the only the reason many here are touting the Chapelton school as serious title contenders. The former six-time daCosta Cup champions also possess a team which is believed to be good enough to go all the way.

However, there is hardly a year that Clarendon College does not have a talented squad. The feeling is that they failed to regain the trophy, which they last won in 1998, because of instability in the coaching department. And that is where many believe Walters can make a difference.

Even though the majority of well-thinking football enthusiasts here seem to think Clarendon College is, perhaps, best positioned to lead the parish’s charge for back-to-back daCosta Cup success, there are not many who will bet against the likes of Garvey Maceo and Lennon High mounting a stiff challenge.

Both teams will be taking orders from new coaches this season but are not expected to be troubled much by this.

Lennon is yet to deliver on the promise of their 2010 appearance in the final, but has done fairly well in pre-season. The absence of Merron Gordon – said to be on leave – is not expected to be much of a loss in the coaching department as current coach Dane Chambers, who is a former national age-group player, has been an integral member of the coaching staff for many years.

While not expected to pose a title challenge, former nine-time winners Vere Technical should continue their long journey back to the pinnacle of the schoolboy game.

Former senior Reggae Boyz captain Chris Dawes is now in his second season as coach at the south-east Clarendon school and has been busy rebuilding the football programme from the ground up.

Credited with starting the much touted youth set-up at Premier League club Sporting Central Academy, Dawes has brought a similar philosophy at Vere. They just missed out on qualifying for the Inter-Zone round last season and will now be looking to build on that performance this term.

Elsewhere in south central Jamaica, Ben Francis Cup champions and last year’s beaten finalists in the daCosta Cup St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) should again be challenging for titles. Coached by Omar Wedderburn under the watchful eye of technical director Wendell Downswell, STETHS sent a clear message last week with a 3-1 win over Calabar in pre-season practise competition.

Reports also suggest that many-time daCosta Cup champions Munro College who last won a title in the early 1960s will be powerful contenders. This season’s St Elizabeth derby games between Munro and STETHS are expected to be as enthralling as ever.

Another central Jamaica school that should figure prominently in the title discussion is Manchester High, who had its breakout season in 2009 after making their first appearance in the final.

The current squad, playing under the name Manchester Academy, dominated football at the parish level in the past season – winning the Manchester Division Two title, with the junior teams also achieving success in the U-17 and U-15 age-groups.

Coach Sheldon Davis, at the time, had told the Jamaica Observer that he hoped success at the parish level will eventually help the players to develop a winning mentality.

Jackie Walters.jpg

WALTERS… I have won three major titles at every school that I have gone to, so I would love to break that jinx at Glenmuir

STETHS training

STETHS footballers during practice last week. (Photo: Ainsley Clarke)