DEFENDING champions Calabar will go up against Braeton when the 2014 LASCO Limited/SALADA Foods Limited-sponsored Junior High School football competition gets under way on Thursday at the Cling Cling Oval, Olympic Gardens.

The opening match between both Calabar and Braeton is expected to begin at 12 noon, following the launch of the competition at 10:00 am by the sponsors, along with the opening parade of the participating schools.

The second game will be between Seaward and Cockburn Gardens set to start at 2:00 pm.

Last year Calabar defeated Swallowfield 3-1 in the final, while Seaward All-Age clipped Melrose 1-0 to finish third.

Sixteen schools will take part in the competition and are divided into four zones of four each to be played on a round-robin format. The winners and runners-up will advance to the second round to be played in two groups. The winners and runners-up will qualify for the semi-finals.

Schools and their respective zones are as follows:

ZONE 1 – Calabar, Norman Gardens, Braeton, and John Mills.

ZONE 2 — Swallowfield, Shortwood Practising, New Day, and Constant Spring.

ZONE 3 — Seaward, Greenwich, Maverley, and Cockburn Gardens.

ZONE 4 — Melrose, Windward Road, Mico Practising, and Louise Bennett-Coverley.