DEFENDING champions Denbigh High go up against Garvey Maceo High as the 2016 Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Rural Junior and Senior Leagues get under way today at several venues.

The junior league matches are scheduled to begin at 2:00 pm, while the Senior League should start at 3:00 pm.

Last year, Denbigh won the Junior League title by defeating Manchester High in the final, while the Senior League title was won by many-time champions Holmwood Technical High, who defeated first-time finalist Titchfield High in the final.

Denbigh and Holmwood are also the all-island champions after defeating urban champions Gaynstead and Camperdown High, respectively.

Holmwood, coached by Carline Graham-Powell, will have a fairly new bunch of players in the senior league for the first time.

“Majority of the players from last year’s winning team have graduated. It is mainly a new team, apart from two players who I have retained from last year,” Graham-Powell said.

She said majority of the players from last year’s junior league have moved up to the seniors, especially the two shooters, Givovahnie Powell and Shadine Bartley. Bartley plays for Jamaica’s Under-16 team this year, while Powell was invited to train as a member of the squad before the selections.

“Although our senior league team is quite young, we are the champions, and we are not going to give up our titles easily as we are going to put up strong challenges throughout the competition as true champions,” said a confident Graham-Powell.

Holmwood are expected to play their first match against Christiana High at home next week Wednesday.

Janice Hansel-Walker and Christine Bartley are the coaches of Denbigh High.

Hancel-Walker explained that the junior team has a new crop of players, having retained only three players from last year’s championship aggregation.

She said only three defenders are left in the junior team, while the attackers and shooters have stepped up to the senior league. The defenders are Shadae Simms, Beyoncee Adams, and Tancia Gray.

“We cannot pinpoint any team right now who will be dangerous ones, as I have not seen many of them in action. How I see it, all the schools have been weakened as a result of players graduating from the senior leagues, and the juniors moving up to take on the roles in the senior league,” she said.

The other matches scheduled in junior and senior leagues are: ZONE B – William Knibb High vs Sports Valley High; Montego Bay High vs St James High.

ZONE E – Mile Gully High vs Holmwood Technical High; Winston Jones High vs Bellefield High.

ZONE G – Glenmuir High vs Kemps Hill High; Foga Road High vs Bustamante High.

ZONE I – Guy’s Hill High vs Tacius Golding High; Bog Walk High vs Charlemont High.

ZONE J – Marmount High vs Carron Hall High; St Mary High vs Tacky High.

ZONE L – Seaforth High vs Morant Bay High; Yallahs High vs St Thomas Technical High.

Home teams are named first.