MONTEGO BAY, St James — From defending champions Glenmuir High to new comers Steer Town, all 80 teams in the ISSA/Lime daCosta Cup competition will dream of making it to the November 30 final at Catherine Hall.

However, in reality only a handful of schools will be in the running for the title and even so, it will take more than talent as some luck and depth of squads will also be among the many factors that will come into play over the next three months or so.

Based on their pre-season form and the number of players returning from last year, six teams are expected to separate themselves from the pack and make a run at the title.

Glenmuir High and St Elizabeth Technical, the school they beat 1-0 in extra time at Catherine Hall last year, head the list along with former champions Clarendon College, Munro College, and Manchester High as front-runners for the title.

Cornwall College, who won the last of their 11 titles in 2001, and Cinderella team Manning’s School, a surprise semi-finals last year, could be dark horses to force their way into at least a semi-final appearance.

Cornwall College will be bolstered by a number of players from their all-conquering national champion Under-16 team from last year and with coach Dr Dean Weatherly back in the fold, could make a run.

Manning’s School will retain the core of their team from last year and while they were a surprise package last season, the additional year should make the Aaron Lawrence-coached team a dangerous unit.

Despite a change at the helm at Glenmuir with veteran coach Patrick ‘Jackie’ Walters moving across the parish to Clarendon College, Glenmuir should have enough to make some noise in the competition.

Long-time assistant Warren Simpson is the new man in charge, as he seeks to show off what he has learnt from Walters in 10 years as his assistant.

Walters admitted that he could make the difference at Clarendon College, telling the Jamaica Observer yesterday, they “have had some good players in the past few years”, and adding that maybe not achieving much in the past few years has had a negative effect on the entire programme.

Manchester High’s coach Sheldon Davis believes his team will be vying for “all the titles on offer” this year. Despite losing five starters, he said his team will be good enough to make a historic run.

Munro College last won the daCosta Cup in 1964, almost 50 years ago, and Andrew Edwards, who took STETHS to a win, believes the time is ripe for the drought to end.

“We had a very good pre-season and based on our preparations we have set the targets very high,” he told the Observer.

STETHS just failed to win a historic double last year, winning the Ben Francis KO, but just coming up short in the daCosta Cup, and after returning a number of key players among the 17 that are returning, their hopes will be high.