WITH the schoolboy football season drawing closer to the kick-off, a number of Corporate Area schools have stepped up preparations as they look to stake their claim on the prestigious Manning Cup title.

The season, which is scheduled to commence on Saturday, is gearing up to be an interesting one from the first whistle, as a number of prominent schools will be put to the task in the hunt for a second-round berth from their respective groups.

And with the introduction of night games, fans will be in for a treat leading up to the November 28 final.

Among the headliners is 26-time winners and defending champions Jamaica College, who will contest Group A, alongside Calabar, Tivoli Gardens, Clan Carthy and St Catherine High.

Though they should advance comfortably from this group, it will be interesting to see how the champions figure throughout the season in the hunt to retain their titles, and possibly add the Walker Cup to their collection of silverware.

The Old Hope Road-based team, guided by Miguel Coley, will be without the services of Sheldon McKoy, who has now joined the Rutgers University roster. They could also possibly be without other seasoned players. However, the champions are known for their ability to produce talent, and should be well served in the area.

The race for the runner-up spot should be a close one between Calabar High and the gradually improving Tivoli Gardens unit.

Group B comprises Hydel High, Haile Selassie, Greater Portmore High, Dunoon Technical, Papine High and Cumberland High. This should be a closely contested group, with Hydel High being tipped to come out on top.

The Ferry-based team has improved over the years since reaching the final of the competition back in 2012 under the guidance of Geoffrey Maxwell. Interestingly, Maxwell will return to the helm for the upcoming season following the departure of Donovan Hayles, who gave orders last year.

The battle for the other spot will be a tough task, as every team is in with a chance. The young Haile Selassie outfit, which advanced to the second round for the first time in the school’s history last year, will be riding high on the historic feat and might just repeat the effort.

Many-time champions St George’s College should also have a safe passage from Group C against the likes of Innswood High, Eltham High, Ardenne High, Denham Town High and Kingston Technical.

The North Street-based team were dominant in 2011 winning all three titles on offer, and retained all but one the following year. Since then they have failed in their bid to hold the emblem of schoolboy supremacy, and could only garner the Walker Cup last year.

But the Neville Bell-conditioned outfit signalled their intentions earlier by topping the invitational tournament hosted by the school, and should be a force to reckon with as they seek to recapture their glory days. Both Innswood and Denham Town are expected to be main contenders for the runner-up spot.

Last year’s beaten finalist Charlie Smith High will be bolstered by its merger with Trench Town High and should marshal proceedings in Group D, which comprises Holy Trinity High, St Mary’s College, St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) and Penwood High.

Charlie Smith, the three-time winners, who also contested the final in 2011, will be hoping to make all this season, and by extension, surpass the famous triple-crown winning team of 1995.

The Jerome Waite-led charges face an uphill task but have shown in the past that they can spring a surprise, and once they gel with the Trench Town addition, they could again prove a formidable opponent. Super Cup beaten finalist Holy Trinity High and STATHS should keep them honest in the run for the second- round spots.

Wolmer’s Boys last won the title in 1994 and were stopped in their tracks last year after being touted to break the drought with what was deemed a strong team. They might not be as strong as last year, but they should have minimum fuss in topping Group E against St Jago High, Kingston High, Mona High and Bridgeport High.

Any number can play for the number two spot, but both St Jago and Bridgeport will be the front-runners to join the Heroes’ Circle-based team going forward.

Group F — which host the likes of Excelsior High, Vauxhall High, Jonathan Grant High, Ascot High, Norman Manley High and Spanish Town High — is a very intriguing combination. But the battle for the top spot should be between seven-time champions Excelsior High, who just missed out on a semi-final spot last year, and three-time winners Norman Manley, who have been fairly consistent in holding their own over the years.

Last year’s beaten semi-finalist and three-time winners Camperdown High and Kingston College should assume the top spots in Group G, which also includes Campion College, Jose Marti Technical and Waterford High.

The North street-based Kingston College have struggled to produce a title-challenging team since 1986 when they had their 14th lien on the Cup.

Their most recent title at this level was back in 2000 when they won the Walker Cup knockout tournament.